AZ School District Defends Decision to ban Teachers From Christian University

Live from the Liberty University Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, it's America's favorite cunt totem Bible-clinging deplorable American. That's us, that's right. I love this American ride. Hello, everybody. Hope you're doing well.

This is the Todd Starns Radio program, noon to 3 Eastern.

So honored that you have chosen to hang out with us. And wow, we've got a terrific, terrific show lined up for you. A brand new caucus is being formed up on Capitol Hill, the Congressional Family Caucus, and very excited to be talking to some folks from that caucus. Also, we're going to be speaking with Congressman Bob Goode from Virginia, member of the House Freedom Caucus, Biden's budget proposal. This thing is off the charts insane people, and we're going to get the latest from him.

But I want to start with the story that we first brought to you, and this is a big story. And you heard it first here. I think Fox finally picked up on it and a lot of the other conservative networks. But you heard this story here first. It involves a Christian university in Arizona, Arizona Christian University, and a decision by a local school district to no longer hire.

Hire or utilize student teachers from Arizona Christian University. And last night there was a massive school board meeting. We had a state senator on yesterday on the show, and we urged everybody listening to us in Arizona to get to that meeting. Let me explain what happened. The crowd at that school board meeting was so massive, they actually had to set up a huge video screen in the parking lot so hundreds more could actually watch the proceedings inside.

And people are just outraged. But the shock was the number of people in the LGBT community who came out in support of the school board.

Now the school board is defending its decision. And now they are doubling down on that decision. The school board in Arizona, which is, by the way, the largest elementary school district in the state, the Washington Elementary School District, they decided they would no longer be hiring these student teachers because they didn't want to have people with Christian values working in the school system. And they're open about this. And you're going to be here, you're about to hear some audio.

From these radical school board members. The school board is made up of five individuals, three of whom happen to be members of the LGBT community. One of them wearing Cat ears. It's the most bizarre thing I have ever seen in my life. But anyway, they hate Christians, and they say, and they make no apologies.

And by the way, all of these are young people, so we're talking about millennials who are on the school board.

So they've all been radicalized in our public school system. Yeah. And to the person, they say that it is dangerous for teachers who hold biblical values to be inside a public school classroom. Do you believe that, ladies and gentlemen? Do you believe that teachers who are Christian should not be allowed to be in a public school classroom?

We're going to be taking your calls on this one today. 844-747-8868. A toll-free telephone number, 844-747-8868.

Now, a couple of big developments. You had the big school board meeting last night. Hundreds of people turned out. Elias defending freedom. Has now announced they have filed a federal lawsuit against the school district, and we're going to be talking to one of their folks later in the show.

But I want to go back to this school board gathering, and I want to play some audio. This is the local news coverage of this gathering, Cut 15. Bit out of hand tonight after two dueling rallies started outside. Those groups were going back and forth after the district decided last month to reject student teachers from a Christian university because of their biblical values. Foxton's Stephanie Bennett joins us live outside that meeting with the latest Stephanie.

Yeah. Yeah, good evening, guys. Both groups are very heated tonight. The crowds going down a little bit, but no stopping this board meeting anytime soon. They actually have a screen here on a TV truck, if you will, that is projecting the board meeting inside.

Now, one side fighting for the board members' rights and supporting the decision to get rid of the partnership and supporting LGBTQ students and staff, while the other side was fighting for the Christian University students. Extra security is on hand tonight to keep everything calm. Since our last work with the board meeting, she has faced increased death threats, racial attacks, homophobic harassment. Adults are perpetuating bullying. They are perpetuating hatred.

Board members of the Washington Elementary School District have received death threats since their unanimous decision last month to cut ties with the Arizona Christian University over the perceived threat that the college students' biblical value system poses to LGBTQ students. For the last 11 years, student teachers From the university have worked in the school district, helping gain invaluable work experience while also alleviating the growing teacher shortage. An institution has policies that are openly negative, and I will not sit here as a member of the community and let our children. Be subjected to that. District officials recommended renewing the partnership, but the board members, three of which identify as members of the LGBTQ community, said that having student teachers with biblical values in the state's largest elementary school district is too dangerous.

Dozens packed into tonight's board meeting with hundreds waiting and rallying outside from both sides. Those supporting the board members and LGBTQ rights on one side. And if you want to, you know, that's your religion, but we have clear separation of church and state in this country. This isn't even about your religion to me. The contract wasn't terminated, it was non-renewed.

So the board was voted in by the people, by their constituents. They made a decision. It was a five to zero decision. There shouldn't be a controversy. It's done.

It happened. Time to move on. While on the other side of the street, those supporting the Christian teachers and religious freedom. The university has since filed a lawsuit against the elementary school district and its board members. We need teachers.

The teachers need. help them with their kids and stuff. Why not? Why not get this? What's wrong with this?

Yeah, and the president of the university says more than 100 students have served the district. 25 were hired full-time by the district after they graduated. And in a statement to Fox 10, the Washington Elementary School District says that they have been served the lawsuit. They acknowledged that, but they have not yet reviewed it. All right.

That was the local reporting, pretty much backing up what we've been telling you for the past several days now. Here's the concern I have: is that there were just as many LGBT activists out there as there were Christians. And the LGBT activists are siding with the school board. They say that Christians have no right to be teaching inside a public school classroom. As a matter of fact, the president of the school board, talking to KATU television, Said that the classrooms, public schools, are secular institutions.

They say they are not banning any particular faith-based organization, but they will only work with faith-based organizations that are committed to equity and inclusion. Uh Now, I want you to think about this for a moment. You folks at Liberty University, many of you folks have done your student teaching work in Lynchburg. What if the Lynchburg City Council woke up one day and decided, you know what, we don't want to have any Christians working in our public school system? The same thing could happen to you folks in Jackson, Tennessee, at Union University or right outside of Chattanooga at Lee University.

Great Christian schools. Churning out incredible, incredible teachers. But they could be denied jobs. if in fact they profess faith in Jesus Christ.

Now Here's the curious thing. I know we have a large and very diverse audience. We have Christians and atheists. We have Jews and Gentiles. We have people who are conservative, people who are liberal, people who are Are straight, people who are gay.

What I'm curious about, where are all the conservative Mm-hmm. Gay folks out there? Why are they not rising up in outrage over this? Where is the gay community at large? Because right now they are siding with the school board, and the school board is doubling down.

And they're saying, you know what? We do not want Christians in our public schools. Yeah. This ladies and gentlemen is the hill. Set eye on.

This is the moment where you have to stand up and you have to fight back. And I'm glad to see people standing up and fighting back, but I am really surprised by the numbers of people who came out and said, yeah, we don't have a problem with this. We think that's a good idea. Christians have no right to be in public school classrooms as teachers.

Well, what say you, ladies and gentlemen, 844-747-8868. That's our toll-free telephone number. By the way, this is Open Line Friday, and that means you can really talk about whatever you would like to talk about. But I'm curious to get your take on this story out of Arizona. Because if they are successful in keeping these Christians out of the classroom, this is going to happen in other school boards around the nation.

This is the Todd Stern Show. All right, folks, welcome back to the Todd Stearns Radio Program. I know it really is sad that these student teachers, these kids, good, solid kids at Arizona Christian University, now have to make a decision. Do they serve God or do they serve the government? Do they choose their faith?

Do they choose their career? And it's they should not have to face that decision in America. I mean, that's not who we are. But the the radical LGB I can't even call them radicals anymore because not a single gay person in Arizona is standing up for these folks.

So it's the entire community over there. I wish there were people out there in the LGBT community who actually believed in diversity and tolerance. And equality. But clearly they do not. And that's unfortunate.

All right, I've got to share this story with you from Boston. This is from Boston.com. There is a school district in New Hampshire facing some controversy. There was a. Teacher At an elementary school, who is a cross-dresser.

This is a man. 260 pounds, 6'4, according to Boston.com. He's 260 pounds, 6'4. And where's ladies' clothes? in the classroom.

According to parents, the teacher dances. like a clown, sachets around the classroom and sings. He's an art teacher. The guy's not a choral leader, so that's kind of confusing for the children and for the parents.

So, anyway, the school district's defending this guy. They say, well, you know, the guy has a right to be who he wants to be. And if the man wants to wear ladies underpants, he's allowed to do that under the rules.

So, one of the fathers showed up at the school board meeting the other day, dressed as Julius Caesar in full regalia. Take a listen. I am Caesar. Julius Caesar of Rome, the emperor. I am also a female.

Does anybody here believe that? That I am Julius Caesar? Anyone believe that? No. Of course not.

It's ridiculous. I'm not either. I'm not a woman either. I'm here. As a father.

And this father was very alarmed at what was happening in the classroom.

So, guess what the local newspaper did? Instead of going after the teacher here and trying to figure out what the heck was going on, they did an investigation of the father. And they determined that, you know, years ago he had a criminal record. And so they're writing all this stuff. They're literally attacking the father for daring to speak out and complain.

And that's what the media does, by the way. Mm. They're going to go after the Christians. They're going to go after the Conservatives. Unbelievable.

By the way, I mean he was dressed in full regalia, looked just like Julius Caesar.

So there you go. All right, 844-747-8868. That's our toll-free telephone number. That's 844-747-8868. President Biden thinks all you parents go to McDonald's for internet access, cut number 18.

We're delivering high-speed internet to every home in America, so no parent has to drive up to the McDonald's parking lot to help do the homework with their kid because they can't get on the internet. Every single person is going to be able to do that. All right, is that true? Are people really doing that en masse? Are people really going to McDonald's and Chick-fil-A and sitting down at the tables or sitting in the parking lot and using their internet, their Wi-Fi, so the kids can do homework?

