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	<title>First Amendment</title>
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		<title>The Courts Side With Drag Queens Over Parents &#8230; Again</title>
		<link>https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2025/05/the-courts-side-with-drag-queens-over-parents-again/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[David E. Smith]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 21 May 2025 10:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[LGBTQ Agenda]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[11th Circuit Court of Appeals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[14th Amendment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[adult performances]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Alien Enemies Act]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Civil Rights Act of 1866]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Clarence Thomas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Comstock Act of 1873]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Daniel Horowitz]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[drag queens]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Equal Protection Clause]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fifth Circuit]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[First Amendment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hamburger Mary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[James F. Wilson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lewd exposure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Neil Gorsuch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nudity]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ron DeSantis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Samuel Alito]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sexual conduct]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sexual excitement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[U.S. Supreme Court]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/?p=29609</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p><em>Written by Daniel Horowitz</em></p>
<p>To this day, courts insist you have no right to bodily autonomy when it comes to coerced vaccination and forced masking. They cite the “police powers” of the state as justification. But when the state uses those same powers to regulate public nudity or sexually explicit drag shows in front of children, suddenly the judiciary rediscovers the First Amendment.</p>
<p>In 2023, Florida Gov. <strong>Ron DeSantis</strong> signed <a class="rm-stats-tracked" href="https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/1438/BillText/er/HTML" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">SB 1438</a>, a commonsense law that barred businesses from knowingly admitting children to “adult live performances.”&#8230; <a href="https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2025/05/the-courts-side-with-drag-queens-over-parents-again/" class="read-more">Continue Reading </a></p>]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">29609</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>MAGA Doesn’t Need More RINOs</title>
		<link>https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2025/05/maga-doesnt-need-more-rinos/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[David E. Smith]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 08 May 2025 10:00:28 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Political]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bernard Sanders]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[David Brewer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[David Hogg]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Donald Trump]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[First Amendment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gavin Newsom]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gentner Drummond]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[James Madison]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Joe Biden]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MAGA Republican]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[St. Isidore v. Drummond]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Theodore Roosevelt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thomas Jefferson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[U.S. Supreme Court]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wall of separation]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/?p=29468</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p><em>Written by Dr. Everett Piper</em></p>
<p>Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court heard the case of <em>St. Isidore v. Drummond</em>, whereby Oklahoma’s attorney general, <strong>Gentner Drummond</strong>, is suing to deny Oklahoma parents the right to choose to send their children to a board-approved charter school with a 100% graduation rate and 98% of its students matriculating to college.</p>
<p>In a state where traditional public schools are ranked among some of the worst in the nation, why would Mr. &#8230; <a href="https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2025/05/maga-doesnt-need-more-rinos/" class="read-more">Continue Reading </a></p>]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">29468</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>Selective Due Process Concerns Exposes Media&#8217;s Hypocrisy</title>
		<link>https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2025/04/selective-due-process-concerns-exposes-medias-hypocrisy/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[David E. Smith]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 28 Apr 2025 12:32:56 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Federal Issues]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Immigration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Media Watch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chris Van Hollen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CNN]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Donald Trump]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[El Salvador]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[First Amendment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jeff Bezos]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kamala Harris]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kilmar Abrego Garcia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Leon Trotsky]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mahmoud v. Taylor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Media Research Center]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MS-13]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MSNBC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nayib Bukele]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rachel Morin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The New York Times]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Washington Post]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/?p=29346</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p><em>Written by Robert Knight</em></p>
