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Should Natural Born Citizenship Be a Requirement for All Federal Elected Offices?
Source: American Thinker
April 24, 2019
...It is fitting, albeit ironic, that Omar, a naturalized American citizen, by raising an accusation of dual loyalty and self-dealing against other Americans, has opened the door to a conversation about whether natural born citizenship should in fact be a requirement for the very office she holds.

Read more...

Why I love Donald Trump

By Shonda Ponder

I was not a Donald Trump fan. I didn't want to see him win the White House. As a Christian, I found him obnoxious and brazen. I didn't like his gambling business ventures, or the fact he was a rich man married to an ex-porno star The operative word here is "ex". Come on, we all have a past we are not proud of. If that were not so, WE would be running for President. Trump just had the courage to.

No, I didn't want to see Donald Trump elected at all.

But, he was.

And, because he was, I decided that I would do as I always do when a new president comes to office to represent my interests as an American. I was going to give him my full support, and watch him like a hawk -- and when he messed up, I was gonna grind him into the ground with everything I had -- web sites, op-eds, social media. I was gonna rip him to shreds when he messed up.

The people elected him because he wasn't a politician. I could get behind that. It was preferable to what we've had. But, with all his money, could he really pull off not being just another politician?

Then he did the unexpected: He started keeping his promises. He started hammering away at everything that we've lost over the last generation and replacing it with policies and practices that really do "Make America Great Again".

He pulled us out of the Paris Climate Agreement. He socked it to the United Nations. He stood up and proclaimed that the NFL should fire anyone who disrespects America by kneeling during the National Anthem. He stood alone...and he kept standing until millions decided to stand with him. Again. He's making deals right and left that benefit the American people, and he's making the American People proud to be American again.

When he went on that long trip to Asia, not once did he apologize for being American, or for anything we have stood for. Not once did he concede any ground in order to move an agenda along. Instead, he focused on how he could gain the support of the world around us in order to be able to be what God made us to be: Americans.

​He doesn't give up. He doesn't give in. He keeps going like the Energizer Bunny. And, when he makes a mistake, he owns it -- like the time when he endorsed Luther Strange over Roy Moore. When Roy Moore won, he realized that the American people want more of who he really is, and he went full force into giving it to them, in spite of what kind of waves were forming.

Now he fully endorses Roy Moore, and the people love him even more for it.

Jobs are up. Stock Market is up. Unemployment is down. Business is good. Our allies feel better and respect us as a country more.

And, it's all because Donald Trump is not a politician.

No, he's one of us.

For the first time in American History...or, at least, in my lifetime, we have a President who is president because the People wanted someone they felt comfortable with; someone they wanted to feel was their "friend" in the White House. A man who was prone to make mistakes, but could lead us in spite of them by example, learning and growing as he did so.

That is why I love Donald Trump.

He's not just some untouchable politician. He's a man. A real red-blooded American man who loves America because America has made his American Dream come true, and he foresaw that it was increasingly becoming difficult for others to do the same, and the reasons why, and he was in the unique position to be able to do something about it. America is about opportunity -- and Donald Trump decided the time was right for him to take the opportunity to make America Great Again.

I did not support Donald Trump.

But, when he became president, he spoke the name of God in gratitude and heart-felt joy. He stood up for God by declaring that Christmas was going to be Merry because Christ was in the name. No more of this "Happy Holidays crap." We were going to wish people an un-apologetic Merry Christmas and mean it.

He has Bible studies in the White House.

No, he's not a perfect Christian, but it's obvious he is a member of Christ's Church. After all, if there were only perfect people who loved God, God would be lonely. God gave me grace in spite of my imperfections, so I now feel obligated to be graceful and accept that this obnoxious, brazen man who married a Porn star (who, by the way, has shown more grace in the White House than any First Lady I've seen in a long, long time) could lead us back to the blessings God promised to those who follow Him.