Is that really happening? I've heard Biden say this over and over and over and over and over again. I have yet to see anybody at the Chick-fil-A. sitting in the parking lot with the kids in the back seat doing homework. And I've been to a lot of Chick fil A's in my time.

I've never s I've I've even been to McDonalds a time or two or three or four, and I have yet to see anybody in the parking lots doing homework and using the Wi Fi. I I don't believe it. I'm calling BS on the president here on this one.

Okay. Oh, by the way, the squawking magpies over at the View, they're weighing in now on the Drag Queen controversy. Folks, this is just so insane. But I want you to hear what they're talking about. Cut 17, please.

We have to protect trans kids' lives. We have to protect trans children. The trans community, the non-binary community, the gender non-conforming community. know why they're trying to outlaw these bathrooms again. Don't allow Don't outline.

Bathrooms. When you outlaw a bathroom for somebody, you outlaw their humanity. You know, that is not. It's not. I have kidney stones and IBS, so it's serious.

Like, this is real. Like, don't outlaw the bathroom. Like, how are we doing this? I mean, it's so upsetting to me.

So, this is just one of the things, but there's so many different things about it, whether it's trans lives, whether it's drag queens, that is so infuriating. I mean, if it's Christian, Christ Himself is wearing a long dress and a duster from Chico's. Like, if you look in the Bible, Him and the Apostles all went to Chico's and they all got the same B.A.R. 3 set. It is a Golden Girl special.

They're all wearing the duster. That's true. No lies detected. The long hair in the girls.

So many things.

So they're insinuating, and in case you missed the if in case you missed the nuance there, Gay people love the golden girls, right? It's kind of like a shtick, it's a thing.

So they're implying that Jesus and the disciples were drag queens. That's what that was all about. What's that? No, I'm not making it up. That's what they you just heard, the gals on the view compared Jesus and the disciples to drag queens.

So there really is this deification of the drag community now. And you have to bow down and worship. There are a lot of people coming under fire here in Tennessee. We've become ground zero for this drag drag. Look, it was one thing, we had to open up the public libraries.

Now, all the public libraries are gay nightclubs where you bring your four-year-old and they can cavort with the men dressed in the women's garb. But it's beyond that now, because now you have to let the four- and five-year-olds into your adult establishment so they can drop dollar bills into the crotches of these men. And if you dare say anything about that, well, all of a sudden, you're a homophobe, you're a bigot, you're a hater. Right?

So, this is where we are in the nation right now. And Virginia Governor. Glenn Youngkin was asked about this at a CNN town hall. We're going to get to that in a little while because I have a lot to say about Glenn Younkin. But there's some weird stuff going on in this country.

And a lot of the perversion is happening in our public school classrooms where Jesus is not allowed, the Christian flag is not allowed, but the rainbow flag is flying high. Got to take a break. 844-747-8868. We're going to get to your calls. Hang tight.

That's 844-747-8868. All right, you beautiful people. Welcome back to the Todd Stearns Radio Program. Let's go right to the phones here: 844-747-8868. Martin in Las Vegas wants to weigh in on this school district issue.

Hi, Martin. What's on your mind?

Well, we talked before, Todd. I'm a Catholic, but the emphasis that you're giving these people is not warranted at all. They're corrupt. If they're corrupt, It starts in the college system. It starts in the high school system.

They go to colleges to get educated, which are supported by. uh uh don't and well often the government And the point is, if we don't concentrate on the non-secular schools like Liberty, so forth and so on. We're missing the boat because it's not going to happen in the public school system. We can't have teachers going to public school systems when they could go to Catholic or evangelical colleges in the South or wherever it is, they could get jobs. The point is, you're stressing this public school system as a last resort.

It is not the last resort. We should emphasize the The parochial systems that will hire teachers and enlarge the capacity for more Catholic and Protestant universities, colleges, et cetera, high schools. Martin, well, let me jump in here because I think I've been pretty vocal about this on the show for years. I believe that in this order, you should be homeschooling your kid. If you can't homeschool your kid, get your kid into a good private Christian school, whether that's a Catholic school, whether it's a Protestant school.

I think that public education should be the avenue of last resort.

Well, you're right about that. And but I think that should be the emphasis from now on. We're having trouble putting kids with their blank, basically blank heads filled with ideas that are corrupt. And you know, like the drag queens, that's nonsense. There was a drag show in San Francisco for years, but it was a joke.

It was called Finocchio's. It's San it's been in San Francisco it was in San Francisco. People went to it for laughs. They didn't go in to see drag queens. to uh educate their children.

You know, this is the bizarre. It's just bizarre. It is bizarre, Martin. And there's something very radical and very nefarious going on with all of this. And people need to wake up and understand what's happening because a lot of it is happening in the classrooms.

Martin, got a run. Appreciate that call. Love all of our great listeners on the Nevada Talk Network. Let's go to the Patriot Mobile Newsmaker line real quick. Talk to our good friend from the Commonwealth of Virginia, Congressman Bob Goode.

Congressman, good to have you with us today. Hello, Congressman. Hello, Todd. Great to be with you. Thanks for having me.

All right. Likewise. Congressman, let's just jump right in here. The House Freedom Caucus holding a big press conference earlier this morning. What do you guys have on your mind?

Well, it was in part response to the President rolling out his six point nine trillion dollar budget yesterday. He wants to throw gasoline on the raging fiscal fire of thirty two trillion national debt's not enough for him. Trillion dollar deficits are not enough for him.

So he projects a 6.9, proposes a $6.9 trillion budget, largest budget in the history of the country. Greatest increase in spending in the history of the country. Projects a two trillion dollar deficit. Uh it's a Literally a fifty-six percent increase over four years ago pre-COVID spending. At a time when the pandemic is over, of course.

And it's dead on arrival, of course. We're not going to take that up. It's literally $20,000 per American citizen when you take $6.9 trillion and you divide that by roughly $340 million American citizens. It's just over $20,000 per citizen, or say a household of $2.5 million average, then that would be approximately $50,000 per household. No American would vote for that, of course.

So we don't have the money, and we're not going to do that. But secondly, his policies are harming the country.

So the House Freedom Caucus, we've been working on this for several weeks, as you know, and we went ahead and held a press conference today and did a release on what our Spending plan is, which has immediate cuts. And then longer term spending reforms. And it really attacks the woke and weaponized federal government, the bureaucracy that's harming the American people. And I'd be glad to drill down a little bit in some details with you if you wanted to.

Well, yes.

Well, first, I want to address some of the things you just said because it seems to me the President is just clearly unserious about this. Here we are having a raging battle right now over whether or not the debt ceiling is going to get raised. And then the President hands down a budget which is just simply not sustainable. No question. It is not a question of if we're going to cut spending this year.

It's how much we're going to cut spending, what kind of spending that we're going to cut, how far we're going to go, and how united we can keep the Republican Party towards. Yeah. uh how far we can go together. Speaker McCarthy and the Republicans are united that we're going to cut spending. It's just a question of how much.

We made history two months ago with fighting against. The status quo from a leadership standpoint and putting reforms in place, changing how Congress works. We're going to make history again, Todd, where we haven't cut spending meaningful basis in decades in this town, and we're going to do it here in 2023. We're going to do it in 2024. That's the only thing that the most important thing is, not the long-term projection.

Projections and plans for how we're going to balance in 10 years or however many years, that's important. That's a framework, that's an aspirational thing. What matters is this year and next year. Real cuts. Meaningful cards.

That uh make a device. I should say that specifically And we're going to do that. One of the things I really appreciate about your plan is to actually embrace the Bill Clinton-era work requirements on welfare. I think for me, and we're going to get to that in a second, but Congressman, just imagine how far the Democrat Party has moved to the left when they were the ones who actually embraced these ideas of: hey, if you're going to get on welfare, you got to show us you're out there trying to get a job. No question.

There are 3 million less Americans working today than there were when Biden became president. And not only is it costing us we're estimated we're going to be able to save about thirty billion dollars a year on the spending side by having able bodied Americans return to work.

So not only is there an economic budgetary savings there, but it will fuel the economy. Job creators, employers and businesses cannot increase productivity, cannot invest in their businesses the way they want to in terms of growing that business without workers. And so there's a cultural component to it, there's a moral virtue that's part of work, where we're hurting our country or hurting our society. We're also, again, we're spending. money to provide federal subsistence to people who are able to work.

but then also we're holding back our economy. This presence is projected to continue like the anemic 1% extraction. We got to get back to trade. Trump's pro-growth policies. 3% to 4%.

Which means cutting the regulations again instead of increasing them, means keeping Trump's taxes. Cuts in place and cutting taxes even more. It means getting Americans back to work, as you've just noted there. And it means unleashing American energy again. All those are critical to getting the economy churning again, which will mean we can get to fiscal balance more quickly than we can with just trying to cut our way there alone.

So we've got to cut the spending, no question, but we also got to get Americans back to work, get the economy going again. Congressman Bob Good on the Patriot Mobile Newsmaker line. Congressman, you mentioned woke spending. Give us an idea of some of the wokeness that you guys are tackling here.

Well, in the short run, we want to address the there's a hundred billion dollars in unspent.

Okay. COVID money that still Just sitting in the Federal Treasury hasn't been allocated, hasn't been spent yet. We're going to call that back. We want to call back the $80 billion. Allocated to fund the 87,000 new IRS agents, which we don't need.

Poor, lower-income, and middle-income Americans are audited about five times that of wealthy Americans. There's not enough billionaires and millionaires to keep these 87,000 IRS agents. Busy. We don't want them harassing, threatening, intimidating regular Americans.

