The best way to overhaul a culture is to change the way it thinks. Here’s one major way to change cultural thinking: stifle the free exchange of ideas.

This is what’s happening in California right now. Assembly Bill 2943 would make it an “unlawful business practice” to engage in “a transaction” aimed at promoting “sexual orientation change efforts with an individual.”

This pernicious bill is an attempt to silence those who want to help people with unwanted sexual feelings. Many religious and non-religious people agree that we flourish when we honor the basic design of our bodies for both sexual practice and personal identity. This bill is Orwellian: Silencing those who seek to provide help and wholeness to people who are reaching out.

California legislators ought to do what the people have elected them to do: protect free speech and enable people to live a free life.

Townhall Review — April 21, 2018

Remembering First Lady Barbara Bush, Bill Bennett, who served Barbara’s husband, George H. W. Bush, shares about her warm personality, as does Hugh Hewitt in his tribute to the late First Lady. Jim Daly, President of Focus on the Family in Colorado, and Michael Medved share troubling details concerning California’s Assembly Bill 2943, which will have a chilling effect on conservatives, Christians, and commerce. Mike Gallagher turns to Molly Himingway of the Federalist to discuss former FBI Director James Comey’s book “A Higher Loyalty,” which has fueled “Revenge Tour,” against President Trump. Hugh Hewitt invites retired Admiral James Stavridis to discuss CIA Director Mike Pompeo’s secret meeting with North Korea’s Kim Jung Un over Easter, then turns to Senator Tom Cotton to shed light on the tensions with Russia since the U.S., British, and French strike on Syria, and if Russian sanctions are to be expected. Jamie Glazov, author editor of Front-page Magazine, shares with Larry Elder some very important questions that were not asked of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerbert during his appearance before Congress. London has now passed New York City in per capita murders, and Larry Elder points out the hypocracy of the London mayor’s knife ban patrols.

On Tuesday night this week Barbara Bush, the beloved First Lady and wife of our 41st president, George H.W. Bush, and mother to our 43rd president, George W. Bush, died at the age of 92.

And what a wonderful woman she was. What a terrific American. She was admirable as a spouse, a mother, grandmother and of course—I think it’s safe to say— America’s favorite First Lady.

Whether Left or right, young or old, politico or non-politico—it seemed everyone loved Barbara Bush.

She was feisty. She was funny. She was a straight talker.

Barbara Bush will be greatly missed. But her life and her legacy will remain alive in the hearts and minds of Americans.

Hugh Hewitt asks Senator Tom Cotton to shed light on the tensions with Russia since the U.S., British, and French strike on Syria, and if Russian sanctions are to be expected.

Paul Ryan, a leader of exceptional decency and diligence, is leaving the House of Representatives, but his departure may help his party by refocusing the election in November.

With Ryan’s retirement, the vote in November won’t be about his record of triumphs—including tax reform and repeal of Obamacare’s mandate—or about his disappointments, such as the soaring deficits. Instead, the focus falls on the only other figure in the House well-known enough to motivate millions of voters: Nancy Pelosi. And that focus can only help Republicans, because Pelosi has done nothing to earn new support since her landslide defeat in 2010 following her prior four years as Speaker.

The people of America don’t know much about Kevin McCarthy—Ryan’s likely successor as GOP leader—but they know plenty about Pelosi, and dislike almost all of it.

Yes, Republicans can still win.

New York Magazine recently published an article entitled “180 Minutes with Desmond is Amazing. He’s a ten year old drag performer and he’s cooler than you.”

This was accompanied by a full page photograph of a ten year old boy dressed out in drag; a photograph that under any other circumstance would likely be identified as skirting right up to the limit of child pornography.

The “cultural elites” behind such messaging are not just trying to change moral beliefs, they are trying to transform moral instincts at an even more basic level.

New York Magazine wants you to know that this ten year old drag entertainer, ‘Desmond is Amazing,’ is cooler than you, but in this context ‘amazing’ and ‘cool’ are two words that show the complete moral insanity of a society.

While Mark Zuckerberg has been busy defending Facebook over data collection and privacy, a much more ominous threat is quietly coming from Europe. The European Union is implementing tough new standards on data privacy with stiff fines for violators. What many don’t realize is that these rules do not apply only to European companies, but to anyone who has data from Europeans.

For example, American universities enroll students from abroad and they will now be subject to this law.  Complying will cost millions and those who violate the new law could be subject to fines up to $23 million dollars.

Europe’s view is that the individual controls his or her data, not companies that collect it.  With an amazing overreach around the world, this now becomes a new global standard.  On top of trade wars, brace yourself for a new—and costly—cold war over privacy and data.