<p>For the past couple of weeks, aside from bashing President Trump over tariffs, the media have been fixated on an illegal immigrant deported to El Salvador.</p>
<p><strong>Kilmar Abrego Garcia</strong>, who had been living in Maryland, is reputedly a member of the MS-13 gang, a U.S. government-designated foreign terrorist organization. He was summarily shipped off to his home country. Cue the outrage.</p>
<p>The Democratic Party and the media, in lockstep, have made this the case of the century.&#8230; <a href="https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2025/04/selective-due-process-concerns-exposes-medias-hypocrisy/" class="read-more">Continue Reading </a></p>]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">29346</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>The Left-Wing &#8220;Threat to Democracy&#8221;</title>
		<link>https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2024/10/the-left-wing-threat-to-democracy/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[David E. Smith]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 03 Oct 2024 12:00:10 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Executive Branch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Federal Issues]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Judicial Branch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Amy Coney Barrett]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bill Maher]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brett Kavanaugh]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[David French]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Donald Trump]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[First Amendment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Fran Lebowitz]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gavin Newsom]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Harry Reid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[John Kerry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kamala Harris]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MAGA movement]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Neil Gorsuch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ray Ortlund]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Babylon Bee]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[threat to democracy]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/?p=27733</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p><em>Written by Peter Heck</em></p>
<p>Something really started bothering me as I read the <a href="https://notthebee.com/article/babylon-bee-files-lawsuit-against-california-after-state-adopts-new-deepfake-law-targeting-satire-creators" target="_blank" rel="noopener">news</a> that our sister site, <em>The Babylon Bee</em>, was forced into a lawsuit against Governor <strong>Gavin Newsom</strong> and the absurd California legislature for passing an anti-free speech law in their state.</p>
<p>I read that news the same day I saw a &#8220;thread&#8221; post from mega-minister <strong>Ray Ortlund</strong> that stated, &#8220;Never Trump, this time Harris, always Jesus.&#8221; The post was endorsed by Christian writer <strong>David French</strong> who affirmed, &#8220;This is the way.&#8221;&#8230; <a href="https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2024/10/the-left-wing-threat-to-democracy/" class="read-more">Continue Reading </a></p>]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">27733</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Wealth Taxes, Court Packing, and Revolution</title>
		<link>https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2024/09/wealth-taxes-court-packing-and-revolution/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Alyssa Sonnenburg]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 17 Sep 2024 10:00:32 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Federal Issues]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Marriage, Family & Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Political]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[A.Q. Smith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bernie Sanders]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Biden-Harris Administration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Capitalism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Donald J. Trump]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[First Amendment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Franklin D. Roosevelt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Income Tax Amendment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jeff Bezos]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jennifer Szalai]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Joe Biden]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kamala Harris]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Karl Marx]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[living Constitution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ludwig von Mises]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mark Zuckerberg]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[New York Times]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ryan Doerfler]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Samuel Moyn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sixteenth Amendment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[super wealthy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[U.S. Constitution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[U.S. Supreme Court]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wealth tax]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/?p=27396</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p><em>Written by Oliver Perry</em></p>
<p>Fox News reported that presidential candidate <strong>Kamala Harris</strong> <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/beyond-insane-economists-slam-biden-harris-proposal-tax-unrealized-investment-returns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">affirmed her support of a federal wealth tax</a>.</p>
<p>It’s meant to hit only the “super wealthy”:</p>
<blockquote><p>&#8220;The proposal would impose a minimum tax of 25% on total income, generally inclusive of unrealized capital gains, for all taxpayers with wealth (that is, the difference obtained by subtracting liabilities from assets) greater than $100 million,&#8221; the Treasury Department stated in its FY25 revenue proposals. The same proposal was also put forth by the Biden-Harris administration in fiscal year 2024 and in fiscal year 2023, but the minimum taxable amount was 20%.</p></blockquote>&#8230; <a href="https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2024/09/wealth-taxes-court-packing-and-revolution/" class="read-more">Continue Reading </a>]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">27396</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Authoritarian Thugs Continue Their Persecution of Jack Phillips</title>