So we're going to rescind the $80 billion there. There's a few hundred billion, few hundred billion dollars of green climate, environmental, raw, green raw deal stuff from the Yeah. bill for The phony inflation increase bill as well as the omnibus spending bill. We're going after that in this bill. But then also when we were going to cut the spending.

Yeah. to the 2019 levels. in non-discretionary I'm not sure. discretionary non-defense spending. which will save about one hundred fifty billion dollars a year.

But what that will force is our appropriators to look at each department, each agency, each part of the bureaucracy and say, okay, where are we going to cut? And we're going to try to force them to cut the wokiness That's in the diversity, equity, inclusion, the environment, climate extremism. And the stuff that just isn't justified for us to be borrowing money whether it's to send it overseas or to do things that the American people just don't want us to do. All right, good stuff.

Well, Congressman, we appreciate the update. And just again, unserious, insane. The administration is out of their minds here. And like you said, I'm glad to hear you say it, dead on arrival. Congressman, thank you very much.

Have a great weekend. Thank you, Todd. You as well. All right, Congressman Bob, good, everybody. Jeez, unbelievable.

All right, 844-747-8868. That is our toll-free telephone number. Let's go back to the phones. Charles in North Carolina wants to weigh in on this school board controversy out of Arizona. Hey, Charles, what's on your mind?

What's your take? Hey, Todd, I bet you never thought we'd be having this discussion about this topic, would you?

Well, it's evolved into this. But no, Tyl, what I'd like to talk about is I think this whole thing goes back to it it all goes back to separation of church and state, right? People always bring that up. You know, Christians can't be in schools, they can't teach Christian values and things like that. And they always reference the First Amendment, you know, as a separation of church and state, which it doesn't say that.

But I would just like to submit that There is a document that outright encourages religion, And morality that most people don't even know about, and I wish somebody would bring to the attention of these school boards. And Todd, that document was ratified in seventeen eighty seven, two months before the United States Constitution. And it's called the Northwest Ordinance. And in the Northwest Ordinance, and this was the same Congress that passed the Constitution. It specifically says, and I'll read it to you.

Religion? morality and knowledge. be necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education. shall forever be encouraged.

So that right there, Todd, is our own government Saying and stating that they believe that religion should be in schools and be encouraged. And what religion is that? It's the Judeo-Christian religion. And so, I think not only should Christian teachers be hired, but I think we need to start. Uh possibly teaching, you know.

religious values in Bible classes in public schools. I don't see anything wrong or unconstitutional about that.

Well, no, Charles, I mean, go back to John Adams, our second president, who said our Constitution is wholly inadequate for anyone other than a moral and religious people.

So if we suddenly wake up one day and we are a secular nation, our way of life, our founding documents, are not going to be able to work effectively. Correct, yeah.

So what do you think would happen if If the school district tried to implement what I'm talking about there, if they just said, you know what, we're going to have Bible classes in public schools. And there's not there's nothing unconstitutional about what we're doing.

Well, I'll tell you real quick what I think would happen. I think that you would get peace in the school district and the community at large. You would see children who are more well-behaved. You would see children who are more academically successful. And I think that you would see a community at large that would be a whole heck of a lot better off than where they were when the school was secular.

Exactly. And that's the way schools used to be. I mean, I remember going to school, probably just like you do. We would open up the the classroom and public schools with a devotional Uh we would say a prayer. And we talked about biblical values that was incorporated into the curriculum.

And just like you said, Todd, I think if we go back to that, our society and country is going to be much better off. I just wish the school board would have the guts just to do it, and don't worry about the blowback from this These wackos that are out there, you know, trying to hijack our kids and everything.

Well, unfortunately, the wackos are on the school boards now, and they're in charge, and we're going to have to do something about that. They need to recall every single one of those folks. Charles, appreciate that call. But here we are, going back to that Arizona story, folks, where teachers, and it's not even a matter of teachers using their classroom for proselytizing. That has never happened in the 11 years they've had this relationship.

This is a matter of the morality of these individuals. And you're going to have a school district in Arizona that will now ask teachers: Are you now or have you ever been a follower of Christ? Yeah. And if you have, you're not going to be able to get a job there. It's that simple.

All right, got to take a break. 844-747-8868. This is the Todd Stern Show. All right, Lauren Bobert, the Congresswoman from Colorado, making some headlines. She was.

Honored by Moms for America. She received a Mother of Influence Award during CPAC's Women's Breakfast, by the way, and just announced that she's going to be a A grandmother. No, I'm not making this up. She's going to be a 36-year-old grandmother.

So Lauren Boebert's 17-year-old son has apparently gotten a girl pregnant. Yeah. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.

So, I don't know why people feel compelled to share this news with the general public. I don't know. I really don't. I understand that the left probably would have found out and they would have done a big expose. Maybe she's just getting ahead of the story.

But there you go. I wonder if he's going to, is the kid going to marry the girl who he got pregnant? You know, back in the day, that's how it used to work, right? Get a girl pregnant, you got to go marry the girl. Make an honest woman out of her.

That's what they used to say. Don't come hollering at me being sexist. That's just what they used to say. Anyway, all right, Grandma Boebert. Good luck to you there.

Let's go back to the phones. OG in North Carolina. OG in the NC. What's on your mind?

Good afternoon, sir. OG is the old geezer on the Crystal Coast of North Carolina. 65 years in federal service and could not run for political office because of the Hatch Act.

However, I could fill an unexpired term on a six to twelve Board of Education. Boy, was that an education for me. It was brave. brutal. I saw this whole process get started.

go back into the eighties. I saw that whole Uh you know, lack of Common sense. hate the Christians process Get started way back in the 80s.

So you're not surprised by this, OG? Absolutely not. And you know, and I will confess, I regret, totally regret. That I did not. properly prepare My two sons and two grandchildren.

to be prepared to understand how corrosive Um this whole process is to their lives and even their lives of their children and grandchildren. Um And I see it all the time.

Well, OG, I'm still having. Yeah, I hate to do this. We are running out of time here on this segment, but I want you to give us a call back one of these days. You don't sound like an OG to me, an old geezer to me. You sound like a young guy with some good ideas that we need to hear about, and I'm intrigued by your time on the school board.

So, you give us a call back one of these days. Please do that, folks. We've got to take a quick break. We're going to catch up on the top of the hour news. We'll be back.

This is the Todd Starnes Radio Show. Live from the Liberty University Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, it's common sense conservative commentary from Todd Starnes.

Well, you know, a lot of people are in their American ride today, heading off to spring break. I think just the entire city of Memphis has evacuated to the Redneck Riviera.

So I. We may be the only people left here in the Mid-South as folks head down to warmer climates and the beautiful white sandy beaches of the Gulf Coast. Welcome, everybody. Todd Stearns here with you.

So glad that you have joined us. And, of course, we love all of our listeners, no matter if you're in the Redneck Riviera or if you're in Redneck Vegas, which is Dollywood Pigeon Forge. I was reading a very interesting article in the Washington Times. The headline, Democrats continue to buy black votes.

Well, the writer of that article joins us on the Patriot Mobile Newsmaker line today, Cheryl Chumley. And Cheryl, always good to have you on the program. Todd, it's great to be with you. Thank you for having me.

So I'm really intrigued by this story. Here in the Memphis area where I am from and our show originates, they are actually using COVID money to the tune of $5 million to actually study a reparations plan that would put cash into the hands of black citizens. But it pales in comparison to what's happening in California right now. Yeah, it does. California really has a sees the day on this one.

they're considering six hundred forty billion dollars a package for reparations, which would amount to about $360,000 per eligible. Black resident in the state. And what's really interesting about California is, for those who know their history, California entered the Union as a free state. There were discussions in Congress over uh slavery. And finally they signed the the California delegate signal.

Signed the Compromise of 1850 guaranteeing that the state would remain a free state. For California to get into the reparations game, it's a little Bit mind-boggling. Do we have any idea where they're getting this $640 billion from?

Well, you know it's going to be taxpayers. That's not exactly front and center in discussions, but where else are they going to get it? I don't think that. a Bill Gates or George Soros type philanthropist is going to to come through and supply the money. I'm curious to know if Oprah's going to get her check.

Right?

You know, i slavery in America is a very sad historical truth, right? But You have to question What What would reparations do? If the idea is to keep America as a melting pot, and the idea is to do as Joe Biden promised so many times, on the campaign trail to unify. Reparations to me seem to fall flat. I don't see how that's going to soothe over any type of racial tensions.

It may make some recipients of those tax dollars feel pretty good for a while, but I don't see how it's going to bring people together in America. No, I don't either. And I know here in here in the Memphis area during this commission meeting, you actually had and Memphis, by the way, is a is a majority black city, you had a a black commissioner say that the the skin color of the white commissioners was a triggering thing for her, that she was triggered by the commissioner's whiteness. And I think a lot of white lawmakers out there get horrified and terrified whenever someone throws around the race card. And I don't think they ought to be.

No, the Democrats have been throwing the race card out with great success. With alarming frequency, right? If you go back in time, under Barack Obama, really things heated up. At a time in America where it would be most Most unlikely to make the argument that America was inherently racist because Obama was brought into the White House. By a large faction of white voters.

That's the time in America where race relations in recent decades have really heated up. And you can only conclude that it's by strength. It's by strategic design of the Democrats. because they love to divide America into little factions. that they can then swoop in.

and conquer and pretend to be the Savior. And again, I go back to this whole reasoning behind reparations. It doesn't make any sense to me, Cheryl. When you go back and look at history in the Reconstruction era South, you had the Freedmen's Bureau that was specifically set up to assist in that economic transition away from slavery, the infamous 40 acres and a mule.