As if that wasn't enough, he befriended Israel, drew them close, and gave them the respect of recognition of Jerusalem as their capitol. And, being the man of action that he is, he didn't just say it -- he did it. Our embassy is now moving to Jerusalem.

If Donald Trump isn't genuine, then he's playing a spectacular role.

I can't think of anyone who, day after day, continues to meet the "Fake News" talking heads head on like a wild bull who sees red at every turn, without tiring.

I pray that he retains his strength and that his successes energize him more.

I did not support Donald Trump -- and now I regret that. But, like "The Donald", "The Ponder" knows when to admit she's wrong. She knows how to fix her mistakes and make it right -- and, she's thankful that she doesn't have to live with her mistake today.

Next election, I hope he runs again. I'll be the first in line to vote for him.

If I am alone in voting for him, I'll still vote for him. He is making America Great Again.

And, he's doing it in spite of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. He's making such mountains look like pebbles beneath his feet.

He's only a man -- one we can all relate to.

But...he's a BIG, BIG man.

He's MY President.

And, I fully support Donald Trump.

Read all of Shonda Ponder's Opinions and Articles at The Ponder News by clicking HERE

Opinion: Reminder: Donald Trump is NOT a Politician

by Shonda Ponder, editor
The Ponder News

When are people going to realize that Donald Trump was not voted into office because he could talk fancy (he certainly cannot), or because he can SAY the right things at the right times. He was voted in because he was NOT a politician.

The American people don't want a politician in office who will say a bunch of nice things, make it sound good, then not follow through on his promises when he had a clear path to follow.

Donald Trump was hired to get a job done, doing whatever is necessary. If he cannot get the job done, it is because he has not had a clear path to follow. His efforts get blocked by the opposition at every turn...but at least he is MAKING the effort.

So, if the left decides to do whatever to get rid of him, it doesn't matter. If there is another "Donald Trump" or "Roy Moore" for us to vote for, we will. You will then have to get rid of him.

We are fighting back at the ballot box.

Do you really want to stand in America's way?

Opinion/Editorial: THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM

by Anthony J Codispoti

Here is what I have learned about President Trump. He knows the news media despises him. More than 90% of mainstream media news stories about the President and and his administration are negative. How could that possibly be considered fair coverage?

Of course, it isn't fair and there are no indications anywhere that it's about to change. One might get the sense that if President Trump walked on water and talked to Jesus, the headlines in the Washington Post and the NY Times would read, "Trump Conspires with Risen Christ; Women and Minorities Most Affected."

The question the media and all Americans should ask is this: does this president deserve 90% or more negative coverage from the news media? Personally, I always knew that the news media, which didn't have an adversarial bone in its body for eight years under Obama, would suddenly rediscover those bones under ANY Republican President. The fact that the Republican President is Donald Trump offends their elitist sensibilities very deeply indeed.

He knows he isn't going to get fair coverage and it's pointless to hope for it. But he cannot allow the media bias to discredit him or undermine his authority as President. This media today is more than adversarial. They are attempting a subversion of Presidential authority which will have repercussions for future Presidents if permitted. In reaction, President Trump is duty bound to act to protect the institution of the Presidency.

So, what can he do? Well, one thing he could do is discredit the mainstream news media. He does this in speeches all the time, but that's not nearly enough. Labeling them "fake news" plays only to his base of supporters, but it doesn't prove his point to anyone else.

He needs the media to discredit itself as well, preferably, by its own hand, because that will lend credibility to his argument outside of his base of support. It is here that the mainstream news media is actually building Trump's case against themselves. He is providing the rope and they are hanging themselves while Americans are watching.

Here is just one way the President is accomplishing this:

Trump knows the media expects all Presidents to behave a certain way. He knows behaving differently, which he finds easy to do, can cause the media to focus on idiosyncratic aspects of his personality to such distraction, they will appear petty and totally obsessed in the process.

