Fifty years ago today, American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon. It was an incredible accomplishment, the culmination of years of painstaking work and preparation, and a source of tremendous national pride.

The United States was locked in a bitter Cold War with the Soviet Union, which had the advantage in the space race. President John F. Kennedy refused to accept the status quo. In May of 1961, he committed the nation to “landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the Earth” in less than 10 years. 

While Kennedy did not live to see his dream come true, America achieved it on July 20, 1969, when the lunar module Eagle landed on the moon’s surface. Shortly afterward, Neil Armstrong uttered those now famous words, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

As the nation celebrated, there was tremendous relief in the White House. Famed Nixon speech writer William Safire had been tasked with drafting the president’s response in the unfortunate event that mission ended in disaster. 

Safire also recommended that the president’s remarks be followed by a service similar to a burial at sea, “concluding with the Lord’s Prayer.” You can read that speech, which thankfully was never delivered, here.

Rubio Responds

Kudos to Senator Marco Rubio! He responded to the kerfuffle between the president and the Squad by making a point that might not be the first thing that comes to people’s minds. 

These members of the Squad — Reps. Ocasio-Cortez, Omar, Pressley, and Tlaib — are bullies. When they speak, they have the full power of the media and elite opinion behind them to cower and browbeat their opposition.

Omar can’t win a debate about the greatness of either Israel or the United States, so she calls Israel an apartheid state that has stolen Palestinian land. And she accuses anyone who supports Israel of doing it for “the Benjamins,” the money. 

What is different about them is that they are not just bullying conservatives. They are also attacking their own. When Nancy Pelosi was mildly critical of the Squad, AOC accused her of going after four “women of color.” And Rashida Tlaib doubled down on the charge this week. 

As Rubio noted, these four are using the same tactic the left has been using for 30 years. Ronald Reagan was a racist. George W. Bush was a racist. John McCain was a racist. Mitt Romney was a racist. Now even Nancy Pelosi is a racist. It’s the race card on steroids!

And the left, which demands tolerance for every crazy idea, has absolutely none for anyone else. 

If you’re a conservative college student, your liberal professor might bully you. The left tried to bully a bunch of Catholic high school kids during a pro-life march. 

If you’re a Christian in sports or business, the left is going to bully you. Try walking with a MAGA hat on in any major city and see how long it takes for you to be bullied or worse. 

When your child gets bullied at school, the usual solution is to ask the teacher and principal to resolve the issue. But we are adults. When conservatives and pro-life activists are bullied, we cannot be intimidated into silence. We must fight back.

Death Threats & Double Standards

While attempting to bully anyone who stands up to them, the Squad is also claiming to be victims. Among other things, they are blaming Trump and Pelosi for the death threats they are receiving. 

No one in public life deserves to receive death threats. But here’s some unfortunate breaking news: Everyone in public life gets death threats. 

When I was working in the Reagan White House, I got death threats. When I worked with James Dobson to defend the traditional family, the threats increased so much we had to hire 24-hour security to protect me and my family.

Talk to Steve Scalise about death threats. He’s still recovering from the wounds he sustained when a progressive went to the Alexandria baseball field intent on killing as many Republicans as he could.

Do these four not realize that calling our Border Patrol agents “fascists” contributes to the threats they and their families receive? 

Why has no one in the mainstream media held the Squad accountable for their “concentration camp” rhetoric and the Antifa attack on an ICE facility?

When they say the president is a Nazi or a Russian agent, as the left has done for the past two years, are they clueless about how much those lies increase the risk to his physical safety?

Yes, death threats are disgusting. But so too is the left’s double standard. 

You can’t demand tolerance and then demonstrate nothing but intolerance.

You can’t claim to defend free speech by shutting down debate.

You can’t claim to fight fascism by beating up people you disagree with.

You can’t claim to be a victim after bullying your opponents.

American Restoration

My good friend Tim Goeglein (along with Craig Osten) has written a new book, American Restoration: How Faith, Family, and Personal Sacrifice Can Heal Our Nation. It’s a timely contribution to our national discourse.

Tim and Craig have succinctly diagnosed many of the ills that presently plague our nation. But instead of bemoaning the present state of our politics and culture, they provide positive solutions, all which start in our homes, neighborhoods, and communities. 

Get your copy of American Restoration today! I highly recommend it to anyone who is concerned about America’s future, and how we can restore our founding virtues of faith, family, and freedom.