He was such an optimist, a friend to all, a champion of the people of South Carolina, and a staunch supporter of Trump.
He was a supporter of Israel, a great patriot, and we will probably never see his like again.
The Republicans had better get their act together, and fast. Without Lindsey Graham on their team, it's going to be rough going for them.
After you've read this column, read this one by Spiked's Chief Political Writer, Brendan O'Neill: Andy Burnham’s shameful pandering to anti-Israel bigots. His pompous, fact-lite sermon on Gaza is a transparent effort to win back Muslim voters and the keffiyeh classes.
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Melanie Phillips, Jul 10, 2026
"Well that didn’t take long, did it?
"On the day that 322 politically bankrupt and panicky Labour MPs made it all but certain through their backing that Andy Burnham’s coup against Sir Keir Starmer had succeeded and he would replace him as prime minister, Burnham — whose only claim to fame is the common touch he brought to his role as mayor of Manchester — chose to celebrate by sticking it to the Jews.
"After meaningless bromides about condemning the Hamas-led atrocities in Israel on October 7 2023 and the “appalling” rise in antisemitism, as well as having “felt first-hand” the anxiety of British Jews about the “very real threat they face” after the lethal Manchester synagogue attack last year, he proceeded to parrot Hamas propaganda defaming Israel for defending itself against genocide. He did so using the same falsehoods about Israel that have fuelled the onslaught against British Jews as the presumed supporters of the cosmic and diabolical evil that apparently is the State of Israel.
"In his video on X yesterday, Burnham said:
"The terrible suffering in Gaza is a scar on our collective conscience. It’s completely unacceptable that innocent Palestinians including children continue to be killed. That there’s still a humanitarian crisis with too little aid getting in, and that the Israeli military continues to expand the area it controls in Gaza. We’ve got to do more to put pressure on the Israeli government.
"He approved of the pressure already imposed by the Starmer government including recognising “the Palestinian state”, placing sanctions on Israeli ministers and imposing “waves of sanctions on violent settlers and the organisations that support them”. He also supported the restrictions imposed on arms licences, he said,
"to make sure that no British bombs or bullets can be used by the IDF in Gaza or in the West Bank.
"He went on:
"Israel continues to violate the ceasefire agreement killing innocent Palestinians. Netanyahu’s government is clearly attempting to make a two state solution impossible. We need to do more, including … looking at further sanctions, both against those involved in the violence in Gaza but also measures to ban trade in goods with illegal settlements. I like many others feel passionately about Gaza and I will work with international partners to stop the suffering, to ensure the Israeli government adheres to international law…There’s increasing evidence that war crimes appear to have been committed. … holding the Netanyahu government to account… I will always take a fair and balanced approach and stand up for what is right.
"This was all an obscene travesty of truth and fairness and a shocking display of either brainwashed ignorance or the most shameless cynicism.
"There was zero condemnation of Hamas for causing that suffering in Gaza by using “innocent Palestinians including children” not just as human shields but as cannon fodder — war crimes against their own people.
"He made no mention that Hamas has been regularly torturing and murdering Gazans who dare oppose the tyrannical terrorist group.
"No mention that Hamas hid in the tunnels they built to commit war crimes against innocent Israelis, including children, while failing to build one single shelter for their own civilians. Hamas prevented the Gazans from sheltering in the tunnels because the Islamist barbarians wanted as many of them as possible to die under bombardment as a strategy of war to get the credulous, post-truth progressive world to support barbarism against civilisation. As has happened, and as Burnham has now done.
"It is Hamas, not Israel, that’s been repeatedly breaching the ceasefire in Gaza. Burnham omitted that bit, thus reversing aggressor and defender as is routinely done against Israel to delegitimise and destroy it.
"No mention that Hamas, although much depleted, are still attacking Israeli soldiers in Gaza and refusing to disarm because, as they have repeatedly declared, they intend to commit more atrocities against Jews.
"No mention of putting more pressure on Hamas and its state sponsors in Qatar and Iran to abandon their genocidal agenda.
"Instead, Burnham stated that Britain would refuse to provide a single bomb or bullet to help defend civilians in Israel under attack from Gaza or in the disputed territories known as the “West Bank”.
