In middle school, I first heard the phrase that America had been blessed with “a government of laws and not of men.” That description, originating with John Adams, at first made no sense to me: men make the laws, and change them. Laws don’t draft themselves, or enforce themselves—ultimately, we rely on decent people to give life to the law and to uphold it.

Recently, however, I’ve gained new perspective on Adams’ famous distinction because of the toxic politics of the moment. Media irresponsibly emphasize personalities—and especially the polarizing personality of President Trump. It’s hard to compromise between love or loathing for any individual; and it’s vastly easier to find middle ground on that leader’s policies or programs.

In these polarizing times, all Americans would benefit from greater emphasis on policy, and less focus on personality.

In recent years, Americans have watched as our “first freedom,” religious liberty, is now openly despised by many who push the new sexual revolution.

We’ve seen nuns forced to pay for contraceptives while bakers, wedding photographers and florists faced criminal and civil actions for living out their Christian convictions.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions recently announced a new “Religious Liberty Task Force” warning that some in our society are now openly targeting religious groups “by labeling them a ‘hate group.’

The outrage from the Left is extremely instructive: The Democratic National Committee charged Sessions of “shamefully doubling down on bigotry.” Planned Parenthood called the task force “another license to discriminate.” One liberal commentator said the DOJ is trying to create “a regressive Christian white ethnostate.”

No kidding.

It’s as if they were trying to make the Attorney General’s case for him.

Michael Medved examines Chicago’s leadership responsibility following a very deadly weekend of gun violence.

Hugh Hewitt and Mike Allen, co-founder and executive editor of Axios, have a contentious conversation about the media misrepresenting President Trump’s connection with Vladimir Putin.

Townhall Review – August 11, 2018

Hugh Hewitt and Mike Allen, co-founder and executive editor of Axios, have a contentious conversation about the media misrepresenting President Trump’s connection with Vladimir Putin. Hugh Hewitt is joined by Amie Parnes, White House correspondent for The Hill, who is following the Russia/Trump story. Mike Gallagher looks at the growing trend by left-wing activists to threaten and scream at conservatives who disagree with them. Larry Elder opines about Sarah Jeong’s recent appointment to the editorial board of the New York Times and her “out-of-context” tweets. Michael Medved examines Chicago’s leadership responsibility following a very deadly weekend of gun violence. Dennis Prager asks commentator Candace Owens to tell us what it was like to be targeted, in a restaurant, by Antifa activists. Michael Medved looks at a disturbing and bizarre Japanese trend to replace sexual partners with robots.

Anybody who’s paying attention to the news knows that Twitter’s leadership is politically biased. But you might not know that the social media giant has gone beyond censoring alleged extreme right wing users to “shadow-banning” mainstream GOP congressmen.

“Shadow-banning” is when an account and their tweets are hidden from others without the user being notified.

In a public statement, Twitter denied that they shadow-ban people—but they changed the definition of shadow-ban in order to do so. And then they undid the bans, which they denied ever having made in the first place.

Of course twitter has a 1st amendment right to ban whatever speech they want to.

But: If Twitter executives use corporate resources to push their own political hobbies, then they are misusing shareholder assets, and they should stop … now.

Just last month, Vice President Michael Pence, speaking on behalf of the Trump administration, stared down the nation of Turkey. In 2016, an evangelical pastor ministering in Turkey was arrested by government authorities and imprisoned. After being held for more than a year Pastor Andrew Brunson was finally charged with “dividing and separating” Turkey. Or—as Vice President Pence said, for “simply spreading his Christian faith.”

The Vice President spoke boldly: “Release Pastor Brunson now, or be prepared to face the consequences…” and he went on from there.

It was tough language— and it was language the Trump administration followed through on just last week. It’s what the defense of religious liberty requires in these times. This is exactly the message the world needs to hear from the land of the free, and the home of the brave.