SPOTLIGHT: Homeschooling, Anchors, and Salty Arrows

Written by Benjamin Smith

David Smith, executive director of IFA, and IFA board chairman Richard Hartian return to Illinois Family Spotlight as we wrap up our series on homeschooling. Joining them again for this final conversation is the well-spoken and delightful trio of Kenna and Eliana Hartian and Jenna Smith.

Richard and David ask several questions of their daughters, and the young women readily respond with wise and thoughtful answers based on their personal experience and knowledge of Scripture.… Continue Reading

Mary Miller is Correct

Written by Christine Misner and David E. Smith

Why are left-wing Democrats lying about Mary Miller?

Because she stands for your values!

U.S. Representative Mary Miller is serving her first term in Congress, representing Illinois’ 15th District in Washington, D.C. Her husband, Chris Miller, is a state representative who has served in the Illinois General Assembly since 2019. They are a hardworking Christian couple who have raised seven children, operate a family ranch and farm, and are well-respected leaders in their local church and community.… Continue Reading

Why June Could be Decisive for Religious Freedom and the Future of the Nation’s Highest Court

Written by Jorge Gomez

June could be a critical month for religious freedom in America like never before. Over the next few weeks, the U.S. Supreme Court is likely to release most of the decisions for its current term—including cases in which First Liberty is fighting to defend people of faith and religious organizations.

Below, we’ll recap several First Amendment cases pending before the nation’s highest court and how the outcome in each of these could be a turning point for the constitutional freedoms of millions of Americans.… Continue Reading

Kamala Harris Just Keeps Getting Worse

Written by David Limbaugh

No matter how mentally diminished President Joe Biden is, you have to be horrified by who waits in the wings should he leave office before the expiration of his term.

Unfortunately, one of the many consequences of Biden’s mental decline is an impairment of judgment that manifests itself in such reckless decisions as putting Vice President Kamala Harris in charge of the border. It is like making a colicky infant the goalie of a professional hockey team.… Continue Reading

Illinois’ New Election Date and Laws

Written by Edward Ronkowski

Senate Bill 825 will soon be on it’s way to Governor Pritzker’s desk for his signature. It passed in the Illinois House by a vote of 72-46, and in the Illinois Senate by a vote of 41 – 18. If signed into law, it would make the following changes to the Illinois Election Code:

• Primary Election Day is moved to June 28, 2022; General Election Day will be November 8, 2022 and will be a state holiday.

Happy Pride Month! Celebrating the Essential Vice and Utmost Evil

Written by Dr. Everett Piper

On June 1, 2021, Joe Biden used his bully pulpit to encourage Americans to stand proud in our nation’s march for what he called equality. “Pride stands for courage. [Pride] stands for justice, and most of all [pride] stands for love … Happy Pride Month!” the president tweeted.

In the fall of 1942, C.S. Lewis took to the airways of his nation to encourage his fellow citizens to, likewise, stand resolute.… Continue Reading

SPOTLIGHT: Busting Myths, Homeschool Style

Written by Benjamin Smith

Every homeschooler who’s had any home education experience at all has heard the myths about homeschooling. The most familiar ones are cautionary tales about the “unsocialized homeschooler,” the homeschooler who lacks any extra-curricular opportunities, or the “disadvantaged” homeschool student who will never gain admittance to college. Here to permanently put to rest these unfounded myths are David Smith, executive director of IFI and IFA, and Richard Hartian, chairman of the IFA board of directors.… Continue Reading

The Left’s Chutzpah Knows No Bounds

Written by Robert Knight

Two recent opinion columns were eye catchers.

A Wall Street Journal piece by James Carville was headlined, “Democrats Are the Anticrime Party.” Seriously?

The other, by The Washington Post’s Dana Milbank, said, “The GOP’s fixation on race is on full display.” Seriously?

Both men are undoubtedly familiar with the definition of “chutzpah.” It’s someone killing his parents and then falling on the mercy of the court on account of his being an orphan.… Continue Reading

Biden’s Disgraceful Exploitation of the Tulsa Race Massacre

Written by David Limbaugh

This may shock and amaze you if your blinders are on, but President Biden is not only not a uniter; he is actively trying to divide Americans on race — and other issues — purely for raw political power. There is no other plausible explanation.

During former President Trump’s entire presidency and ever since, we’ve been bombarded daily with the narrative that he is divisive and a racist. His political opponents and the media distorted his words, such as those he said in the aftermath of the Charlottesville attacks, to paint him as sympathetic to white supremacists.… Continue Reading

SPOTLIGHT: Home Educated Teens Say They’ve Been “Properly Indoctrinated”

Written by Benjamin Smith

If you are reading this, the chances are pretty good that you know a homeschool family or two–or may be homeschooled yourself. Christian homeschooling in Illinois is a thing mostly because Illinois is surprisingly a rather free state for parents to train their children at home.

In the IFA Spotlight this week to reflect on their homeschool experience are two home-high school graduates and one home-high school senior: Jenna Smith, a daughter of IFA Executive Director David Smith, and Kenna and Eliana Hartian, daughters of IFA board chairman Richard Hartian.… Continue Reading