It has gotten so bad, they will create firestorms in 2-3 day news cycles obsessing over Melania's choice of footwear, or the way Trump tosses paper towels to Puerto Rican hurricane victims, and even throw away lines intended to turn media attention down another blind alley, with two words "you'll see."

The Northeastern media elites complain that Trump has no appreciation for the necessary decorum expected from Presidents, but then are continually confounded when he behaves with that decorum as he did recently in Las Vegas.

The elites are outsmarting themselves because President Trump has a deep appreciation for the decorum required of the Presidency. And that's exactly why he breaks from that decorum often because he needs to keep an almost uniformly hostile media off balance and focused on trivia.

The fact of the matter is, President Trump owns the media and they know it and they know there is nothing they can do about it. They hate him for it.

They will never give him a fair shake. And he will never stop discrediting them and making them discredit themselves as long as they don't give him that fair shake.

There has never been a President like Trump. And we hear this from news media almost daily. But there also was never a President like Obama, either. Obama also broke with a great many Presidential traditions and limitations, but we never heard the wailing and gnashing of teeth with Obama's unprecedented behavior in office. It is necessary to point out here because it illustrates the bias in the news media. They were ideologically sympathetic with Obama. Any moves in service to that ideological agenda, even outside the Constitutional guardrails set for the Presidency were given few, if any critical words.

But President Trump's agenda is not ideological. It's populist. Populists bend to the popular will. The media is chock full of progressive ideologues wishing to impose their vision for America over the popular will. They are fundamentally undemocratic. They will seek as they have already sought to bring down this President. So far, it's hurt them more than it's hurt Trump.

The media behavior here is reminiscent of President Nixon's words as he left the White House upon resigning from office:

"Others may hate you, but those who hate you don't win, unless you hate them. And then, you destroy yourself." The media needs to review that one, I think.

Congratulations to Roy Moore of Alabama!

by Shonda Ponder

When I read that Donald Trump endorsed Luther Strange, I thought I read that wrong. After all, Roy Moore, the outspoken Alabama judge against same-sex marriage, pro-2nd Amendment, and dubbed the "10 Commandments Judge" was also running for senate. How could Donald Trump go against Roy Moore?

Thank God I wasn't the only person who thought like that. Alabama agreed with me, and now Roy Moore has won the Alabama early GOP primaries.

Let that sink in, Democrats: We didn't elect Donald Trump to look good. We elected him because he was one of US. And, so is Roy Moore.

Congratulations, Judge Roy Moore!

Dems Worried Trump will Pardon Himself

by Shonda Ponder

Of all things for the Democrats to worry about, now they're worried that Trump is going to pardon himself or his family members for something. I don't think President Trump has done anything wrong to pardon himself for, but I guess they think he might. In a press release from Karen Bass (D-CA, 37th), the Democrats have decided to create a resolution that will prevent this from happening.

“Due to the current President’s proven willingness to slander the truth and exploit legal ambiguity for personal gain, we must explicitly forbid the possibility of a pardon for himself or his family,” Rep. Bass said. “Throughout this presidency, I’ve heard from thousands of constituents concerned about pardon power. The recent pardon of Joe Arpaio only amplified those concerns. Millions of Americans face the consequences of their own unlawful actions, and they repay their debt to society. If any president of any party or their family commits federal crimes, benign or extreme, they too must suffer the consequences of their actions. I call on my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to uphold our civic duty to protect our justice system.”

I think the Democrats need to stop focusing on how much they hate Trump, and start worrying about how they are going to get re-elected. The future doesn't look too bright for them these days, unless they know a bunch of dead Democrats.

My view on DACA -- by Shonda Ponder

by Shonda Ponder

According to Wikipedia,

The DREAM Act bill, which would have provided a pathway to permanent residency for unauthorized immigrants brought to the United States upon meeting certain qualifications, was considered by Congress in 2007. It failed to overcome a bipartisan filibuster in the Senate. It was considered again in 2011. The bill passed the House, but did not get the 60 votes needed to overcome a Republican filibuster in the Senate.In 2013, legislation that would have comprehensively reformed the immigration system, including allowing Dreamers permission to stay in the country, work and attend school, passed the Senate but was not brought up for a vote in the House. The New York Times credits the failure of Congress to pass the DREAM Act bill as the driver behind Obama's decision to sign DACA.

