Weekly Columns and Op-Eds

Dallas. Baton Rouge. In those two cities, eight police officers lost their lives after being targeted and ambushed in two separate attacks. Our nation has been stunned as law enforcement has also been targeted in shootings in Philadelphia, in St. Joseph, Michigan, in Tennessee, in Missouri, and in Georgia. Two officers were shot in San Diego just last week. We honor those in blue who lost their lives or were wounded while serving their communities. Wearing the badge is a risk they take every day to keep our families and loved ones safe.

Freedom of conscience and religious liberty have been bedrock principles of our republic since our founding. In 1809, Thomas Jefferson wrote, “No provision in our Constitution ought to be dearer to man than that which protects the rights of conscience against the enterprises of the civil authority.” Clearly, this freedom goes beyond simply protecting holding a belief in one’s own heart or merely thinking about a concept. It protects acting as well. If we are to continue to hold these constitutional freedoms, then we must act to safeguard them.

I am a strong believer that the flurry of top-down rules from the federal government threatens job creation over the long-run rather than empowering individuals or moving our economy forward.

Imagine a national health care system that works for the people who require care: patients who are able to schedule appointments and be seen by a doctor of their choice for high-quality, life-saving care that does not break the bank. That kind of patient-centered system would improve the quality of life for Americans, who want nothing more than choice, affordable care, and successful outcomes for their families.

During the Fourth of July holiday and as the world’s focus on the United Kingdom’s vote for “Brexit” to leave the European Union, we as Americans are reminded of our own decision to declare independence from Great Britain 240 years ago. The lesson we can take is that no matter the risk and the naysayers, a free people will not always choose security; because they long for freedom. While the impact remains to be seen, what is certain is that it takes bravery and spirit to act on the desire for freedom.

Within one week of the terrorist attack in Orlando that took the lives of 49 innocent people, there has been a concerted effort to change the subject from radical Islamist terrorism, and the threat of ISIS here at home, to restricting Americans’ constitutional liberties. Proposals to limit Americans’ due process and Second Amendment rights will do nothing to prevent future acts of terror, but such policies would violate the rule of law and our values enshrined in our Constitution. The bottom line is that no terrorist should be allowed to purchase or own a firearm.

Ask someone to recite our national motto, and you might just get a couple different responses. Such has been the confusion about our national motto, that in a speech President Obama delivered in 2010, the President even said, “In the United States, our motto is E pluribus unum — out of many, one.” Actually, “E pluribus unum” is the phrase on the official Seal of the United States. In fact, our official national motto has been “In God We Trust” for decades. This July will mark the 60th anniversary of its official adoption, but sadly the motto is now being challenged in federal court.

To face a threat, we must begin by calling it exactly what it is. Our nation has once again been attacked by radical Islamists. Early Sunday, Americans woke up to the horror that 49 innocent individuals had been killed and dozens wounded in an insidious terrorist attack on a “soft target,” an Orlando nightclub. The attack in Orlando was an attack on all Americans. We mourn the victims, and we cannot comprehend the pain that their families and loved ones are now facing. They will need our prayers in the days ahead.