		<link>https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2023/10/authoritarian-thugs-continue-their-persecution-of-jack-phillips/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[David E. Smith]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 13 Oct 2023 12:00:11 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[LGBTQ Agenda]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Religious Liberty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[A. Bruce Jones]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Autumn Scardina]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Colorado Civil Rights Commission]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Colorado Supreme Court]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[David Harsanyi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[First Amendment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jack Phillips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Masterpiece Cakeshop]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[religious liberty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rights of Conscience]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SCOTUS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[U.S. Supreme Court]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/?p=24853</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p><em>Written by David Harsanyi</em></p>
<p>I&#8217;ve been writing about Denver-area baker <strong>Jack Phillips</strong> for over a decade now. It&#8217;s clear to me he&#8217;s going to be badgered into the grave by authoritarians intent on punishing him for thought crimes. From the first time his name appeared in the news until this day, the media have misled the public about him, about the case and about the law.</p>
<p>The latest chapter in Phillips&#8217; Kafkaesque saga involves a transgender lawyer named <strong>Autumn Scardina</strong>, who demanded Phillips create a pink cake with blue frosting to help celebrate a gender transition.&#8230; <a href="https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2023/10/authoritarian-thugs-continue-their-persecution-of-jack-phillips/" class="read-more">Continue Reading </a></p>]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">24853</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Jack Smith&#8217;s Jan. 6 Indictments Are an Attack on Political Speech</title>
		<link>https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2023/08/jack-smiths-jan-6-indictments-are-an-attack-on-political-speech/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[David E. Smith]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 07 Aug 2023 12:00:49 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Executive Branch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Federal Issues]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Judicial Branch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Adam Schiff]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Al Gore]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Barbara Lee]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bennie Thompson]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Black Lives Matter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bob McDonnell]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[David Harsanyi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Democratic Party]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Donald Trump]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ed Markey]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[First Amendment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hillary Clinton]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jack Smith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[James Clyburn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[January 6th Riots]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Joe Biden]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[John Kerry]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mar-a-Lago]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Maxine Waters]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nancy Pelosi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Raul Grijalva]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ron Klain]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SCOTUS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stacey Abrams]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[U.S. Supreme Court]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/?p=24244</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p><em>Written by David Harsanyi</em></p>
<p>If recklessly lying to voters were a crime, most everyone in D.C. would be serving life in solitary confinement at Supermax. But in a liberal democracy, as frustrating as it often is, political misconduct is settled by voters and elections, not partisan prosecutors or rioters.</p>
<p>Feel free to campaign and vote against <strong>Donald Trump</strong> if you like. I&#8217;m certainly no fan. If Trump wins in 2024, Congress can impeach and remove him if they choose.&#8230; <a href="https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2023/08/jack-smiths-jan-6-indictments-are-an-attack-on-political-speech/" class="read-more">Continue Reading </a></p>]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">24244</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>The Media vs. Free Speech on Twitter</title>
		<link>https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2022/11/the-media-vs-free-speech-on-twitter/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[David E. Smith]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 30 Nov 2022 14:00:23 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Media Watch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Andrea Shalal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Center for Countering Digital Hate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[CNN]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[David Zaslav]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Donald Trump]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Elon Musk]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[First Amendment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[GLAAD]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hunter Biden]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jeff Bezos]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Karine Jean-Pierre]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rupert Murdoch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Washington Post]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Twitter]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://staging.illinoisfamilyaction.org/?p=22616</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p><em>Written by Tim Graham</em></p>