"Just think about that. The incoming British prime minister believes it’s doing “what is right” to refuse to assist the prospective targets of genocide against their attackers.
"Defaming the half million or so Jewish residents of these disputed areas, of whom a few hundred delinquent boys are genuinely mounting unprovoked attacks against local Arabs — a real issue that’s being grossly exaggerated as another weapon of delegitimisation against Israel — Burnham made no mention of the dozens of murderous attacks and plots against these Jewish residents that are being perpetrated or hatched every day.
"He also parroted the untruth that the Jewish “settlements” in these areas are illegal. This reflects Britain’s long-standing and cynical misrepresentation of international law. The fact is that the Jews alone are entitled to live in the “West Bank” under international law many times over.
"As for Israel committing war crimes, this is the foulest lie. Israel, which goes to enormous lengths to behave in accordance with the laws of war, has committed no war crimes. These have been committed instead in their thousands by Hamas against Israeli and Gazan civilians.
"Why is Burnham parroting this disgusting rubbish? Why, indeed, is he giving Gaza top priority while the British public is still waiting to hear how he proposes to govern the United Kingdom? Why doesn’t he identify the murder of more than 40,000 Iranian men and women by the fanatical Tehran regime as a “stain on our collective conscience”?
"The reason is simple. Amoral Andy is falling over himself to suck up to the “Gaza first” Islamists and the “Zios out” gang in his own party and throughout so-called liberal Britain, because he believes that this is where electoral success now lies.
"Referring to Starmer saying shortly after October 7 that Israel had the right to defend itself, and subsequently being criticised for being seen to be slow to call for Israel to cease fire, Burnham also said:
"I know many people feel that, at the start of Israel’s military action in Gaza, my party didn’t get it right, and I am sorry about that. The response has too often not been good enough.
"In fact, by parroting Hamas’s propaganda and then rewarding its murderous behaviour by recognising “Palestine”, Labour’s response to Gaza helped cause the killing of yet more Israelis at the hands of a galvanised Hamas that actually thanked it for “justifying” the October 7 atrocities. By defaming Israelis as diabolical and wanton killers, Labour also ramped up the Jew-hatred which has subjected British Jews to unprecedented vilification, intimidation, harassment and murderous attack.
"If Britain had been subjected to a fraction of the thousands of missile and terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians, not to mention the increasing stranglehold through a “ring of fire” by a regime intent on wiping it off the map, does anyone doubt that Britain wouldn’t have gone to war just as Israel has been forced to do — and would have been far less scrupulous than the Israelis have been about trying to safeguard civilian lives?
"Yet for Burnham and the entire progressive west, Israel alone is not to be allowed to defend itself against annihilation. For Burnham and his ilk, all of Israel’s defensive military measures are instead acts of aggression.
"This is not morality but depravity, and the disintegration of reason.
"Burnham’s video will have caused a shudder among all who respect truth and justice, and all who understand the threat to Britain and the west from the Islamist onslaught that’s being laundered through the Palestinian cause. And he hasn’t yet even got his feet across the Downing Street welcome mat.
"Nevertheless, it’s still not enough for the Israel-baiting far-left. The Telegraph reports:
"But on Thursday night, both the Greens and Your Party said the comments had not gone far enough, as Mr Burnham refused to accuse Israel of committing war crimes unequivocally.
"Robespierre, the architect of the French revolutionary terror who went to the same guillotine to which he had condemned an entire class of people, had the same problem.
"Progressives always eat their own. But they help kill the rest of us first."
Is this how you hope to win votes these days, by showing your complete contempt for Israel and of Jews, even if it means lying?
Our American Democrats have resorted to this as well. It seems the signs of a "good" candidate now include the following:
* Hatred of Trump
* Hatred of Jews
* Hatred of Israel
* Hatred of capitalism
* Hatred of earned wealth
* Contempt for I.C.E & police
* Against jails and punishment for criminals
* Continues to protect illegal alien criminals
* Supports sanctuary cities
* Supports amnesty for illegal aliens
* Supports Medicare for All
* Supports political correctness
* Supports green energy
* Supports transgender surgery for children
* Thinks men can be women
Are voters that far gone that they no longer vote for candidates whose main goals are protecting our country and keeping us safe?