So again, I'm not understanding if that in fact was the reparation back then. Why are the descendants of slaves entitled to anything? And why only some people Uh targeted. For racism and for slavery. Slavery ended in the United States in 1865, but in West Africa, it didn't formally come to an end until 1875.

So why is it just America? Why is it just white people in America who are the devils here? If we're going to talk about reparations, shouldn't we talk about reparations irregardless of race? That is a great point. I was watching a movie a couple of weeks ago, The Woman King, which it was a fascinating movie about the African tribes and the original Amazon women.

And I was very intrigued by how they covered, and they didn't pull any punches. It was very clear that black tribes sold their enemies into slavery. That's where the slave trade originated. And to your point, why are we not focusing on getting reparations from those African nations? Why the United States?

Well, and the answer to that is exactly what I wrote in the headline. Democrats use this issue to buy votes. For a comparison, what they're doing with reparations is what they have done and are continuing to do with. the student loan forgiveness program, right? They know full well it's going to be challenged, but they can go out there and they can campaign on free giveaways to an important voting bloc for the Democrats.

And when it gets to court, whether they win or lose, Democrats win the day. They can go down losing in court, but still claiming the righteous cause. That they're the savior of these young people, or if they win, even better, because it's tax dollars, it doesn't come out of their pocket.

Now look at reparation. The same sort of thing. They have nothing to lose by campaigning on that issue, knowing full well it will go to court. They may or may not lose. Politically speaking, PR speaking, Democrats can claim a win.

It's a fascinating column you wrote, Cheryl, and very important because, again, these issues, when you have supermajorities of Democrats controlling your state, much like California does, these things become a reality.

So unbelievable. Go ahead, Cheryl. Oh, I was just going to say yes, and it's a shame because at this point in American time, We should be moved past. this, right? And there's so much to celebrate.

in terms of Liberty and individual God-given rights that should join us together and transcend skin color, and yet we're just going backwards on that. That's it. All right, Cheryl, great work. And folks, we have a direct link to her column or on our website, or you can go to Washington Times and check out all of the great opinions. Cheryl Chumbly, opinions editor for the Washington Times.

Cheryl, have a great weekend. You too. Thank you. Wow. Just unbelievable.

Here's my take: when this becomes reality in California, and $640 billion that they would pay black residents, $360,000 a person, I think just for the sake of doing the right thing and helping the less fortunate, I think Oprah, Chris Rock, Will Smith, they need to be at the front of the line. Because what this country has done to them is an atrocity. The fact that we have made folks like Oprah and Will Smith multi-bazillionaires many times over that have dozens of homes, vacation spots, shame on us. Shame on us, America. How dare we?

And if that's not bad enough. I bring you this story from the pages of the Los Angeles Slimes. The Los Angeles Slimes is reporting that all of you white people. in Los Angeles. are polluting the breathing air of people of color.

I wish I could say I'm making this up, but I am not making this up, ladies and gentlemen. Sammy Roth, the LA Times writer, says that many, many minorities in Los Angeles are suffering from environmental racism, and he's blaming white and affluent commuters in the Los Angeles area. Mr. Roth says that Los Angeles residents who drive more tend to be exposed to less air pollution. Yeah.

And he's saying that all of you white people out there in Los Angeles and Hollywood. In Palmdale and Lancaster, all you white folks that are driving around Los Angeles in your cars, your vehicles. Are committing acts of racism. Because you commute to work through lower-income black and Latino neighborhoods. Folks, I think it's a very good idea.

Sometimes you just want to smile and chuckle and tell these borons to blow it out their tailpipe. Got to take a break. 844-747-8868. This is Open Line Friday, by the way. Whatever you want to talk about, we're going to talk about today.

844-747-8868. This is the Todd Stern Show. Have you signed up for the big trip coming up this this autumn, this fall? We're taking 100 of our great listeners to the Holy Land for a Stand with Israel tour. Folks, this is going to be a first-class journey and it will be a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

And I would be honored if you and your family joined me and the Starnes family as we tour the Holy Land together.

Now, if you would like information, you can do it one of two ways. You can go to ToddStarnes.com, and at the very top of the page, all the information is there, or you can give us a call, 844-747-8868. Again, 844-747-8868, and Dylan will take all of your information. But again, we would love for you to join us. We're taking 100.

We want to make it a manageable group, and it's a very intimate thing as well. And I will be there and. The way we do these trips, we don't have the celebrities on one bus and the folks on the other. No, it's all of us together.

So I would love to be able to spend time with you and your family as we visit the Holy Land. All right, let's get to the phone lines here: 844-747-8868. I want to go to Tom in Georgia, W-D-U-N, our great affiliate there. Hi, Tom. What's on your mind today?

Hey, Todd.

Well, my first point is I have second time for a second, but the first point is for you and everybody listening, does anyone out there believe that a government that lies to the people and hides from the people it taxes. The truth about the origins on vaccines for COVID nineteen. The Russian collusion hoax. And intimidates the people and controls free speech on social media. that, that government is not totally willing and capable Of election rigging.

cheating and fixing. Is there anybody out there? That believes that? It's a great question. Secondly, and we'll You were just talking about Californian.

pollution and Environmental, whatever. If I get this project done, Todd, would you write a foreword for me for my upcoming book called Fear of Feces, a walking guide to San Francisco, another great American city. Tom, that sounds like one heck of a book, a page turner, if I've ever heard of one.

Well, yeah, I don't know what you're going to use the pages for, but. Maybe somebody out there on the streets can find a use for them.

Well, just make sure they're extra soft, Tom. Extra soft. There you go. Charming. There you go.

Charming, help me write it. Tom, appreciate the call. Thanks for listening to us. Oh, that's very clever. 844-747-8868 is our toll-free telephone number.

Let's go to Don in Iowa. Hi, Don. What's on your mind today? Oh, I guess I just got a question for you. All right.

Um Of course, we all know that uh direct T V is Gop Newsmax.

Now AT and T is in the also in the Internet business.

Now did they block a did they block Newsmax from their internet too?

Well, Don, that's a great question. I don't have ATT wireless service, so I can't answer that. But if someone out there does, give us a call, let us know. 'Cause uh I've been watching well, I still g I get Newsmax, but I've been getting it off the computer. Yeah.

So, yeah, I mean, I access Newsmax every day, and I also use the Newsmax app, and it seems to work fine just for me.

So, yeah, I will if someone, if someone out there has ATT service done, I can promise you they'll call in and let us know. We have a great audience out there.

Okay. All right. Well, thank you. They need to know.

Well, Don, appreciate you calling in. That's what we are here for. Again, our telephone number, 844-747-8868. May I just say something about Colin Kaepernick for just a moment? Is that okay?

So, I had a chance to think about this last night, and this guy. Who does he think he is? Colin Kampernick.

So here's a guy that was born to a white mother. gave him up when he was five weeks old. Along come Teresa and Rick Kampernick. Yeah. A white couple, they already had two kids of their own, and they said, We want to adopt this little boy.

And they raised this child. They raised him right. They raised him in a good, solid home, got an education. Uh And they set him up with whatever he needed to be a success in life. And how does he repay that?

He literally is smearing his adoptive parents simply because of their skin color.

Now Kaepernick has written this graphic novel, and he says that his parents perpetuated Racism. And he specifically remembers a moment when his mom took issue with his hairstyle. He was wearing cornrows, and she said that he looked like a little thug, and it was not a professional look.

Now, I grew up in the 1980s, and I can tell you that when I was a teenager, my mom did not appreciate some of my choices in fashion or hair. Uh Back in the day, I I got to tell you, I used to always part it on the side, the hair. But when the 80s came, well, you know what happened, folks? Yep, that part went right down the middle. got that feathered look.

Oh, I look good. And then you had the Izod shirts, right? And you had the uh the Nike shoes were just coming out, and they only had one kind. It was the leather, white leather, with the blue swoosh. I think they had red too, but everybody wanted the blue.

And then you had the sweater vest. You know, you had to wrap the sweater around your neck because that made you look cool. And then along came parachute pants, and that was very unfortunate. But you know what? It was cool.

It was the style. And of course, our mothers at the time said we all look like idiots. Did that make them insensitive or racist? No, it made them moms.

So I'm not quite sure I see where the racism is here. And she was just she was giving her opinion as a mother. But anyway, I got to thinking about this, and I'm wondering deep down inside if Colin Kaepernick actually regrets that his birth mother is, in fact, a white woman. Because he said in this graphic novel that he was all about embracing his blackness. And he was very troubled about having to grow up in a predominantly white family and a white community.

I mean, come on now. I mean, look, it's one thing to disrespect the American flag, but dude, you're going to disrespect your mother? What kind of a creep does that? I mean, they gave this guy everything. Everything.

And this is what he does. He smears him as racist. I feel bad for. By the way, they stood by him even during the American flag non stuff. That's crazy.

And he turns his back on them simply because they're white. Go figure. 844-747-8868. That's our toll-free telephone number. Woe's a song, Jesus Loves All the Children of the World.

I guess even the ungrateful, obstinate ones like Colin Camperday. We'll be right back, America. All right, welcome back to the Tot Stars Radio Program.

So happy to. Yeah, no, I did say blow it out your tailpipe. I did. I did. Yeah.

It's Friday, folks. What do you want me to do? All right, let's go to the phones here. A lot of you wanting to weigh in. I want to start in Iowa.

Jackson is on the line. Hi, Jackson. I know you want to talk about Mr. Rogers. That's right, Todd.

Have you are you uh could you play what I if I tell you something what mister Rogers said, would you be able to play it to the audience? I think we might be able to. What is it?