<p>Anyone who thinks the First Amendment is best represented by the &#8220;news&#8221; media is not paying attention to the way they wage war on freedom of speech for the conservative &#8220;rabble&#8221; on social media platforms.</p>
<p>Imagine if the media had attacked new media owners <strong>Jeff Bezos</strong> or <strong>David Zaslav</strong> with the kind of venom that they&#8217;re using on Twitter owner <strong>Elon Musk</strong>. No one would suggest it&#8217;s important for the government to monitor <em>The Washington Post</em> or CNN as potential sources of misinformation.&#8230; <a href="https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2022/11/the-media-vs-free-speech-on-twitter/" class="read-more">Continue Reading </a></p>]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">22616</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Pandering Democrats Protect Own Ideology But Say Nothing to Defend Free Speech</title>
		<link>https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2020/11/pandering-democrats-protect-own-ideology-but-say-nothing-to-defend-free-speech/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[David E. Smith]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 23 Nov 2020 11:00:46 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Media Watch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Political]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Albert Einstein]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[AOC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Big League Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Book Burning]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chris Coons]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dana Nessel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dianne Feinstein]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ernest Hemingway]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Facebook]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[First Amendment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[George Santayana]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Heinrich Heine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Helen Keller]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Jack Dorsey]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Joseph Goebbels]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Khmer Rouge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mark Zuckerberg]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mazie Hirono]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nazi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pol Pot]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Twitter]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://staging.illinoisfamilyaction.org/?p=16386</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p><em>Written by Dr. Everett Piper</em></p>
<p>On May 10, 1933, students in 34 university towns across Germany gathered to burn more than 25,000 books. The works of authors like <strong>Albert Einstein</strong>, <strong>Ernest Hemingway</strong> and <strong>Helen Keller</strong> went up in flames.</p>
<p>At the same time, 40,000 people gathered to hear the German Minister of Public Enlightenment, <strong><a href="https://www.washingtontimes.com/topics/joseph-goebbels/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Joseph Goebbels</a></strong>, give a speech applauding those who were “commit[ting] to the flames the evil spirit of the past.” The unwanted ideas of Western civilization fueled the bonfires of Berlin.&#8230; <a href="https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2020/11/pandering-democrats-protect-own-ideology-but-say-nothing-to-defend-free-speech/" class="read-more">Continue Reading </a></p>]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">16386</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>An Important Win for Religious Liberty: Espinoza v. Montana</title>
		<link>https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2020/07/an-important-win-for-religious-liberty-espinoza-v-montana/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Benjamin D. Smith]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 11 Jul 2020 09:00:25 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Judicial Branch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Religious Liberty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Anti Christian Hate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brett Kavanaugh]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christian school]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Christian schools]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Clarence Thomas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Constitution]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Espinoza v. Montana]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[First Amendment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[government mandated religion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[John Roberts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kendra Espinoza]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Montana]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Neil Gorsuch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[religious liberty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Samuel Alito]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[School vouchers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SCOTUS]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Stillwater Christian School]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the Bible]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Trinity Lutheran v. Comer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[U.S. Supreme Court]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://staging.illinoisfamilyaction.org/?p=14701</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p><em>Written by <a href="https://www.faithandfreedom.com/author/john-sparks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">John A. Sparks</a></em></p>
<p>Sometimes, the facts of a case have an emotional appeal in addition to a strong constitutional basis. <a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.law.cornell.edu%2Fsupct%2Fcert%2F18-1195&#38;data=02%7C01%7CRiderRA%40GCC.EDU%7C4b2a6dca7356429e2c9d08d823696308%7C8391896022184cd381fe302a8e771da9%7C0%7C0%7C637298282822491152&#38;sdata=dNSEe7vDOUBoLJYPS9K4lEjxxFCkA282h8hof0iZybI%3D&#38;reserved=0"><em>Espinoza v. Montana</em></a> certainly qualifies.</p>
