Stuart Shepard was nice enough to fly out to Indiana, produce this Stoplight video and speak at IFI's luncheon today. One of the coolest things about the video is all the unique Hoosier things he mentions. If you look closely you will see yours truly doing my best Jimmy Chitwood impersonation.
At [...]
Yesterday Senator Richard Lugar made remarks on the floor of the U.S. Senate in support of judicial activist David Hamilton. Senator Lugar has repeatedly supported Judge Hamilton and continues to do so despite efforts by his colleagues in the Senate to filibuster his confirmation.
One would [...]
A VR commenter made me aware of this organization Maafa 21. It is a good follow up to Peter Heck's post last week on the racism of Planned Parenthood and their attack on African American babies. I haven't seen the movie yet, but [...]
Democrats in the U.S. House voted "Obamacare," the beginning of the government takeover of our health care system, through to the U.S. Senate on Saturday. What's ironic about that is that government intervention got us into this mess (explained below). I don't think more government intervention will get us out. [...]
Back in February, Eric Holder - the country's first black Attorney General - announced that we were a nation of cowards because, "we, as average Americans, simply do not talk enough to each other about race." Holder is right.
That there are still organizations operating in this country that demonize, target,' [...]
Before the ink even dries on the Pedophile Protection Act (aka Federal Hate Crimes) self-identified GLBT groups are already pushing for the Employment Non-Disrimination Act (ENDA). The concept is fairly similar in both bills. As "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" are now federally protected classes within criminal law (thanks to [...]
For years conservatives have been warning that if federal hate crimes legislation would become law, non-politically correct free speech would soon be labeled "hate speech" and silenced, as has been the case in other parts of the world.
Matt Barber believes this effort has already begun. Check out his press release [...]
A son of divorced parents has a very interesting take on marriage. Here is an excerpt:
"Without marriage, Generation X will miss out on the joy and fulfillment that our grandparents experienced. Studies show that married couples have happier and healthier lives, not to mention that married couples live longer and have" [...]
Mike Fichter and our allies over at Indiana Right to Life have chronicled all the new federal bureaucracy that would come about under the House version of government run health care (Check it out after the jump). That doesn't look very family-friendly to me. [...]
As was predicted before the election, Congressional Democratic Leadership and President Obama have added "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" to a list of federally protected groups that will be given great protection than the average crime victim. Hate crimes legislation was snuck into a "must pass" defense appropriations bill and [...]
As you have probably heard, a US Senate Committee has passed a version of the President’s health care reform measure on to the full Senate. Concerns remain over the so-called “public option” aspect of the bill, funding for abortion, the possibility of significant tax increases to fund the measure, and [...]
Here are a couple of media items that I found particularly interesting. First, Thomas Sowell has an eye opening look into the health care debate, as well as an overview of the direction our government is taking us. His article on National Review [...]
Here's a brief recap of the Federal "Hate Crimes" bill (Check out my previous post for a reminder of the dangers of "hate crime" legislation).
In April, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the "Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2009," otherwise known [...]Stuart Shepard of the Focus on the Family Action "Stoplight" videos will be here in Indiana on December 4th for an IFI luncheon where he will unveil a Stoplight he will produce here in Indiana. Stay tuned for more details.
Here is Stuart's most recent Stoplight video. Great stuff.
The hedonists have a phrase that simply says, "Don't knock it 'til you've tried it." Not normally one who would embrace or advocate such a philosophy, I have found myself repeating the phrase quite frequently to those who are tempted to criticize the pro-freedom TEA Parties that are sweeping the country.
For the most part,' [...]
As self-identified GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual and Transgendered) activists have done in other states and attempted to do in Indiana (Morrison v. Sadler), they are once again attempting to legalize same-sex marriage through judicial fiat. However, this time they are taking strategy from the [...]
IFI was pleased to host a luncheon with political cartoonist Gary Varvel. Everyone in attendance had a lot of fun getting to know Gary and having him run through his favorite cartoons. Gary also discussed the state of our culture from his unique perspective. It's great having' [...]
Below you will find a link to the Abdul in the Morning show podcasts. The "Laramie Project Bloggers Debate" contains a debate between Curt Smith and Bil Browning that was aired Friday morning. In my humble opinion this wasn't much of a debate...Curt dominated.