On June 15, 2012, President Barack Hussein Obama announced his decision to sign an Executive Order that allowed these children of illegal immigrants to escape deportation and obtain work permits for a period of two years, which could be renewed if they behaved. Limitations were applied to the bill. Those who enrolled

had to be younger than 31 on June 15, 2012

must have come to the U.S. when they were younger than 16

and must have lived in the U.S. since at least 2007.

All of this was because Congress failed to pass the DREAM Act.

As a staunch conservative, it is my observation that Executive Orders, which is an executive power given to the President, have been used in the past to address a present and very great need at the time. When the executive order is no longer needed or is seen as doing more harm than good, the next President has the power to rescind it at will through his own executive power.

Obama's executive order met with criticism from those who were oppressed by illegal immigrants were taking up needed space in the job market, getting public assistance, and not paying taxes. In the year 2012 alone, over 400,000 illegal immigrants were deported.

This was in the year 2012 ALONE. Let that sink in.

This is only a portion of the over 11 million illegal immigrants that are still here.

According to statistics, there are only around 800,000 DREAMERS affected by DACA. These are children who were brought here by illegal immigrants who grew up in an environment they learned well to assimilate in because that is all they know. These children were brought up as Americans. Sending them back to a country that their parents were fleeing from, that they know nothing about, is seen as cruel by those who are for DACA. However, those against DACA argue that their short-sighted parents are to blame for the demise of their own children by their determination to illegally enter and live in and take advantage of what the United States has to offer at the cost of the legal citizens who live here. By any definition, all that amounts to theft of services.

Obama gave Congress a mandate to pass immigration reform. Congress failed. If our own representatives in Congress cannot work together to enact much needed reform, then the President has the power to act, whether we like it or not. Congress then has the power to override any veto or action by two-thirds of Congress in favor of the override.

If Congress doesn't like the fact that President Donald Trump has rescinded DACA, then, why have they not voted to override him rather than screaming in the Fake News Media's TV cameras?

Donald Trump has said the same thing Barack Obama said, Congress needs to pass an immigration bill. After rescinding DACA, Trump gave the Democrats six months to come up with something workable before DACA is enacted. He said, “Chuck and Nancy would like to see something happen, and so do I, and I said if we can get something to happen, we’re gonna sign it, and we’re gonna make a lot of happy people."

I personally would support DACA on any bill passed by Congress that also includes getting rid of the illegal aliens who are not DACA children -- this includes their parents. Their parents knew what they were doing. These children are of age now to make a decision whether or not to stay or go. If they choose to return to their home country with their parents, then so be it. Our sympathy for them ends there. If they choose to stay, they must also choose not to hate us for enforcing the law that is enacted for all of our long-term benefit, including theirs; and, they must take immediate action to become LEGAL citizens within the proper time allowed, and through the proper channels.

If the Democrats keep screaming about how evil President Trump is, they are never going to pass such a law, and the DREAMERS then have no one to blame for their demise than the Democrats themselves. It's time to quit talking an start acting, Democrats. DACA needs you.

Charlottesville: Commentary by Shonda Ponder

Senator Bernard Sanders (I - VT), who blames President Trump for the violence in Charlottesville, made the following statement concerning the violence in Charlottesville:

"The white nationalist demonstration in Charlottesville, Virginia, is a reprehensible display of racism and hatred that has no place in our society. I am disgusted by the news, and my thoughts are with those in the Charlottesville community and around the country who have been targeted. While this incident is alarming, it is not surprising. Hate crimes and shows of hostility toward minorities have recently been surging. Now more than ever we must stand together against those who threaten our brothers and sisters."