<p><strong>Kendra Espinoza</strong>, a hard working (three jobs) and determined single mom, decided to take her two daughters out of the local public schools and enroll them in Stillwater Christian School in Kalispell, Montana. <a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Farticle%2Fus-usa-court-religion%2Fsupreme-court-religious-rights-case-has-big-implications-for-us-schools-idUSKBN1ZJ19T&#38;data=02%7C01%7CRiderRA%40GCC.EDU%7C4b2a6dca7356429e2c9d08d823696308%7C8391896022184cd381fe302a8e771da9%7C0%7C0%7C637298282822491152&#38;sdata=TrvtzYS7GoAQV8%2B4XgoteEQFxiSP6wVI5nVqmeY8fF0%3D&#38;reserved=0">She explained</a> that she “wanted them to be able to read the Bible and be taught how to pray, and taught from that faith-based perspective.”&#8230; <a href="https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2020/07/an-important-win-for-religious-liberty-espinoza-v-montana/" class="read-more">Continue Reading </a></p>]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">14701</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>SPOTLIGHT: Pastor Cassell Discusses His Lawsuit Against Gov. Pritzker</title>
		<link>https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2020/05/14108/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[David E. Smith]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 12 May 2020 10:57:25 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Religious Liberty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[COVID–19]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[First Amendment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[JB Pritker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lock-down]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Peter Breen]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[religious liberty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[shelter-at-home]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Steve Cassell]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Beloved Church]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thomas More Society]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://staging.illinoisfamilyaction.org/?p=14108</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p><em>Written by David E. Smith</em></p>
<p>Give me your young, your old, your faithful masses yearning to worship freely. This revision of <em>The New Colossus </em>by Emma Lazarus could well be the rallying cry of <strong>Pastor Steve Cassell</strong> of <a href="https://www.belovedchurchillinois.com/">The Beloved Church</a> in Lena, Illinois. On this edition of Spotlight, Pastor Steve joins me for a timely discussion regarding the perilous intersection of COVID-19, governmental “authority,” and Constitutionally-guaranteed personal liberties.</p>
<p>Pastor Steve and I consider how churches and people of faith should respond to Illinois’ lockdown and examine the dangerous precedent that could be established by our governor’s abuse of his executive power.&#8230; <a href="https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2020/05/14108/" class="read-more">Continue Reading </a></p>]]></description>
		
		
		<enclosure url="https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/spotlight198_mixdown.mp3" length="27526835" type="audio/mpeg" />

		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">14108</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>Why Online Church Could be a Bad Thing for Religious Freedom in the Long-Term</title>
		<link>https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2020/04/why-online-church-could-be-a-bad-thing-for-religious-freedom-in-the-long-term/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[David E. Smith]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 25 Apr 2020 09:00:11 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Religious Liberty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Constitutional Convention]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[First Amendment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[First Liberty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[James Madison]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Online Church]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[religious liberty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Second Great Awakening]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Thomas Jefferson]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://staging.illinoisfamilyaction.org/?p=13938</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p><em>Written by Jorge Gomez</em></p>
<p>Let’s start by giving credit where it’s due.</p>
<p>It’s admirable that houses of worship can adapt so quickly in times of crisis. Millions of Americans are staying spiritually engaged thanks to the incredible effort of churches and faith leaders who harnessed the power of technology, social media and the Internet. Even more remarkable is that churches surpassed virtual attendance records even though the quarantine forced them to transition overnight to online services.&#8230; <a href="https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2020/04/why-online-church-could-be-a-bad-thing-for-religious-freedom-in-the-long-term/" class="read-more">Continue Reading </a></p>]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">13938</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>NO to Voluntary Christian Prayer in Schools. YES to Mandatory Muslim Prayer</title>
		<link>https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2019/10/no-to-voluntary-christian-prayer-in-schools-yes-to-mandatory-muslim-prayer/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[David E. Smith]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 30 Oct 2019 09:45:40 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Religious Liberty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Allah]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Barbara Milano Keenan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bladensburg Cross]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brett Kavanaugh]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Caleigh Wood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Clarence Thomas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Daniel Horowitz]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Establishment Clause]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[First Amendment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Free Exercise Clause]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[James Madison]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[John Roberts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[La Plata High School]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Masterpiece Cakeshop]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Muhammad]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Neil Gorsuch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Samuel Alito]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[shahada]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Muslim World]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Town of Greece v. Galloway]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wood v. Arnold]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://staging.illinoisfamilyaction.org/?p=12672</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p><em>Written by Daniel Horowitz</em></p>