I find it so annoying when liberals' [...]
Star Parker spoke to IFI's Hoosier Congressional Policy Leadership Series last week. What a treat that was! Star is the founder and president of CURE, the Coalition for Urban Renewal & Education. She is a regular contributor on CNN, CNBC, Fox News, CBN, BBC, etc. and a' [...]
Former IFI Board member and current U.S. Representative Mike Pence spoke at the Family Research Council's Values Voter Summit recently. Congressman Pence, master communicator, caught my attention with his explanation of the health care reforms being debated in Washington. The main plan before Congress contains what many are calling the' [...]
Mike Fichter Column
Indiana Right to Life's Lifeline Report
August 2009
One of the ways that you know you’ve been around for awhile is when your introductions begin to include words like “seasoned”, “experienced”, or “well-known”. I’ve noticed all of those words, or some variation thereof, creeping into my own introductions as of' [...]
Bill Shuler has a great little piece on FoxNews about marriage. He proposes 10 truths about marriage that we consider before doing things like changing public policy that would affect marriage and family. I completely agree with him. Elected officials should think of these 10 truths [...]
IFI has a luncheon coming up with Gary Varvel as our speaker. Check out one of his most recent cartoons and click on the link below to register for the luncheon.
lol...Gary is hilarious. Come meet him at our luncheon. Click on the link below to [...]
Religious liberty, public safety, limited government, common sense and love for one's neighbor won out at the Goshen City Council meeting Tuesday evening/Wednesday morning. Though I have had little experience with the City of Goshen and it's residents in the past, I am now a big fan of this Hoosier [...]
The Goshen City Council is currently considering an ordinance that adds “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” as specially protected classes within local law (Ordinance 4551).
What does this mean?
The ordinance defines these terms to be either a person’s actual gender or the [...]
Stuart Shepard interviews Tom Minnery about his trip to Amsterdam for the World Congress of Families, among other things. Organizations from 62 different countries came together to unite in support of marriage between a man and a woman, the nuclear family and the worth of every human life (born or unborn).
Tom Minnery's discussion [...]
This is too funny. Gary Varvel cracks me up. It's a shame liberal indoctrination at the finest state institutions of higher learning is so expensive *smile*. Check out Gary's blog here for more good stuff.
[...]I'm currently typing this on the Hands off My Healthcare tour bus. What an exciting few days it has been! We started in Fort Wayne, we are currently in Vincennes and we will hit Evansville' [...]
Over the weekend the Obama administration trial-ballooned an idea to drop the government option component of their Health Care Reform bill in favor of the federal government mandating membership in non-profit cooperative membership plans, such as Christian Healthcare Ministries of Barberton, OH. CNN's Kate Bolduan reported on the success of' [...]
Focus does a good job of reporting on the issue of homosexual activism in public schools.
The Family Research Council has some interesting research through their "Mapping America Project." They found that:
"Adults who frequently attended religious services as adolescents are less likely ever to be divorced or separated than those who did not."
This is an educated guess, but I would assume those adolescents that [...]
Reuters reports that those in lasting heterosexual marriages are healthier, on average than perpetually single or divorced people. Here is an excerpt:
"We argue that losing a marriage through divorce or widowhood is extremely stressful and that a high-stress period takes a toll on health," researcher Linda J. [...]
Indianapolis Right to Life released the following statement regarding the Health Care Reform Bill's (a.k.a. government takeover of the healthcare industry) provisions to use your tax dollars to fund abortions. Indiana Family Institute completely agrees with Indianapolis Right to Life's assessment.
After the jump take a look at Glenn Beck's entertaining,' [...]
Barack Obama should release his birth certificate. But while he continues to hold out, the Birthers need to give it up.
I have watched with some perplexity as some continue to be fixated on this birth certificate "issue." It has been clanging around in the ether for so long now that [...]
I had just finished checking out at the U-Scan line at Kroger when the headline caught my peripheral vision. I swiveled quickly, in time to see the front page of the Kokomo Tribune my fellow grocery buyer had purchased. There on the front page, in gi-normous block letters of multi-point [...]
Today the U.S. Senate confirmed President Obama's nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor, by a vote of 68-31.
Indiana Senator's Bayh and Lugar both voted in support of Sotomayor. Their positions on Sotomayor are below (Lugar put out a press release. Bayh didn't, but [...]
The Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, has come out swinging again, blasting the insurance companies as "villains." Reuters reported on Thursday that Pelosi had accused the insurance companies of conspiring to kill Obamacare (oh, if only) and in the process, uttered the following:
"Of course they've been immoral all along in'" [...]
by Joseph E. Guzman, Jr.
Never before have I felt so alarmed and impassioned to try to affect positive change. Truly, we are at a critical time across our land. The challenge at-hand expands far beyond health care, but the raging debate over health care has begun to make known just how [...]
This is quite an amazing story when you think about it. In their divinely omniscient wisdom, Merriam-Webster has decided to redefine marriage. Check out the second definition:
"Marriage
(1): the state of being united to a person of the opposite sex as husband or wife in a consensual and contractual" [...]
Brad Lindemann of the Carmel-based IT company Ambassador Solutions, posted a tribute to his dog, Kona, who had to be put down on July 8 after a bout with pancreatic cancer. The tribute is funny and therapeutic for both writer and reader, and worth a read.
"His penchant for [...]
Regardless of which side you are on or in which direction you feel the country is moving, I don't know how anyone could plausibly deny that the last 6 months have been eventful. I believe the country has changed, perhaps irreversibly; from my point of view, I just hope that' [...]
It was indeed a heartwarming moment. With teachers, representatives, and affiliates to the National Education Association's annual convention gathered around, the NEA's retiring General Counsel Bob Chanin took to the stage to deliver his outgoing remarks. His inspiring and uplifting message asserted the profound commitment held by the NEA to [...]
The Pence Amendment to remove all federal funding from Planned Parenthood of America failed today on the U.S. House floor on a 183-247 party line vote. I will never be able to understand how elected officials can continue to ship my tax dollars off to the largest abortion provider in [...]
My good friend Micah Clark with AFA of IN alerted me to this important issue. Take a look:
"YOUR CONGRESSMAN NEEDS TO HEAR FROM YOU BEFORE 3PM TODAY!
This afternoon, the US House of Representatives will consider an amendment authored by Indiana Congressman Mike Pence which takes the nation’s largest abortion provider" [...]
President Obama has sided with secular liberals consistently in his young presidency on the issue of these United States' common Christian heritage. As only he can do, David Barton has written a fantastic article on the history of America as a Christian nation. America's history and the Christian faith are inseparable. ' [...]
Blog Link: Culture Watch, by Bill Muehlenberg
Love and Marriage, 6/29/09
A very brief news item caught my attention just recently which is worth commenting on. It had to do with where modern marriage is heading, and how some people are seeking to change [...]
The video has a report on some interesting new research by NARTH on the ability of people who struggle with homosexuality to reorient their sexuality. It is important for my friends who are living a homosexual lifestyle to understand that change is possible. If you don't want that change, that's up to you. [...]
by Glenn Asbury
When I was at CPAC in February, Congressman Ron Paul announced to the capacity crowd at the Omni Shoreham that he had introduced a bill in the House that would (from my understanding), for the first time ever, audit the books of the Federal Reserve. This came [...]
by Anonymous
On July 7, the New York Times Magazine published an interview with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg titled "The Place of Women on the Court." It quickly became a bolster for feminism and women's right to choose. The statements Ginsburg makes in' [...]
Guest Blogger: Peter Heck, peterheck.com
Best Wishes: Marrying a girl with Kokomo roots is a risky move...but through Christ all things are possible! God bless you guys! -Peter Heck
With all due respect, when the President of France is quicker to defend the cause of [...]
Guest Blogger: Sarah Ford
Best Wishes: Ryan, congratulations on your marriage! My husband says it takes guts to marry a redhead, but I don't think we're so bad =) -Sarah Ford
In light of Governor Sarah Palin’s surprising resignation on Friday, I thought it appropriate (and [...]
Guest Blogger: Seth Drayer, regular on theundergroundyouth.
Best Wishes: Mr. & Mrs. McCann, I pray your union will be one which challenges others to love as deeply and serve as fully our Lord! Congratulations! -Seth Drayer
2009 January 19: I, Too, Have a Dream
Our [...]
To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes
the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors
is sinful and tyrannical.
-Thomas Jefferson
[...]Note to readers: Conservatives are feeling anxious these days - we're on the brink of the most liberal policies our country has ever seen. Below is an older blog which applies still today.