Well, he says boys should be boys and girls should be girls, and it's called Everybody's Fancy. Everybody's fancy. Would you do that, Todd?

Well, Jackson, you know what? We aim to please here on the Todd Cearns Radio Show. Let's take a listen. Boys are boys from the beginning. Girls are girls right from the start.

Everybody's fancy. Everybody's fine. Your body's fancy, and so is mine. There you go, Jackson. We're working on the keychange now.

Isn't that a nice little song? And he also sings that girls should be mommies. Keep it up. It's got more on it. Oh, I know.

I know. It does. And boys should be dads. Look, Jackson, I've never heard such a word: transphobic.

Song in all my life. Yeah. You know, he was a wonderful guy. He's so missed, Mr. Rogers.

I mean, he'd probably spinning in his grave right now. Probably so. And Jackson, I know the left really tried to warp who he was and what he stood for. But I think in his heart, he really was just an American, not really conservative or liberal. But if you had to paint him as someone, I would say he would have been a conservative.

And I can't think of anybody better to sit in front of a TV, your little children, listening to him, because he's. He made you feel so good and soothed anybody that watched him. You felt good. We try to do that here on this program, Jackson, but we trigger far too many people. But it is what it is.

Blow it out, blow it out the tailpipe. All right, Jackson, thank you for that. That is a fun little song there. All right, I want to go to the Patriot Mobile Newsmaker line. Honored to have with us Congressman Brian Babbin from Texas.

And, Congressman, you guys have been busy starting a brand new caucus up on Capitol Hill. Hope you're doing good today. Yes, sir, Todd, great to be with you. And we have started this brand new Congressional Family Caucus.

Well, we just played the Mr. Rogers song, reminding children and reminding people that boys are boys and girls are girls. A very simple message that has created a lot of controversy these days, but it goes back to the heart of what it means to be a family. You couldn't say it better. I'll tell you, isn't it amazing that we're having to sit here and talk about?

uh you know, even even the very subject that we have different pronouns and twenty and thirty different genders and kids belong to the state rather than their families. and that we're being taken down this primrose path path by the the radical woke left. They call it traditional family, natural family, but it's a man and a woman come together, ordained by God. And I think it's important that we remember that in spite of all the efforts by the left and by even some in our own political party congressmen to really redefine what a family is. I worry about that as well, Todd, because as you just said, The natural family, a man and a woman, committed for life, to each other and also to their kids, to their children.

And it was ordained by God, and it's been around for thousands and thousands of years. and some woaxter that wants to come along and change What God has made and ordained? I don't think so. We've got to push back, and we've got to push back extremely hard. stand up for what we believe in because too many conservatives are to actually get out in the forum and express their views On the you know, on what's happening to our society, the depravity, the perversion.

you know, the the destruction Of societal mores that we learn from our Bible, from our, you know, our schools, from our parents. And sadly, the schools are teaching this less and less. In fact, many schools. They are outlawed. They've outlawed.

you know, any discussion of God.

Well, and then we were just telling sharing the news of the Arizona School District controlled by the LGBT board members that have will no longer allow student teachers from Arizona Christian University from working in the school district because Of their biblical values. I mean, this is a real-time thing that's happening as you guys launch this caucus. You know what, Todd? And we, this is the dogma that we've been putting up with for many years. But really, especially in the last just few years.

since Barack Obama was President. This is when it really turned the corner and started coming at us hard, but nothing like we're seeing under the Biden administration. And uh you know what? our pulpits, our preachers, our priests. Our ministers I've been silent too long on this.

And it is absolutely atrocious that we don't stand up for the things that have made America the greatest nation, the freest nation on earth, And we are rapidly losing this. And if we don't stand up, let me tell you, when these freedoms are gone, we don't get them back. You can look at history and see that. It doesn't just come back. You've got freedom is not free.

It has got to be thought for. And it's got it doesn't pass on, as Reagan said, it doesn't pass on in the bloodstream. It's got to be fought for and stood up for and by courageous. Folks that believe in their faith. And the man upstairs Because otherwise, as Reagan also said, one day You'll be telling from your rocking chair, telling your grandchildren what it was once like to be free.

Well, Congressman Babin on the Patriot Mobile Newsmaker line, Congresswoman Mary Miller from Illinois, Diana Harshberger from Tennessee, among those starting this caucus. How many folks have joined the caucus? You know what? I don't have a list in front of me, but this is something that everybody that believes in the in the unit the family unit as the foundational basis of our society should be Signing on to this bill. signing you know, for membership into this caucus.

And uh I will we can get back to you and let you know about that, but I think we've already got a number of folks uh that have signed on and uh You know? We absolutely cannot afford to not stand up. Uh for our our our our rights Our beliefs, the First Amendment to our to the Bill of Rights, the amendments to the Constitution, the very First Amendment. was the right to freedom of the right. of speech.

the freedom of religion. The freedom of expression. And that we cannot ever tolerate, even for one second, the loss of, and we are seeing it happening before our eyes. As we're seeing in some of our caucuses, some of our rather hearings that are going on now in judiciary and oversight. We know that awoke Democrats have been centuring Anybody that they don't agree with, they're trying to shut us down.

And we're trying to hold them accountable, and we plan to do so.

Well, I love this idea. And, Congressman, anything we can do to help advance the agenda of the Congressional Family Caucus, you just let us know, and we'll be happy to do that.

Well You know, Todd, I have seventeen grandchildren. And that is why I serve here in Washington, DC. The last two years have not been pleasant, but we have hung on by our fingernails, and now we have a five seat narrow majority And we're already. We're already seeing some great things happen. for our safety, for our families.

pushing back against this radical woke agenda For our kids' sake and our grandkids' sake. And that's what we're trying to do to preserve. The greatest nation in the history of our entire planet. All right. Well, Congressman, thank you so much for taking a few minutes to visit with us, and good luck.

And you're right. We need lots of folks up on Capitol Hill to join this caucus, and we're going to get you back on very soon. Thank you, sir. Todd, you keep up the good work because without an honest media, we wouldn't even be hearing about this type of thing. You've got that right.

Yes, sir. Glad to do it. All right, Congressman Brian Babin, 36th Congressional District down in the great state of Texas. Folks, we've got to take a break. Lines open, and we're going right to the lines.

Open Line Friday. You can talk about whatever you want to talk about. Just give us a call: 844-747-8868. That's 844-747-8868. Folks, everyone's talking about one place for news: it's Newsmax.

Love it. Watch it all the time. Was on Newsmax yesterday. You need to watch Newsmax too. The Liberals, they hate Newsmax, and for good reason, it's becoming one of the most popular channels in America.

Every night I watch Greta, Rob Schmidt, Eric Bowling, Greg Kelly. No surprise, Newsmax is already the fourth highest-rated cable news channel and growing fast. And you can get Newsmax on most cable systems. Just check your. Channel guide if they don't carry Newsmax.

Well, switch to one that does. And remember, Newsmax is also free on streaming. Go to Samsung Plus, Roku, Zumo, Pluto, you name it, Apple, many other platforms. You can even download the free Newsmax app on your smartphone and you can start watching now. Millions are making the switch to Newsmax, and I made the switch as well because Newsmax is real news for real people.

Yeah. All right, welcome back, everybody. Good to have you with us today. One of our callers couldn't hang on, but they said, wait a second, wasn't it true that Kamala Harris came from a family of. Slaveholders?

And that is, in fact, correct. Kamala Harris's father claims to be a descendant of a slave owner. Yeah. In Jamaica. In an article published by the Jamaica Globe, Professor Donald Harris wrote, My roots go back within my lifetime to my paternal grandmother, Miss Chrissy.

A descendant of Hamilton Brown. Who is on record as plantation and slave owner and founder of Brownstown, a town in Jamaica? According to Snopes, Brown owned at least 121 or 124 slaves in the 1800s. What I find interesting is all the fact-checkers are trying to dispel all of this by claiming it lacks context. No, there's plenty of context here.

Kamala Harris comes from a family of slave owners. And my question would be: would Kamala Harris, who was a former United States Senator from California, would she be eligible for that reparation money? Just thinking about something here. All right. Let's go to the phones 844-747-8868.

Jerry in Oregon on KYKN. Hi, Jerry. What's going on? Hey, Todd, how are you doing this morning? Doing good, thank you.

Well, interesting conversation as you generally have Um I have a question though, and just throwing it out there. Um We've talked about several of your callers have mentioned Um You know, the How did any faith in our voting. apparatus as it is right now. I mean, and like you mentioned, you have The Russia hoax You have all these other things, the Twitter scenario that's going on right now. And all the other things the FBI is wrapped up into that they shouldn't be, and which means our government is wrapped up.

And it sh what what they shouldn't be.

Okay. What?

Okay, so And you have congressmen just like you had on. And he's mentioned, what do we do? I mean, what's the I mean, we can vote, right? That's our only apparatus for change. But what if You don't trust that.

Mean what You follow what I'm saying? I mean, we talk about it, but What's the answer?

Well, the answer is finding out if in you know, again, finding out if in fact there was voter fraud, which I believe there was, then you've got to have the evidence.

So that's the big problem, Jerry, is that in the last election cycle and the one before that, the allegations of voter fraud, when they're brought before the courts, there's just not enough evidence.

So I don't know what to tell you. Other than we've got to get out and do our due diligence and at least go and vote. But again, if you're saying, and again, if you're saying, for example, well, President Trump. Won and he lost, you know, because again, of the voter fraud, then you have to immediately discount every other election that was held as being fraudulent. That's what I'm saying is that I mean We We're in a situation as, I mean, I've I was in the military.

I I did my time. I paid taxes for forty years. I think my vote counts as much as the next person. Um not any more, but as much as. Um And I I you're just losing faith in the system Can't happen.