<p>“Separation of church and state.” There may be no reference to, inference of, insinuation of, or display of religion anywhere in any government operation or public school, even if there is no coercion to participate in any Christian event or prayer. That is enshrined in every clause of the U.S. Constitution.</p>
<p>That is essentially what the Left has been telling us for years, and those principles have been enforced to varying degrees in many lower courts and, intermittently, even by the U.S.&#8230; <a href="https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2019/10/no-to-voluntary-christian-prayer-in-schools-yes-to-mandatory-muslim-prayer/" class="read-more">Continue Reading </a></p>]]></description>
		
		
		
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		<title>Speech Police and &#8216;Safe Spaces&#8217;</title>
		<link>https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2019/10/speech-police-and-safe-spaces/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[David E. Smith]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 25 Oct 2019 13:00:03 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Marriage, Family & Culture]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Religious Liberty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Adam Carolla]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Alan Dershowitz]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Barack Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bret Weinstein]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Day of Absence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dennis Prager]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Erika Christakis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Evergreen State College]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[First Amendment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[L. Brent Bosell III]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nicholas Christakis]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[No Safe Spaces]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pew Research Center]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Van Jones]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Yale]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://staging.illinoisfamilyaction.org/?p=12646</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p><em>Written by L. Brent Bosell III</em></p>
<p>Freedom of speech is in the First Amendment for a reason. Freedom begins with the ability to speak your opinion without fear of censorship or violent reprisal or imprisonment. This is a precious human right, not something that most countries in the world revere like we have. <span class="column--highlighted-text">But here in America, free speech is most dangerously under attack in the one place you would not expect: the universities.</span></p>
<p><strong>Dennis Prager</strong> and <strong>Adam Carolla</strong> have created a new documentary on the subject called &#8220;<a href="https://youtu.be/TTOQGvXbZY8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">No Safe Spaces</a>.&#8221;&#8230; <a href="https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2019/10/speech-police-and-safe-spaces/" class="read-more">Continue Reading </a></p>]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">12646</post-id>	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Attacks on Conservative Speech Take Many Forms</title>
		<link>https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2019/07/attacks-on-conservative-speech-take-many-forms/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[David E. Smith]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 25 Jul 2019 09:00:10 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Media Watch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Andy Ngo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Antifa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Campus Reform]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Facebook]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[First Amendment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Harmeet Dhillon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Instagram]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Publius Lex]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Quillette]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Speech First]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TechWatch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The College Fix]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Media Research Center]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Twitter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[University of Michigan]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[University of Texas-Austin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Wall Street Journal]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://staging.illinoisfamilyaction.org/?p=12023</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p><em>Written by Ken Blackwell</em></p>
<p>Looking over the frenzied political landscape in America today — one marred by constant clashes between right and left — a single issue rises above the rest. In many areas of public life, conservatives — their words, views and values — are under assault. Ultra-left, radical activists methodically expunge conservative speech and conservative ideas from public discourse.</p>
<p>This threat to the First Amendment and to the sharing of viewpoints held by roughly half of all Americans is taking many forms.&#8230; <a href="https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2019/07/attacks-on-conservative-speech-take-many-forms/" class="read-more">Continue Reading </a></p>]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">12023</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>Colleges: A Force For Evil</title>
		<link>https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2018/08/colleges-a-force-for-evil/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Benjamin D. Smith]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 16 Aug 2018 09:00:15 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Faith & Religion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[American values]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[college]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Donald Trump]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[First Amendment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Johnetta Benton]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://staging.illinoisfamilyaction.org/?p=9695</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p><em>Written by Walter E. Williams</em></p>