Guest blogger: Brian McCrorie, Bowing Down
Best Wishes: Ryan, congrats on your marriage; be blessed and' [...]
Guest Blogger: Peter Heck, peterheck.com
Best Wishes: Marrying a girl with Kokomo roots is a risky move...but through Christ all things are possible! God bless you guys! -Peter Heck
2009 June 28: No Friend of Freedom - Part I
As the United States prepares to [...]
Guest Blogger: Seth Drayer, regular on theundergroundyouth
Best Wishes: Mr. & Mrs. McCann, I pray your union will be one which challenges others to love as deeply and serve as fully our Lord! Congratulations! -Seth Drayer
2009 March 30: Left Behind?
Last week, I [...]
Best Wishes: Congratulations and all of our best wishes for many years of happiness to Ryan and Mrs. McCann, two valiant advocates for marriage and the family. - Glen Asbury
2009 June 29: Waxman-Markey
This [...]
Excerpt from a 4-part series: God's Design for Marriage
at Focus on the Family
Why Marriage Matters for Adults
Is marriage an old-fashioned, outmoded institution? Is it merely a piece of paper, having no real impact on our lives? By Glenn T. Stanton
Researchers are finding' [...]
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- The House version of the governmental health care bill, put together by three chairmen of key Congressional committees, is drawing more opposition. A top pro-life group has already issued a letter strongly opposing the measure and now leading pro-life Congressman Chris Smith has joined [...]
Mr. and Mrs. Ryan McCann
Mazal tov!
The Indiana Family Institute is proud to announce the wedding of our key blogger, Ryan McCann, on Saturday, June 27th.
We send the happy couple our most heartfelt pro-family congratulations! We were present to witness the beautiful ceremony and [...]
The Scary Thing about School Funding...Ghosting
By: Wes Culver (R-Goshen)
Unless they work in education or state government, not many people know or understand the complicated formula that determines how much funding each school corporation receives each year.
Each school corporation receives a specific dollar amount per student. So, two schools with [...]
I'm working on a very important project for the Americans for Prosperity Foundation. We all know that our health care system isn't perfect, but many in Congress think that greatere government involvement is the solution to the problem.
I wholeheartedly disagree.David McIntosh and pollster Kellyanne Conway have an excellent article over at [...]
By Craig Ladwig
Gov. Mitch Daniels¹ speech apologizing for his generation was quoted in the
Wall Street Journal today. He and others of this year¹s class of
commencement honorands described the Baby Boom generation as selfish.
But one expert on the cultural impact of the generation, Neil Howe, told the
newspaper that the apologies sounded [...]
When: Thursday, June 11
Where: The Fountains, 502 East Carmel Drive, Carmel
What time: 6:30pm doors open, 7pm dinner
How much: $50 per person
Moody Radio is like family to its loyal listeners—it’s more than just a radio station! Help us honor Moody Radio [...]
Some people will get really mad about this and rightly so. It mainly saddens me. The Alliance Defense Fund has on their website the proclamation below. It seems that it is not on the White House website, but is on 365gay.com (go figure).
The President of the United States of America, [...]
Many within the mainstream media are falling all over themselves to highlight the compelling personal history of President Obama's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court, Sonia Sotomayor. As nice as this might be, the real question that should be asked of any nominee is what sort of judicial philosophy will' [...]
Coral Ridge ministries has a great video up on youtube explaining the dangers of the Federal Hate Crimes bill. Check it out:
[...]
Karl Rove had some very interesting comments about Sonia Sotomayor as soon as it was announced that Justice Souter was retiring. It looks like President Obama has stepped over the "dividing line" that Rove mentions into the land of the ulta-liberal. Many will try and sell this nomination as the [...]
Unfortunately, the U.S. Supreme Court has become the final arbiter on many important social issues. Of course, this wasn't the role the judiciary was designed for. Rather than deciding whether abortion (for example) should be legal or not, the judiciary was designed to interpret the laws that the legislature creates' [...]
This gallup poll is a fantastic. It shows that Americans are more pro-life (51% "pro-life", 42% "pro-choice") than they have been in a long time. What's even more interesting to me is that those numbers are probably low. When you take into account that many American's don't even know' [...]