It's just hard for me to believe that voters are so obsessed with Israel that they vote for someone based on whether he stands for Israel, or against Israel. And it's also hard for me to believe that we've gotten to the point where candidates are this brazen about their Jew-hatred. Years ago, expressing that publicly would have been the end of that candidate's career. Now, it's a badge of honor.
I switched my party affiliation from Democrat to Republican in 1991, and I'm glad I did. Democrats have somehow gone from being the party of John F. Kennedy to being the party of hate.
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An overview of the current outbreak of cyclosporiasis.
"There is currently a large outbreak of cyclosporiasis, a foodborne illness, that’s making headlines. Here’s a brief look at what you need to know.
"There is a very large outbreak of cyclosporiasis underway. Current reports are concentrated in southeast Michigan and northwest Ohio – Michigan has reported over 700 cases since late June, which is approximately 14 times the state's annual average. Cases have been identified in at least 18 states, including New York, North Carolina, Indiana, and Texas, with an unofficial national count (based on state reports) likely exceeding 1,200. It's not yet confirmed whether these state clusters share a common source.
"Cyclospora cayetanensis is a microscopic parasite that inhabits the small intestine. Infection begins when someone ingests contaminated food or water. Fresh produce like herbs, leafy greens, fruits, etc. are most commonly implicated. Unlike some other stomach bugs you may be familiar with, like norovirus, cyclosporiasis is not transmitted through direct contact with e.g., an infected household member.
"Symptoms include prolonged watery diarrhea, fatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss, abdominal cramping, bloating, nausea, and low-grade fever. These symptoms typically develop one week after exposure. Cyclosporiasis often follows a relapsing pattern. If untreated, symptoms improve and then return over several weeks or months. This pattern, combined with the fact that routine stool tests don’t detect this parasite, can lead to missed diagnoses or misdiagnoses like irritable bowel syndrome.
"The parasite typically contaminates produce at the farm or irrigation source, and then the product is distributed to stores and purchased by consumers. U.S. outbreaks are commonly associated with imported fresh produce, including bagged salads, leafy greens, fresh basil, fresh cilantro, and raspberries.
"No specific food source has been identified or recalled as of this date. State health departments, the CDC, and the FDA are still working to identify the source.
"Cyclosporiasis is highly unpleasant but often self-limiting in healthy adults. For older adults and people with immunocompromise, though, infection can be dangerous. People at higher risk include, for example, chemotherapy patients, solid organ transplant recipients, or others on immunosuppressive medications.
"For those high risk populations, the illness may be more severe, prolonged, and prone to relapse. Chronic diarrhea increases the risk of dehydration and electrolyte imbalances, which can complicate heart, kidney, or other underlying conditions. However, the infection is treatable with appropriate medical care.
"Until a source is identified, readers who are more cautious or at higher risk may want to limit foods historically linked to these outbreaks, like leafy greens and bagged salads, fresh herbs like basil and cilantro, raspberries, snow peas, and green onions. But to be clear, no specific source has been identified, so this option is a best guess for precautions.
"Evidence on the effectiveness of rinsing produce to prevent cyclosporiasis is sparse. From my quick review, I came to the conclusion that rinsing can help to reduce risk, but not reliably because the oocysts are sticky. I wasn’t able to find clear guidance on veggie sprays, but the parasite is quite hardy and resistant to chlorine sanitization, so I think they are unlikely to work.
"Cooking does eliminate it, so cooked vegetables are a safer choice while the investigation continues.
"Persistent watery diarrhea accompanied by fatigue and appetite loss should prompt a visit to the doctor, particularly with dehydration (reduced urination, dizziness on standing, dry mouth, or feeling faint). Routine stool tests do not detect Cyclospora, so clinicians must specifically request testing for this parasite. More information for clinicians is available at our sister site, FOI Clinical.
"I'll keep you updated as the source investigation continues."
In their zeal to find some of the most extremist, disagreeable, Trump-hating, antisemitic, America-hating candidates, they are now paying the price. I hope he resigns and takes Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth "He's my kind of man" Warren with him, among others.
