The Supreme Court’s 7 to 2 decision Thursday allowing a large cross in Bladensburg, Maryland, to remain on public land is a significant victory. The cross was erected in 1925 in honor of 49 local heroes who gave their lives in World War I. Kudos to Kelly Shackelford, President and Chief Counsel of First Liberty Institute, who argued the case before the Supreme Court.

I was actually hoping and praying for a 5-4 victory instead of the 7-2 win. The fact that several liberal justices joined the majority is evidence that the decision was not the wide-reaching reversal of judicial hostility to religious expression that we have witnessed since the 1960s. For example, some of the justices relied on the fact the cross was merely “historical” to justify allowing it to remain.

But make no mistake about it — this is a win! A court decision to remove the cross would have been a disaster. It would have meant that every cross and Star of David decorating veterans’ graves all over America would be the next to go. If Hillary Clinton had selected the last two Supreme Court justices, the outcome of the case would have been much different. The next vacancy and who fills it could decide the fate of religious liberty in America.

Big Pro-Life Victory

The pro-life cause and the Trump Administration just scored a major victory in the federal courts. A three-judge panel ruled that Trump regulations depriving Planned Parenthood of millions of dollars to promote abortion could go into effect immediately while other lawsuits are pending. The ruling took place in the very liberal 9th Circuit on the West Coast. But the three judges were all appointed by Republican presidents.

Trump as Commander-in-Chief

The “arm chair” generals are out in force attacking President Trump. The New York Times broke a story that the president had ordered a military strike on an Iranian military asset in retaliation for Iran’s aggressive actions in recent weeks. Then, at the last minute, the president reportedly cancelled the strike and sent Iran a private message that they’d better start negotiating with the U.S.

Those on the left who regularly say the president is irrational and will get us into war are still blaming him for confronting Iran. And some of the Never Trumpers on the right are angry he did not order the military strike. 

Only the president has all the information. We do know this, however — President Trump has Iran by the neck. The administration’s sanctions on the Iranian regime are doing deep damage. They have restricted Iran’s ability to send money and resources to terror groups, including Hezbollah.

Iran’s goal right now is to cause weak European leaders to cave in out of fear and split from the U.S. The president is doing the right thing by making sure he is not falling into an Iranian trap.

Think about this. We know that multiple Obama Administration officials, including former Secretary of State John Kerry, have been talking to the Iranians over the last two years. Reportedly, they have told the Iranians to “hold on” and wait until a new liberal president is elected in 2020. I have no doubt these former Obama officials bear some responsibility for Iranian aggression.

Teenage Girls Battle the Transgender Radicals

A group of young women and their parents did something incredibly brave and important this week that you should know about.

Three Connecticut girls who participate in high school athletics filed a federal discrimination complaint. They say that a statewide policy allowing boys who claim they are girls to compete as girls has cost them top finishes in races and college scholarships.

The complaint was filed with the federal Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights by the Christian law firm Alliance Defending Freedom. The lawsuit cites the federal Title IX rules aimed at equal rights for female athletes.

You can imagine the frustration these girls feel. They’ve trained for years, and enjoyed success. They had every reason to believe that their athletic accomplishments would be their ticket to college.

Then all of a sudden, America’s leftist elites went crazy and began claiming that gender is not innate but is assigned at birth.

It’s no coincidence that when boys compete against girls, the boys almost always win. But in the process of defeating girls, the boys have shattered girls’ dreams of a better future. And the left believes this is progress. Not only is this not progress, it is fundamentally unfair. 

I said that what these girls are doing is brave and important. That’s because anybody who defends scientific truth on this issue will feel the wrath of the left’s social warriors.

Sadly, I have no doubt these girls will be harassed and threatened for their bold stand. But I also don’t doubt that the girls and their parents were fully aware of the progressive backlash to come.

Clearly, they’ve decided that defending the truth is more important than giving in to the social justice mob.