And If it does happen, then you have a breakdown I mean, you allow what you're allowing to have happen is that somebody come in, and I'm not saying it's going to happen, but it could happen. Let's say Trump was a more military Mil mil militarilistic President. And he comes in and says, you know what, the boat is fixed. I'm not you know, I'm not going to give up the Presidency 'cause I don't believe it's real. And you're going to have half the people or approximately half the people supporting it.

Oh, yeah, no doubt about that. I mean, you've got, you've got, look, you've got a divided nation. And that's a fair question to ask: is what happens if the Democrats pull something like this? Because we know they have. Hillary Clinton refused to accept the outcome of the presidential election.

She still to this day believes that she won that election.

Now, what would have happened if she could have weaponized that? I mean, it's a legitimate question you raised, Jerry. Look, we've got to do a better job. And President Trump did not have the right people surrounding him. I mean, Sidney Powell and all of these wild allegations and accusations, even the president had to distance himself from her.

You know, you've got to have the right people. You have to have good, solid people surrounding you. If you're going to make these allegations, you've got to have rock-solid proof to back it up. And if that's, and again, I hear what everyone's been saying about the election, I too believe that there was voter fraud, but I. I don't physically have the evidence.

And I find it very hard to believe, Jerry, that. That it was a mass conspiracy that led all the way to the United States Supreme Court, as some are alleging. No, I Todd, I'm not saying that, but what I am saying is is Do I believe the FBI and certain other agencies in the Department of Justice? are acting on the behalf Um All the people, for the people. And the answer to that question is No.

And that's I don't believe that. And now we're in A state of affairs Where If you don't trust the people that are enforcing the laws, Where are you going to go? And that's a question every American is going to have to ask themselves, Jerry. Appreciate that call. A lot of stuff to think about on that one, folks.

844-747-8868. That's our toll-free telephone number. That's 844-747-8868. By the way, you hear a lot of our guests on the Patriot Mobile newsmaker line.

Now is a great time for you to consider making the switch to Patriot Mobile, America's only Christian conservative wireless carrier. And they have a plan to fit any budget for your family and also for your business. PatriotMobile.com slash Todd is the website. That's patriotmobile.com/slash Todd. Here's one of the reasons I love Patriot Mobile: they're out there supporting the Constitution, they're out there defending our freedom, and a portion of your money goes to fight for those causes.

PatriotMobile.com/slash Todd, folks. Check it out. All right. We'll be right back, America. This is the Todd Stern Show.

Live from the Liberty University Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, it's America's conservative blowtorch. That's us! That's right. I love this American. Todd Starnes.

All right, well, happy Friday to you, America. Welcome to the Todd Stearns Radio Program. It is also open line Friday.

So, whatever you would like to talk about, we're going to be taking your calls today. 844-747-8868. That is a toll-free telephone number. That's 844-747-8868. A lot going on around the country.

And of course, the story that we broke and Fox did not give us credit for, but that's okay. The story we broke a few days ago about this Washington Elementary School District in Arizona now going to the courts. Our good friends over Elias Defending Freedom, representing Arizona Christian University in this really despicable case, a direct assault on religious liberty, in my estimation. Let's go to the Patriot Mobile newsmaker line. Ryan Tucker is senior counsel for Elias Defending Freedom.

Ryan, good to have you with us today.

Well, thank you, Todd. Great to be here. You know, it's I was watching the audio or watching the meeting yesterday, and we played some of the audio in the first hour of the show from that school board meeting last night. It looks like the school district is doubling down here on their decision. That's absolutely right.

They met for the first time a couple of weeks ago and decided to kick out Arizona Christian University with its partnership with its student teacher program based solely on its religious beliefs about sexuality and gender. And you're right. Just yesterday, the school board met once again, this is after we'd already filed a lawsuit. And they doubled down. They said they stood by their comments and even called the school bigoted during their meeting yesterday.

Ryan, were you at that gathering? I was not at the gathering, but I was watching it in real time on their YouTube channel, and it was quite the circus. What was it was just bizarre. And one of the school board members, she had the cat ears, the the but they all seemed to be in agreement. What I what really struck me was the number of people outside and in that building that were actually supporting the school district.

Well, that's absolutely right. I mean, there were quite a number of people that showed up to the meeting itself. Many had to stand in line just to be able to speak, and then they called them at random. And like you said, there were several individuals that showed up, some even that said. Look, I don't have any faith.

I don't have any religion at all. But what you did is discriminatory. And those people are absolutely right. The government can't treat people of faith worse than everyone else. These students shouldn't lose.

Opportunities and be punished because of their religious beliefs. It's a blatant example of religious discrimination. The concern I have here is, okay, yes, so these are student teachers, but that's just a short jump away from saying, okay, we're not going to hire any Christians.

So if you profess to follow Christ, you're not welcome to get a job here at this school district.

Well, that's right. I mean, one of the school board members accused teachers and really, frankly, Christians of being quote unquote not safe simply due to their Christian beliefs. And so you're right. I mean, they're student teachers. They're students right now at that university that had planned on coming back in the fall.

and uh even pursuing their career there because this This district, which by the way, is the largest elementary school district in the entire state of Arizona. It's right next door to this school. And we've heard from several teachers, Christian teachers, That have attended Arizona Christian and elsewhere, and they thought, am I no longer welcome here? Is my job safe? And those are valid questions based on Those very discriminatory comments made by this board.

Yeah, I'd be asking those questions as well. On top of all of that, from what we understand, there's already a teacher shortage.

So this is really putting the squeeze on the school district at large. It really is. I mean, elementary school, schools across the United States have already been struggling to employ enough teachers. And what's really sad here. is that the administrators, the principals in this district Have been asking Arizona Christian to send more student teachers their way.

And so this decision by the school board not only hurts Arizona Christian. It hurts its students, it hurts its alumni, and those kids, those elementary school students. the school administrators who are begging dimes just to get Other teachers to come in to help them out, it really punishes them. And it's quite unfortunate. unconstitutional.

So you guys have filed a lawsuit. What is the next step here?

Well, we filed the lawsuit and served them just yesterday, and so the next step. is to file a motion, ask the court via request to enjoy the school district from its continuing unconstitutional actions and to ask the court to, in essence, reinstate this partnership that's been great for both sides for the last decade.

Well, let's hope the courts are going. I mean, it seems to me a slam dunk case here, and I hope the state lawmakers can get involved and put the squeeze on the school board members.

Well, we certainly heard from not just legislators and in in the state itself, but I think nationwide, uh anybody that hears this story is is just dumbfounded. They're shocked. By the actions of the school. And so we're hopeful that. That the school board still has an opportunity.

I thought they were going to possibly reverse themselves last night, but that wasn't the case. But there's still an opportunity for them to correct. this blatant wrong. And if not, we'll continue in the court to To justify the actions of the university and to protect the students that it serves. All right.

Well, Ryan, look, keep us updated. Whatever we need to do, we're happy to help out here, and we're happy to be the megaphone to get the story out so people can stay involved.

Well, be sure to appreciate that, Todd. And to continue getting updates, they can go to the ADF website, adflegal.org. We'll be updating that with the latest on the case. All right. Ryan Tucker, ladies and gentlemen, with the Alliance Defending Freedom.

They're doing incredible work for our country and protecting our freedoms. Ryan, thank you very much. Thank you, Todd. Virginia Governor Glenn Younkin for just a few moments here. And I'm going to have to rely on our Virginia listeners to help me through this.

So Youngkin held a town hall on CNN yesterday. And a lot of people are wondering why. It has certainly caused my eyebrows to be raised. And I do wonder if Junckin may be about to dip his toe in the presidential waters. Could be, I'm not sure.

But based on the town hall and how Youngkin conducted himself, I'm not sure he's ready for the big stage just yet.

So Youngkin was going toe-to-toe with Jake Tapper. And at one point, a member of the studio audience, a girl who thinks she's a boy, asked Junckin a question, and Yunkin came out and affirmed that there need to be transgender bathrooms in public schools. Take a listen to Cut 8.

So, Governor, I want to bring in Nico, a 17-year-old student from Arlington. Nico? Governor Youngin, your transgender model policies would require that students play on the sports teams and use the restrooms that correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Look at me. I am a transgender man.

Do you really think that the girls in my high school would feel comfortable sharing a restroom with me?

So, first of all, Nico, thank you for again asking the question, being here tonight, and engaging in this important discussion. I believe first, when parents are engaged with their children, then you can make good decisions together. And I met your dad, and I'm glad that you're both here together. That's really, really important. I also think that there are lots of students involved in this decision.

And what's most important is that we try very hard to accommodate students. That's why I have said many, many times. We just need extra bathrooms in schools. We need gender-neutral bathrooms, and so people can use a bathroom that they, in fact, are comfortable with. I think sports are very clear, and I don't think it's controversial.

I don't think that biological boys should be playing sports with biological girls. There's been decades of efforts in order to gain opportunities for women in sports. And it's just not fair. And I think that's non-controversial and something that I think is pretty well understood. Again, I think these are very difficult discussions, and I am very, very glad to see you and your dad here together.

So it was interesting to see the divide on, and we've got some more audio we're going to play here, but it was interesting to see the divide among conservatives and establishments on social media. Establishment Republicans were literally calling Glenn Youngkin Ronald Reagan. And the Conservatives were saying, yeah, this is not going to be good. Here is Yunkin. Talking about the importance of teaching slavery in public schools in the Commonwealth.

CUT 21. In recent years, there has been a lot of debate regarding the teaching of CRT in public schools. As a social studies teacher, I find it imperative to teach history through facts and the perspectives of the people involved in a historical event. Governor Young. What is your view on the difference between teaching CRT in the classroom?