IFI, along with many other Family Policy Counsels across the country, is co-releasing a study entitled, "How U.N. Conventions on Women's and Children's Rights Undermine Family, Religion, and Sovereignty" with authors Patrick F. Fagan, William L. Saunders, Michael A. Fragoso of the Family Research Council.
You can download the study here: [...]
Dr. Dobson had Miss California on his program recently to support her as liberals attempt to pull every skeleton out of her closet in response to her nationwide support of marriage. Ann Coulter makes a great point in her recent column. "Christians aren't people who believe they are without sin; [...]
The ACLU never ceases to amaze me. Check out their email below. When I read stuff like this from these wacko left-wing groups I just have to laugh, but then I feel bad for laughing because they are wrecking the country...then I just can't help it and bust out laughing' [...]
This is incredible. Under the Thought ("Hate") Crimes bill that passed the U.S. House (I mentioned this last week), my grandma would get less protection from certain crimes than a homosexual activist. Now we learn that this ridiculous bill would protect pedophiles, but not America's veterans.
*Update*
For more on the lunacy of' [...]
As Wednesday came and passed without a budget, we have to ask, “What is going on in the Indiana House of Representatives?” I have to say that as I have worked with legislators this session on pro- family issues, they have consistently told me that this session has been the [...]
My grandma, wearing a Ronald Reagan t-shirt, gets beat up because the criminal in question...let's call him Pat...believes she is a conservative. Pat then beats up a man with a rainbow shirt...let's call him Perez Hilton...because Pat believes Perez's rainbow shirt might indicate that he [...]
In his most recent work, Charles Murray, W. H. Brady Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, asks, "If we could avoid Europe’s demographic problems, do we want the United States to be like Europe?"
He compares the current political ideology dominating the minds of our federal leaders to that of European leaders [...]
The Pray in Jesus Name Project is urging members of the United States Senate to filibuster President Obama's nomination of Judge David Hamilton to the Federal Court of Appeals' Seventh Circuit. Both Brian Sikma and I have written on the judicial activism of Judge Hamilton. It seems others from around the country' [...]
Want to have a quality relationship with your child? Fight for your marriage and worship the Lord regularly. Hmmm....I feel like I've read that advice in a book somewhere...(*smile*)
Here are the details of the study.
Matt Barber has an excellent article on the "hate crimes" legislation currently before Congress. The bill is not about stopping or even punishing crime. This bill is about muzzling those who disagree with the homosexual political agenda. Check out the article and then contact your U.S. Senators and [...]
It seems that liberal IU Law Professor and Obama nominee to head the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel, Dawn Johnsen faces a tough road in the U.S. Senate.
The McClatchy Newspaper reports:
"But Republicans and right-wing conservatives aren't the only ones who have reservations about Johnsen. At least one'" [...]
Here is the latest on the federal "hate crimes" legislation. Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., is chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and reportedly said he is not hearing from family advocates on this issue. Please e-mail and/or call your U.S. representative and request a vote against the hate-crimes bill (H.R. [...]
by Craig Ladwig
With "Tax Day" behind us, let's get down to business: After a century of being one of the most innovative creators of jobs and wealth in the nation, Indiana has lost its economic touch. In a depressed economy, it will be one of the biggest losers.
Idle speculation? No, [...]
To play off of a long-standing pro-choice phrase...abortion is legal. But what about safe? SB 89, which has passed both the Indiana Senate and House and now heads to Conference Committee, requires doctors who perform abortions to have hospital admitting privileges. Women who are admitted to the hospital with complications after abortions deserve the [...]
Judge David Hamilton's nomination to Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals has been met with strong opposition from conservatives nationwide. Focus on the Family reminded us that Judge Hamilton's record of work is not as "moderate" as some would have us believe. David Barton does an excellent job of chronicaling [...]
This is amazing to me. As many of you know, today is tax day and people are not very happy. I would say that liberal leadership in Washington is spending money like drunken sailors, but that would be an insult to drunken sailors. My fiance and I tried to file my tax [...]
Below is the press release Rep. Eric Turner, the IN House author of the Marriage Amendment, put out regarding Iowa's Supreme Court decision redefining marriage.
Rep. Turner is right on the money when he says:
"Speaker Bauer has said many times Indiana's statute is sufficient to protect the sanctity of marriage," [...]