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Excerpt from Townhall 7-8-26:
The Platner Campaign Fires Back at Maine Democrats As Their Senate Hopes Crumble
"There are reports that Platner is refusing to drop out unless he can name his successor, and the current kerfuffle with the Maine Democrats seems to lend credibility to that report. Murphy-Anderson said the Platner campaign reached out to the state party to influence the process of selecting Platner's replacement, and that the party informed Platner's campaign they would not be involved in the process in any way."
I was never diagnosed with COVID, yet I suffered from intense hypersensitivity and had to see an opthalmologist. This article now makes me wonder.
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From News-Medical.net 7-8-26:
Study explains long-term ocular symptoms following mild COVID-19
"Mild COVID-19 can cause severe and long-lasting eye problems, according to a study from Linköping University, Sweden. The study also explains why it has been difficult for sufferers to get help: the abnormal eye behavior cannot be detected by standard methods. The researchers have developed a diagnostic model to detect COVID-related eye problems.
"I think it's very important that the problem is recognised and that we show that it can be measured by objective testing. Patients don't have access to that today. We've studied people in Sweden, but believe that many people around the world are experiencing these problems," says Neil Lagali, professor of experimental ophthalmology at Linköping University, who led the study published in Nature Communications.
"The study originated with people seeking care for eye problems following a mild COVID-19 infection. They were experiencing a lot of discomfort, sensitivity to light and in many cases severe eye pain, difficulty reading and focusing their gaze.
"Following examination of those affected, the research team realized that the problem was substantial, not only in terms of prevalence but also in impact on quality of life. Among those affected were people who wanted to continue their studies or work but were unable to do so, as they could no longer read text and were suffering from pain and extreme eye fatigue. Healthcare professionals could not find anything wrong with their eyes, nor provide any explanation for their symptoms, let alone a diagnosis.
"In the current study, the researchers examined 100 people with eye problems following COVID-19 who had not been hospitalized. They had suffered from eye problems for 3 months up to 3 years, and one in three were on full or part-time sick leave. The researchers compared the affected group with a control group of 32 people, who had also had mild COVID-19 but without eye problems.
"In their study, the researchers found long-term inflammation and deterioration of several eye functions controlled by the nerves in the brain.
"One of the advanced tests involved proteomics, where a variety of proteins in the tear fluid are analysed. In those with eye problems, the researchers found an abnormal pattern of proteins regulating nerves and immune cells, so-called T cells. The findings were consistent with advanced eye microscopy that they used to measure the T cells and nerves in the eye. Strikingly, the same protein pattern has been found in blood and tissue in cases of severe and fatal COVID in other studies.
"Our findings suggest that these people have suffered a severe reaction to COVID-19 manifested in the eyes, with long-term inflammation and an impact on the nerves that control multiple eye functions," says Petros Moustardas, senior research associate at Linköping University and lead author of the study, who performed the proteomics analyses.
"Many of those affected became highly sensitive to light. The researchers can now provide an explanation: their pupils let too much light into the eye. The impaired pupil function was furthermore linked to headaches, difficulty reading text and in focusing the eyes.
"Another finding was that both eyes could not cooperatively function in a normal way. Known as strabismus, or crossed-eyes, this occurs almost exclusively in young children. This type of adult-onset strabismus is unusual. According to Neil Lagali, it can be explained by the fact that the nerves that control the eye muscles have been affected.
"The various abnormalities discovered by the researchers point to an eye syndrome that occurs following COVID-19. To develop diagnostic criteria, which do not exist today, the researchers came up with two diagnostic models. One model uses only measurements from instruments usually found in eye clinics in larger academic hospitals. In the second model, a few tear fluid protein values are added, making it even more accurate.
"These people are really struggling in their daily lives. Now we know what's wrong with their eyes, and have several clues as to how COVID-19 may have caused these problems. We hope that the findings can lead to effective treatment and that in the long run their problems will ease, but unfortunately we don't know yet," says Neil Lagali.
"The study was conducted in collaboration with Helen Setterud and Björn Johansson at the Linköping University Hospital Eye Clinic, and partners at Linnaeus University in Kalmar. The study was financed by the Swedish Research Council."
The only people he is "influencing" are haters like himself, so let him stay there! We don't want him here.
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Click the link to see the disgraceful video clip.
"Anti-Israel and anti-American social media personality Jackson Hinkle was spotted at Ali Khamenei’s funeral, where he led ‘Down with the USA’ chants and handed out beverages to mourners."