<p>Many of the nation&#8217;s colleges have become a force for evil and a focal point for the destruction of traditional American values. The threat to our future lies in the fact that today&#8217;s college students are tomorrow&#8217;s teachers, professors, judges, attorneys, legislators and policymakers. A recent Brookings Institution poll suggests that nearly half of college students believe that hate speech is not protected by the First Amendment. Of course, it is.&#8230; <a href="https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2018/08/colleges-a-force-for-evil/" class="read-more">Continue Reading </a></p>]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">9695</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>Renata Sliva: Culture and Politics &#8216;Starts at the Schools&#8217;</title>
		<link>https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2017/03/renata-sliva-culture-and-politics-starts-at-the-schools/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[David E. Smith]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 23 Mar 2017 09:00:07 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Common Core]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[First Amendment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[government schools]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[government spending]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Indian Prairie School District 204 Board of Education]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Renata Sliva]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://staging.illinoisfamilyaction.org/?p=7349</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p><em>Written by John Biver</em></p>
<p>“We the People,” begins the U.S. Constitution. Those same three words open the State of Illinois Constitution. Neither document reads “we the politicians” or “we the ambitious.” Our forefathers set it up so we would be governing ourselves. When not enough honest and smart people put the self in self government, we get what we have now: a fiscal and moral mess.</p>
<p>Fortunately, there are individuals stepping up to lead, and one good example is <strong>Renata Sliva</strong> who is a candidate for the Indian Prairie School District 204 Board of Education in Will County.&#8230; <a href="https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2017/03/renata-sliva-culture-and-politics-starts-at-the-schools/" class="read-more">Continue Reading </a></p>]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">7349</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>So it Begins: This State Forces LGBT “Accommodation” Rules on its Churches</title>
		<link>https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2016/09/so-it-begins-this-state-forces-lgbt-accommodation-rules-on-its-churches/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Admin]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 15 Sep 2016 09:00:35 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[LGBTQ Agenda]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Religious Liberty]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[First Amendment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[LGBTQ]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Massachusetts]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://staging.illinoisfamilyaction.org/?p=6663</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="irc_mi iVDz75wea_7c-pQOPx8XEepE aligncenter" src="http://www.watermarkonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/GayMassachusettsAbstr.jpg" alt="Image result for massachusetts lgbt" width="559" height="273" /></p>
<p><em>Written by Onan Coca</em></p>
<p>Across the country states have been <a href="http://eaglerising.com/16827/religious-freedom-in-america-soon-to-be-a-thing-of-the-past/">passing laws meant to defend the First Amendment</a> from government overreach, and simultaneously liberals and the media have been decrying these protections as “homophobic” and “bigoted.” These same liberals have argued that conservatives are being paranoid and that no protection is needed…</p>
<p>Sadly, Massachusetts has just proved every conservative fear accurate.</p>
<p>On October 1<sup>st</sup> the most draconian “non-discrimination” laws in the nation will go into effect in the Bay State.&#8230; <a href="https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2016/09/so-it-begins-this-state-forces-lgbt-accommodation-rules-on-its-churches/" class="read-more">Continue Reading </a></p>]]></description>
		
		
		
		<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">6663</post-id>	</item>
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		<title>Irrational Democrat Senators Respond to Hobby Lobby Decision</title>
		<link>https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2014/07/irrational-democrat-senators-respond-to-hobby-lobby-decision/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[David E. Smith]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 02 Jul 2014 15:02:49 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dick Durbin]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[First Amendment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Harry Reid]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hobby Lobby]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[religious freedom]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://staging.illinoisfamilyaction.org/?p=2295</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p><a href="https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Durbin.jpg"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2297" src="https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Durbin.jpg" alt="Durbin" width="607" height="359" srcset="https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Durbin.jpg 607w, https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Durbin-300x177.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 607px) 100vw, 607px" /></a></p>
<p><em>Written by David E. Smith</em></p>
<p>In response to the recent Supreme Court decision in favor of Hobby Lobby,  Illinois U.S. Senator <strong>Dick Durbin</strong> announced that he will introduce a bill that &#8220;requires all corporations using this Supreme Court decision to deny or limit contraception services to disclose this policy to all employed and applicants for employment.&#8221; U.S. Senate Majority Leader <strong>Harry Reid</strong> (D-NV) also responded by promising that Democrats &#8220;will continue to fight to preserve women&#8217;s access to contraceptive coverage and keep bosses out of the examination room.&#8221;&#8230; <a href="https://illinoisfamilyaction.org/2014/07/irrational-democrat-senators-respond-to-hobby-lobby-decision/" class="read-more">Continue Reading </a></p>]]></description>
		
		
		
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