And the teaching of historical injustices, such as slavery and segregation, and the impact it has had on Americans. Thank you for that great question. Thanks for coming all the way to be with us tonight. And again, thank you for being a teacher. And again, the role that teachers play in our kids' lives is invaluable.

And for anyone watching tonight who might be inspired to be a teacher, come be a teacher in Virginia. Teaching our history is critical. And I have said all along that Our standard should be to teach all of it, the good and the bad. And we can't walk away from our history because there have been just incredibly, incredibly difficult, challenging, dark times in our history as a Commonwealth. And as a nation.

And that's why when I laid out my key objectives for our history standards, it was doing exactly that. teaching all of our history. the good and the bad. I'm pleased with our history standards because I think they will be the best in the nation. We in fact enhanced the discussion of slavery.

And made sure that everyone understood for the first time in Virginia history standards that the cause of the Civil War. with slavery. And the and the teaching of that basic fact is critical. You know, recently, I had the great privilege going on a field trip. with fourth graders.

From Arias Peak Elementary.

Okay, all right, that's enough. That's enough. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

So, look, I want to stop there because. Youngkin said matter of factly that the reason for the Civil War was slavery. That is incorrect. The Civil War began. The Civil War began as a result of States' rights.

Slavery was a massive part of that, but this was not this was not the specific reason.

Now hear me again. It was this was slavery, it was a massive part of it, but for the governor to come out there and say that the Civil War was fought solely because of slavery is simply not true.

So I don't know. Does he sound like Ronald Reagan to you, ladies and gentlemen? Am I missing something here? I know this is the first time he's out there on the big stage, but instead of going on Fox News for a town hall, he picked CNN. With Jake Tamper.

That's a little puzzling, if you ask me.

So I'm curious to get your thoughts on this. 844-747-8868. Is Glenn Youngkin the next Ronald Reagan? That's 844-747-8868. This is the Todd Stern Show.

All right, let's get right to the phones on this Open Line Friday. Whatever you want to talk about, we're going to talk about today. 844-747-8868. Let's go to Frank in Georgia, WDUN, our great affiliate there. Hi, Frank.

What's on your mind?

Hey, Todd.

As usual, I'm enjoying your show. Thank you. I'd like to talk about the Arizona school deal. I'm considerably older than you, and I can remember back when they were fighting the battle for the Bible in the schools. creation, evolution and all that sort of thing.

And I just have a memory in my little brain up here. that there was a Supreme Court ruling that said that secular humanism was a religion. Am I wrong on that? Or do you know anything about that? You know, I'm going to have to look that one up, Frank.

I haven't heard about that. But I think it is a religion, even if the Supreme Court doesn't say it is. Yeah, well I think. If I'm not mistaken, I mean, I don't know why I just pulled this out of my brain, but I think it. There was a ruling, I think it was a Supreme Court.

that it was a declared a religion.

Now that goes back a ways. But I just thought I'd throw that into the mix.

Well, no, and this goes back a ways. But we're talking about atheist and secular humanist protected by the First Amendment. And a federal court decision held that secular humanist prisoners, this was a court case, are entitled to organize discussion groups just like it would be a Bible study under the provisions of the Establishment Clause. The Supreme Court, in a 1961 case, briefly referred to secular humanism as a religion. Yes, but that wasn't the emphasis of the case, though, I guess, right?

That's right. Made that statement in their opinion. That's right. Okay. Well, I I thought I had remembered that correctly.

Anyway. Times have changed. Yes, they have, Frank. I remember when I was a kid, when and I went to I started grade school in the 1970s, and I remember the Gideons would come to our school once a year, and they would give kids those pocket Bibles. I remember I have a green pocket Bible from the Gideons, and I don't think they allowed the Gideons inside the school buildings nowadays.

Well, when I was in school, the Coca Cola company would come in and give you a ruler and a little Coca Cola bottle you could blow into and make a whistle out of it. Oh, that's nice. And on the re and on the ruler, it had John three hundred sixteen on it. Wow. I I said I'd go back away.

So That was my memory. The good old days, Frank. Yeah, that was the good old days. All right. You used that ruler to hit you on the wrist.

Oh, geez, Lou. All right. Well, that's unfortunate. Frank, you be good out there, and thank you for listening. Thanks for calling in.

Let's go to Frank in North Carolina. Hi, Frank. What's on your mind?

Good afternoon, sir. Good afternoon. Just one question. I have just one question. I'm concerned about Joe Biden's newest executive order.

concerning digital currency for the twelve hundred banks. that's about to go strictly digital. Uh That kind of concerns me on the fact that the government will know. What I bought, where I bought it. how much I paid for it, who I sold it to, or who I even give it to.

The only place I hear anything about this new digital currency is is through Newsmax. I don't hear it. Yeah. Any other news organizations other than NewsNex. And it's got me highly concerned.

I'm listening to a lot of other younger people to say, well, I use my phone to pay for it anyway, but that's a whole different animal. But anyway, I'm just curious how many other people out there even notice executive order has been passed into law and it's going to come into effect. Uh Well, Frank, this was an executive order. I believe last year or year before last that Biden enacted. It's not going to have the impact we think it is.

I don't think we're moving away from a cashless society just yet. But look, I do have problems even with credit cards, you know, because the government can come in and they can discover what you've been spending your money on.

Some of the credit card companies now say that they would be willing to treat a gun purchase or an ammo purchase a different way, turn over that information as well.

So you're right to be concerned, but I don't think we're there just yet. I don't think we're at the panic stage. Frank, got a run. We are super late for a break. Folks, hang tight.

This is the Tom Cern Show. All right. Well, Wall Street is spooked today. If you've got a 401k, just don't even pay attention to it. Just let it go.

Spooked over this big bank collapsing out in California, the Silicon Valley Bank.

So we're going to get into more of that on Monday's show. But now the big question is whether or not the American taxpayers are going to have to step in and bail this bank out. Unbelievable. By the way, folks, again, if you would like information on joining us in the fall, we're taking a large group of our listeners to the Holy Land. It's going to be a wonderful trip.

And we'd love for you to join us. The whole family can come. Or if it's just you or you and your spouse, we would love to have you join us. You can go to ToddSterns.com and get more information on that, ToddSterns.com. We talk a lot about education and alternatives to the public school education.

And one of those alternatives is a classical education.

Now, to help us understand. Exactly, what that is all about. Philip Schwenck is serving as the Vice President of Schools for American Classical Education in Tennessee. Philip is on the Patriot Mobile Newsmaker line, and good to have you with us today. Thanks for having us, Bud.

Appreciate it. Sure.

Well, let's just do a deep dive here into what a classical education looks like. What is that? Sure.

Well, what I always start with is it's it sounds new to us today, but it really isn't. It's an education that's been around for hundreds of years. When we think of our founding fathers and their education, it was a classical education, and you don't even have to go that far back. like sixty, seventy plus, many of Americans had a classical education. But it's basically based on what we call the great conversation, that there have been big questions that we've had for centuries, and it's getting kids to be part of that.

So it's like very high in literacy and literature, teaching kids to be rhetorically sound and logical and good and compassionate. Uh and it's it's really just about uh both a learned person but also a good person.

So yes, it seems kind of new today, I guess, because we really want the parents to be strongly involved and we see them as the primary educator. And we see ourselves as supplementing that work. Is it safe to say that's been one of the issues with public education? Is that maybe moms and dads have not been that involved? That is part of it, sure.

Yeah. No, I mean, obviously, I think in an ideal world, mom and dad. would be the first educator for any child and that the schools would supplement that work.

So yes, I mean, obviously, more parent involvement is always good. All right, so are we talking?

So let's just say you've got a family listening to us, and they're intrigued by this idea of classical education. Where would they go? What would they need to do to get their kid plugged into something like that? Is this home school? Is this a charter school?

How does it work?

So what we're working on is what are called charter schools.

So it's a public charter.

So, what we're currently doing right now, our work is in Tennessee. We're trying to start classical public charter schools in five counties in Tennessee. A place a parent could go if they're in this area, they could look. Is AmericanClassical Schools.com? They could actually just go online and look us up, or just put American Classical Education in, and you would be able to find this as well.

There are schools throughout the country that are are char are Both charter or classical. I think what is unique to our group is that it's a public charter.

So it's meant to be anybody that's in the community that we're setting up to school can have their kids come free of cost. and have access to a classical school.

So, a charter school by definition is something that's formed in the community. That community decides that they want to have an option. with the other schools that are there in that community. In this case, you're looking for a public classical education.

So, yeah, if you just look us up, American Classical Schools.com, you can actually start looking into the work that we're doing. Right. But for the point of the conversation we're having, we want people to know. Yeah, they can certainly go to the website. But they want to hear from you.

And I'm curious what you are hearing from parents and teachers and the community at large. Oh, there's a huge demand. In fact, we put in five applications in five different counties here in Tennessee, and there was over five hundred letters of support for those schools. We have over seven thousand as far as online connections to families. We're hoping to start these schools K five, three hundred and forty students.

We don't have any doubts that they'll be filled. The way that these schools work is because they're public schools. The first come, first serve, and so there's more kids than seats. And then we get what is called a lottery. But yes, no, there's a huge demand.

In fact, I think that's why we were invited into Tennessee to start these schools, is because many families here would like to have an option.

So and what does that option look like? What you why do they desire a a classical education?

Well, I think because what it focuses on, there's a couple of things. Like I said, we really want them to be rhetorically and literate. We want them to be sound thinkers. But we also focus a lot on this idea of being good.

So really at the end of the day, which I think most parents want is they want their kids to be good.