Please read her wonderfully-written column, and you'll feel the same way. It's filled with wonderful graphics, videos, and tweets, but I've never really figured out how to copy videos into this blog, so look at the whole thing on her website to see the full effect for yourself. (Hat tip, 7-6-26 Power Line picks).
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Trump Became a Legend Over the Weekend
And yet, it was still a "middle America party" greeted with a sneer.
Sasha Stone, Jul 05, 2026
The two Americas faced off over Independence Day Weekend, the nation’s 250th birthday. To the Left and the ruling class, it was the worst-case scenario. How could they celebrate the administration they’ve called “fascist” for ten years? And worse, if Trump pulled off a successful Fourth, and the people felt happiness for even one second, what of their ongoing mass delusion?
A gathering storm, lightning cracking in the sky, buckets of rain pouring down, it looked like a weather intervention to prevent the nation’s big celebration with the biggest fireworks display in history. Nothing would have made them happier. But Trump was never going to let that happen.
I had that feeling, the same one I’ve had so many times. Trump decides to push through anyway, as he did in Butler after almost being assassinated on live television.
Or just after the Correspondents’ Dinner, where another shooting almost massacred reporters and the Trump administration. He wanted to go back into the room and give his speech.
That kind of heroism can’t be taught. It is true grit. It comes from being raised to be tough, resilient, and to stand there, allow yourself to be pummeled by every force imaginable, and remain standing. It always reminds me of that scene in Raging Bull when Jake La Motta refuses to be taken down by Sugar Ray.
“You never got me down, Ray.”
Yes, that’s Robert De Niro before he lost his mind to TDS, and when he was still an actor, all of us could admire. He and everyone else in the upper crust of Liberal society believe it’s their right to rob the American people of representative democracy. They might have won, but they underestimated the kind of stuff Trump is made of. “You never got me down, Ray.”
I kept wondering, is he really going to show up that late and give a speech? Are they really going to push through with the fireworks? The crowd drenched? An unpredictable weather pattern swirling overhead? Sure enough, the minute Lee Greenwood took to the stage, we knew what was coming next.
I knew I was watching the stuff of legends as Trump took to the stage to give his speech. It was something beautiful and spectacular to behold. I’ve never seen anything like it, and it was pure Trump. The real Trump, not the fake version sold by the legacy media and the Left every day.
I just kept thinking, there will be another one like him. We’re all so lucky to be living through this moment, and we have to make sure the story is told right.
I know I sound like a sycophant for Trump. I know what people think when they read the kind of adoring words I use to describe him, and how I neglect to write about his flaws, his bad decisions, or his mistakes. I won’t deny it.
To quote the great Teddy Roosevelt, “The poorest way to face life is to face it with a sneer.” That’s all we’ve gotten from the most powerful people in the country for the last ten years: one long sneer.
I knew how the elitists who believe this country belongs only to them would respond. I used to be one of them. I hated Trump right alongside them. I mourned the death of democracy, too. The difference is that, at some point, the hate became too much for me. I couldn’t be part of it. I had to find out what was true and what wasn’t.
I feel like I have to write about what I am seeing, but also to correct the record each and every time, because I know what the legacy media will report and how they’ll want to tell their version of the story in history books. My admiration for Trump has only grown as I’ve watched him deflect the slings and arrows.
Deep down, guys like Robert de Niro and Bruce Springsteen know who they are. They know they have everything and are used to getting their way. They can’t face their own irrelevance. They don’t want to go down in history as losers to their sworn enemy. What does that say about them?
They pretend it’s Trump who is the bully, but who are we kidding? They live in their own bubble. How could they ever know what was real anymore? They’ve become the antagonists, the bullies, the villains. because they’re the side that still has all of the power.
They threaten and intimidate anyone who would dare participate in a Trump-backed celebration of America at 250. Do they think we don’t notice? They’re the bad guys now. They’re the rich kid villain in a John Hughes high school movie.
To many other people, Trump represents the most famous guy in the world who has their back and is their voice. The best way to have prevented his rise was to understand that this is a big country that didn’t want to be ruled by the coastal elites.