Never mind that the Rally, which was not intended to be a "White Supremacist" Rally, did not invite the KKK, BLM or ANTIFA. They just decided to show up and get their name in the paper -- as usual.

If you want the vetted facts, click HERE

BTW. We're all aware of who paid for the civil unrest during the Obama Administration with the Black Lives Matter riots, aren't we? Guess who decided to show his handiwork again? Click HERE My bet is that he had a lot to do with what happened in Charlottesville. As a matter of fact, I'd bet he had more to do with it than Bernie's nemesis, Trump, did.

This is an eyewitness account from a post on Facebook:

Michael Wyrick

"I was at the Unite the Right Free Speech Rally. It was simply a FREE SPEECH rally. Yes, some folks waved the Confederate Flag, and yep, a lot of folks were waving the American Flag as well. I did not see or meet any "White Supremacists". I did not see or meet any "White Nationalists". Most of the attendees were white, true. However black folks, Hispanic folks, and Asian folks were also represented. NO ONE ... again NO ONE advocated violence. Absolutely NO ONE was "protesting". We were there to hear the speakers. Close to noon (when the rally was scheduled to start) may have been about 11 or so, the park already packed, we were suddenly attacked by Antifa and BLM. They were spraying pepper spray, mace, spray paint, throwing paint, lighting spray cans and yes spraying fire at the rally attendees. Obviously several fights did then break out along the outside edges of the park. The clash really was over in just minutes. The lying media, even Fox News are spewing lies and it is sickening."


All of this is so familiar to me, because when I was the president of America's Media Alliance, I remember attending the rallies of our members that were not KKK rallies, in which the KKK showed up. I've seen this before when I was president of America's Media Alliance. We would have a rally and the opposition would try to paint us as racist white trash. Never mind there were a lot of different races involved who want the same thing.

Loving the Confederate Flag does not make you racist, by the way, and getting rid of historical monuments is not going to change history.

After working with the AMA, I no longer trust our "leaders" when it comes to how they perceive these kinds of events. Before the election, I was a "Cruz-er". Cruz made these comments in his statement:

"The Nazis, the KKK, and white supremacists are repulsive and evil, and all of us have a moral obligation to speak out against the lies, bigotry, anti-Semitism, and hatred that they propagate. Having watched the horrifying video of the car deliberately crashing into a crowd of protesters, I urge the Department of Justice to immediately investigate and prosecute this grotesque act of domestic terrorism."

While I don't dispute what he has to say about Nazis, KKK and white supremacists, he failed to include Black Lives Matter and ANTIFA in his tongue-lashing of what was evil about the protesters. After all, they started all of the commotion. This is disappointing to me. It is also disappointing to me that the President did the same thing, and the main stream media is having a hay-day with the misconception.

Remember, the media thrives on mob rule...and trying to create it. Only in protecting free speech can we fight the propaganda that is obviously driving the lies about what is happening in Charlottesville.

Finally, I find it all a nightmare; not just because it happened, but because some of my best friends are now focused on how evil White Supremacists are, and are making the mistake of lumping them together with the original rally attendees. They have allowed the whole "Freedom of Speech" argument to burn red. Some are even going so far as to cry for the removal of the monuments that represent our history, because they are "a reminder of the evil in our past," while at the same time, failing to acknowledge the black supremacists who also attended the rally.

We don't need to get rid of White Supremacists and what they stand for. We need to hold accountable those Supremacists, WHITE AND BLACK, who do harm to other people and their property in the name of Free Speech. There are better ways to make your point known...more peaceful ways.

I cry inside because the evil in our past is what we NEED to remember. A popular quote from George Santayana, who said, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" is applicable here. None of us have owned slaves, and none of us have been slaves -- at least in the sense that they were during the Civil War -- but we are still fighting with each other over the ideals that led to it's riddance.

Only by remembering and vowing "Never again" can we rid our nation of the hate that permeates this present war.