So part of a classical education is not only learning how to read, write and be numerically sound, but also to be good. And so we talk about things like the virtues.

So we talked about what it means to be courage, to be courageous, or to be prudent, or to be moderate, or to be friendly. or to be wise, things that we've talked about for thousands of years. But getting kids to think about that and how they can work on that in their own life. And as an American classical school, we think that's important because we have a a democratic republic that was set up on that idea. I mean, the original founding fathers.

But for this to work. the people that participated in it had to be good. And they had to be learned. Um so it's really pushing towards that. The nice thing that a lot of parents like about what we're doing as well is our curriculum is in what's called a program guide.

And I can basically give that that program guide to a parent to look at and they can see exactly what their kids are learning.

so they can see if they line up with it. Or don't they don't. But the idea that there's a transparency that allows these children to and parents to see what they're going to be learning. Um So, our hope is that our kids that come out are free thinkers. And this allows them to think openly about words and their meaning, and stories, and their meanings.

And a lot of parents like that, this idea that There's something to be interpreted and understood in history, in our world, and that we're part of a larger conversation. Most parents find that very attractive. The other piece of classical schools that's attractive is this idea of order and decorum. We take our schooling seriously. And so the environments that we set up are rigorous, so there's a struggle there, but it's a wonderful and joyous struggle.

So there's an order that a lot of parents like as well. American Classical Schools.com is the website, folks, American Classical Schools.com. Philip, I'm curious, looking post-high school, post-graduation, how are classical students faring in the collegiate, in that higher education world? Oh, they generally do very well. What's interesting about our work is, like I said, we really want to focus on these kids being good kids, but they become very learned.

So we're not trying to tell them, hey, we're going to make you a lawyer, we're going to make you a teacher, we're going to make you a plumber. We just want you to be learned and good and have choices. But those who choose to go off to college do very well. In fact, a significant majority of kids that go into classical instruction go off to college. And because of the rigor of our work, they do much better.

And it's not just about learning how to read, write, to be numerically sound. Like they learn things like Latin, for example. And Latin really takes apart language and makes you have to think about language in our own language, especially the English language that Here in the United States, that we primarily speak.

So, yeah, our students do generally very well. I mean, to be frank, many kids that come from these spaces Uh Don't find their college experiences sometimes as rigorous as their K-12 was. Wow. To be upfront about it. Oh, that's pretty hard.

Yeah, it's very rigorous.

Well, you go to college and you're like, piece of cake. Nothing to see here. I have heard that a couple times. We did this in fourth grade. What's the deal?

What's going on here? I mean, I I hate to say that, but there is some sad reality to that. I think one of the things that we've lost sight about kids is how much they can do and how young young they can do that. Wow. The bright minds of young people.

All right, folks, AmericanClassicalSchools.com. Check this out. Grandmas, grandpas out there, check that out too. AmericanClassicalSchools.com.

Well, Phil, we wish you the very best of luck as you guys continue to grow. This is very exciting. More than 7,000 families have already reached out.

So that tells me there is a huge, huge need, and that's just in Tennessee.

So a lot of people are very excited about what you guys are doing.

Well, thank you, Teddy. I appreciate your time. All right, Philip Schwenk, ladies and gentlemen, Vice President of Schools for American Classical Education in Tennessee. And he previously served as an administrator and history teacher at a number of schools in Los Angeles, Cleveland, and Toledo. All right, we've got to take a quick break here, folks.

844-747-8868, open line Friday. That's 844-747-8868. This is the Todd Stern Show. All right, just received a note from one of our great listeners here in the Memphis area. Memphis has a great classical Christian school, Westminster Academy, says his three children graduated from there.

And our good friend Vicki says, Todd, my friend Kathy is one of the administrators over at Immaculate Conception Elementary, which is a Catholic school, and they are doing classical education. I just went back to it, and I love that. I think that's great. Again, if you've been through, if maybe you've got a child or you have personally been through classical education, give us a call. We'd like to hear from you.

844-747-8868. Let's go to Candy listening to us in Virginia. Hi, Candy. What's on your mind today? Hi, Todd.

I just sort of wanted to weigh in on this whole school issue and what is happening to our children as a result of some of this progressive education. I have a story to share, but it is not my story, so I have to be careful about names and locations. But it's a very important story. Um I have a friend who had uh an injury And she has custody guardianship of her granddaughter.

So she allowed her granddaughter to go to Florida to be with her father. and finish the school year up.

So, and then she was going to come back in the spring.

Now, before the little girl left, she's 12 years old, an adorable child, happy, well-adjusted. Had a little crush on a boy in school, so she had a little boyfriend. Everything was normal, well-adjusted child. She sends her to Florida, and six weeks after she sends her to Florida, the little girl calls her and tells her that Um She was having a little bit of problem, but now things are better. Because she got two girls that liked each other together, and there's a girl that likes her.

And this now has become the norm in the new school that this little girl goes to. that they're taught that you know, it's it's okay for you to like another girl or two boys to like another boy, but yet she was a well adjusted little girl who had a crush on a little boy before she left. They're still targeting our children, and this is still wrong. Yeah, this has been going on covertly for quite some time, Candy. And it's really so devious.

And it initially started with boys before moving on to girls. And there was a big movement afoot to try and convince boys that close boy friendships really aren't friendships. They're romantic in nature. And it's just appalling that they're treating something so innocent as something sexual. And it's, I was livid when I found out about this because this little girl was just a well-adjusted, normal.

12-year-old little girl who had a crush on another little boy in school. And now she's been taught to believe, oh, well, you you can't have a crush on a little boy at school. You should be having a crush on another little girl at school. That's what you should be doing. And so now she's thinking that that's the norm.

It is normal, you know, because here's an authority figure. Who's telling me that I should live my life being attracted to little girls?

Well, that's coming from an authority figure. But it's educating me.

So well, therefore they must be right.

So now it's okay, and I should be liking little girls.

So I'm Is livid over this because I just adored this little child, and her grandmother is livid over it as well. But this is still going on, and I think that parents, I would. Under the impression that DeSantis had signed some sort of legislation that prohibited this in schools, but evidently not because it just happened to this little girl that I know.

Well, it's yeah, and if not, there needs to be something, at least some rule on the books within the school district that this sort of grooming behavior is not allowed. What a crazy story. Candy, I appreciate you sharing that with us. And again, folks, it just goes to show you that the indoctrination. It continues.

844-747-8868. That's our toll-free telephone number. That's 844-747-8868. I want to play this clip from Piers Morgan on gender identity. Cut number 12, please.

Okay, why can't I identify as a black lesbian? Yeah. Well, firstly, I mean, it was quite a bit of a matter of fact. I'm serious. I'm serious.

If I can identify as anything without any need to prove I'm actually what that is, why can't I on international women's state say I'm Piers Morgan, I'm a black lesbian? I think taking it to a kind of absurd status. With respect, I think that you'd already opened the absurdity door by saying it is limitless. You can do what you like. Anyone can say I'm a woman.

So I simply ask you, why can't I? I mean, this point kind of ridicules trans people to an extent. Actually, I think what you said ridicules trans people. Because actually, people who go through the full process of transition, who actually go through what we used to call a sex change, which I don't think you can muck around with original biology, but those who actually go through surgical procedure of a number of years, I've got great respect for that very difficult journey they go on. I had zero respect for people who just wallop their hand up and go, suddenly, I'm a woman and I want all the rights that a woman has, and I want to compete, say in sport, I'm a six foot, four inch.

Yeah. Athlete, sprinter, swimmer, whatever, who's competed very mediocrely in male sport. I now want to come in and crush women in swimming pools and in sprinting events and break all their records, perhaps irrevocably, just by saying, I'm a woman. I think that is the absurdity you were talking about. My response was to say, well, if it's limitless, why can't I then say whatever I want to say?

And you say immediately, as I knew you would, well, that's ridiculous. But my point is, you were being ridiculous. Mhm. All right, Piers Morgan. Preach, my friend.

Preach. Let's go to the phones. Ernie in North Carolina wants to talk about classical education. Hi, Ernie.

So what do you know about classical education? I know a lot about it, Todd. I'm almost seventy eight years old. And I didn't never considered what I was getting was a classical education, but I did. I I went to Catholic school.

Uh first grade through eighth grade. And I didn't realize it at the time. That what what what was what was taught to me is what I needed. Yeah, there are certain There are certain things that When you're a young guy like I was, and I was rather incorrigible, not the best-behaved kid. And God bless those sisters.

They They kept me straight.

Well, and that's what we need in public schools now. We need like those nuns keeping everybody on the straight and narrow, Ernie. That's what we need. It was it was uh at those back in those days, it was a little different. I had several nuns that taught my father And As far as they were concerned, I could never, ever meet his standards.

But You know, because that's the way it was. You're never as good as your dad.

However, I went to public school. And it was back in the day when there was These were World War II guys, m the male male teachers were World War II guys and they were tough. And they didn't take any guff from anybody. And what you learned. was reading, writing, arithmetic, English History and some civics.

Wish I emphasized civics a little more, but. And that's it, Ernie. And that's all you need. And that is all you need. And Ernie, I hate to do this, but we've got to wrap up.

But I appreciate you calling. And again, it's getting back to the basics. That's what a classic education is all about. And that's what we need here in this country. All right, folks, been a lot of fun this week.

By the way, we've got all sorts of great material for you to check out at ToddSterns.com. You can also check out our podcast. If you missed a show, you could go back and listen to it as well. All right, I want to thank Dylan and Josh folks, Grace Baker in Chicago. It's been a fun day.

You get out there. Have a great Friday and be sure to go to church this weekend.