And yes, it’s a cosmic joke that the Gray Champion, the hero of our time, is the guy who was on Celebrity Apprentice and hosted beauty pageants. Trump’s rise is about him, but it’s also about them - those at the top whose reaction to Trump has been their downfall. They destroyed themselves trying to destroy him.
Does that mean I think he’s perfect? Of course not. I wish he’d fund the National Parks. But I know a legend when I see one.
If you can’t stand back in awe over something like this, there is nothing left.
Thank you, President Trump, for giving your supporters the thrill of a lifetime and for showing people like me what real courage looks like.
How lucky we are that Trump is our President, especially during this glorious year. The contrast between patriotic Americans and the Democrat Socialists could not be any starker.
I had the same reaction during a different era. Whenever I hear it now, I think of September 11 and how that song was played during the seventh inning stretch of MLB games.
Both emotional events, and the combination of a grateful immigrant songwriter in Irving Berlin, and a powerful singer in Kate Smith. No other version will do.
I saw the following column at RedState. It was lovely to see Ronald Reagan and others in the accompanying video.
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Like Christmas, Independence Day is famous for its songs.
There are so many of them that bring home the patriotism of the holiday, our gratitude for our forefathers for creating a more perfect union, and our love of America. Think, the Star‑Spangled Banner, America the Beautiful, Lee Greenwood’s God Bless the U.S.A., and lately, during the World Cup, John Denver’s Country Roads.
Of course, one of those patriotic favorites is God Bless America, and it’s still sung by the massive crowds across the country.
But when was it first performed, and who wrote it?
Although the first public performance was in 1938 to celebrate Armistice Day (the end of World War I), the story actually goes back to 1918 and “The Dean of American Songwriters,” the great Irving Berlin. He’d written the tune 20 years earlier, but it wasn’t until 1938 that a revised version was sung publicly:
November 9, 1938
In [a] remarkable letter, songwriter Irving Berlin writes to fellow composer Harry Ruby on the eve of “God Bless America’s” reintroduction to the world. The timing is chilling as the letter was written on the eve of the Kristallnacht program (Nov. 9–10, 1938) in Nazi Germany. Berlin reveals that Kate Smith will sing it the next night on national radio—reviving a forgotten WWI-era tune that would become a defining American anthem. This letter, written just one day before Smith's Armistice Day broadcast, captures the quiet beginnings of what would become one of the most patriotic songs in U.S. history.
Although technically the very first rendition by Smith was for radio in 1938, she reprised it for the 1943 Warner Bros. film "This Is the Army," where she performed it with a large orchestra and choir. See if you can spot a legendary former president and even the songwriter himself in the clip:
Here is the first time ever God Bless America was sung
— Mike Netter (@nettermike) July 3, 2026
Happy 250 America
Watch and spread
Like and smile pic.twitter.com/9xPMImc96W
The song became an immediate classic:
This simple one-verse song became an overnight hit, and a hopeful song as war threatened. “It’s not a patriotic song,” composer Irving Berlin said in a 1940 interview, “but an expression of gratitude for what this country has done for its citizens, of what home really means.” Today, many Americans consider “God Bless America” an unofficial national anthem of the United States.
For decades, you used to hear Smith’s version at New York Yankees and Philadelphia Flyers games, but the Left always wants to make sure you can’t have nice things, so in 2019, they dragged up other songs that she had sung nearly a century ago and got her canceled. The two teams no longer play her voice because some of the tunes were deemed to be racist.
Critics of cancel culture struck back, noting that Smith recorded one of the controversial “racist” songs with an African American man, and it was meant to be satirical, not hateful. Meanwhile, she didn’t exactly sound like your average KKK Grand Wizard in an interview:
Smith called for racial tolerance in 1945 in an address on CBS Radio, declaring, "Race hatreds, social prejudices, religious bigotry, they are the diseases that eat away the fibers of peace". She went on to state "it is up to us to tolerate one another in order to achieve peace".
In any case, you won’t hear her anymore at Yankees or Flyers games.
The Left is always trying to erase our history, but the problem for them is that they can’t. We’ve got the documents, we’ve got the videotapes, we’ve got the contemporaneous news stories. I hope you enjoyed Smith’s rendition.
Now fire up those grills, display your American flags, and let the world know that you are a loud and proud American who will not be erased.
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