In The Marketplace: Why 'American Made' Matters (part 2 of 5)

October 09, 2013

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Editor’s Note: This article was written by Colin Balfe, director of The Marketplace by TheBlaze, and is part of a series of stories highlighting businesses in TheBlaze’s eCommerce channel.

In this five-part series on “American Made” small businesses, we learn about the people behind the shops in The Marketplace by TheBlaze. To read the first part of this series, click HERE.

The small business owners who create American-made products for The Marketplace are extraordinary people, crafting exceptional products while working tirelessly to earn your trust. Beyond their warmth is a passionate desire to fulfill their own version of the American dream. If you haven’t already explored The Marketplace, you might not realize what incredible shop owners have joined us as partners. In this second segment of our five-part “American Made” series, we’re introducing four more shops that demonstrate the impact that comes from producing in America.

BEARCREEK BILLIARDS

As the owner and master craftsman behind Bearcreek Billiards, Jason Saunders creates pool tables that are true works of art and deserve a place among the finest antiques and high-end furniture in any home.

When you ask Jason what he does, he casually says, “I build pool tables … build them out of pine, juniper, cedar, aspen and barn wood.” What makes his tables extra-special is that all of the timeless, beautiful wood Jason uses originates from the soil of Montana.

Jason’s innovative passion for creating ruggedly beautiful pool tables, plus his work ethic and care for customers is what helps him succeed. “I’ve designed and built close to 400 tables and never had a complaint or had someone not be happy with what I made for them,” Jason says.

Bearcreek Billiards embodies the American-made movement: Beautiful wood sourced from Montana, tables constructed by hand and a relentless drive to produce a gorgeous heirloom.

SWEET VINTAGE WRAPPING PAPER

Raised in a part of Omaha, Neb., that was originally settled by immigrants a century ago, Kim Brokke has the immigrant drive for the American dream running through her veins.

It’s this drive that nudged her to launch her own small business, Sweet Vintage Wrapping Paper, to provide unique and timeless wrapping paper from days past. As a full-time mom of five who plays the harp and sings the National Anthem at local events, Kim’s faith and love of country coalesce into her inspiration to continue her business.

As Kim puts it, “Our history needs to be told, embraced and celebrated, and I think my papers and cards do just that!” Since creating her first vintage gift wraps for a fundraiser at her parish school, Kim’s gift wraps and gift tags have all been locally made in Omaha.

CHRISTWREATH

As we approach the holiday season, The Marketplace is proud to be joined by ChristWreath, a growing business dedicated to empowering Christians to proudly display symbols that represent the true meaning of Christmas.

Since its beginnings, ChristWreath has been committed to upholding the freedom of religion as expressed in the First Amendment to the Constitution.

This fresh wreath is the perfect symbol to put Christ back in Christmas. Take a look at these beautiful, inspiring symbols to be reminded of the true meaning of Christmas and celebrate the freedoms we enjoy.

BUFFALO BILLFOLDS AND BELTS

Since 1991, Buffalo Billfolds and Belts has been making and selling some of the finest belts and wallets available, and all of them are made right here in the USA.

The quality of their products starts with the values lived by the company’s employees. Owner Ron Snider says, “We try to operate on biblical principles, be honest … do what we say we’re going to do and provide good service and a good product to our customers.”

On top of that, Ron is committed to countering the throw-away mentality by creating products that will last for years. Buffalo Billfolds and Belts are always made of 100 percent pure American cowhide, the kind you can’t get overseas. In addition to making some of the best American-made belts and wallets money can buy, they also sell tack, Western silver jewelry and custom trophy buckles.

At The Marketplace, we celebrate small business owners who overcome hardship, conquer adversity and sift through failure to come out triumphant, ready to wow the world. We hope you’ll consider The Marketplace to be like Main Street in your own hometown—a place where honesty and integrity are just as important as revenue and profit.

Step into The Marketplace and meet these amazing Americans. Learn their struggles, celebrate their triumphs and share in their dream of rebuilding America. Thank you for supporting these small businesses and helping to uphold our nation.

Keep learning why “American Made” matters as we continue this series, featuring our incredible partners at The Marketplace. If you haven’t already, please read our first segment on Why ‘American Made’ Matters (Part 1 of 5).

These 28 states have BANNED private funding in our elections—has yours?

If your state isn’t on this list, it begs the question... why?

The 2020 election exposed a wide range of questionable practices, much of which Glenn covered in a recent TV special. A particularly sinister practice is the use of private money to fund the election. This money came from a slew of partisan private sources, including Mark Zuckerberg, entailed a host of caveats and conditions and were targeted at big city election offices— predominantly democratic areas. The intention is clear: this private money was being used to target Democrat voters and to facilitate their election process over their Republican counterparts.

The use of private funds poses a major flaw in the integrity of our election, one which many states recognized and corrected after the 2020 election. This begs the question: why haven't all states banned private funding in elections? Why do they need private funding? Why don't they care about the strings attached?

Below is the list of all 28 states that have banned private funding in elections. If you don't see your state on this list, it's time to call your state's election board and demand reform.

Alabama

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Arizona

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Arkansas

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Florida

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Georgia

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Idaho

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Indiana

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Iowa

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Kansas

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Kentucky

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Louisiana

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Mississippi

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Missouri

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Montana

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Nebraska

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North Carolina

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North Dakota

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Ohio

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Oklahoma

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Pennsylvania

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South Carolina

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South Dakota

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Tennessee

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Texas

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Utah

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Virginia

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West Virginia

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Wisconsin

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POLL: Was Malaysia Flight 370 taken by a WORMHOLE?

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It's hard to know what's real and what's fake anymore.

With the insanity that seems to grow every day, it is becoming more and more difficult to tell what's true and what's not, what to believe, and what to reject. Anything seems possible.

That's why Glenn had Ashton Forbes on his show, to explore the fringe what most people would consider impossible. Forbes brought Glenn a fascinating but far-out theory that explains the decade-old disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 along with riveting footage that supposedly corroborates his story. Like something out of a sci-fi novel, Forbes made the startling claim that Flight 370 was TELEPORTED via a U.S. military-made wormhole! As crazy as that sounds, the video footage along with Forbes' scientific research made an interesting, if not compelling case.

But what do you think? Do you believe that the U.S. Government can create wormholes? Did they use one to abduct Flight 370? Is the government hiding futuristic tech from the rest of the world? Let us know in the poll below:

Does the military have the capability to create wormholes?

Is the U.S. military somehow responsible for what happened to Malaysia Flight 370?

Is the military in possession of technology beyond what we believe to be possible?

Do you think American military tech is ahead of the other superpowers?

Do you think there would be negative consequences if secret government technology was leaked?

5 videos that reveal the WOKE GARBAGE being taught to our kids

School today is not like it used to be...

Glenn recently covered how our medical schools have been taken over by gender-affirming, anti-racist, woke garbage, and unfortunately, it doesn't stop there. Education at all levels has been compromised by progressive ideology. From high-level university academics to grade school, American children are constantly being bombarded by the latest backward propaganda from the left. Luckily, in the age of Zoom classes and smartphones, it's harder for teachers to get away their agenda in secret. Here are five videos that show just how corrupt schools really are:

Woke teacher vandalizes pro-life display

Professor Shellyne Rodriguez, an art professor at Hunter College in New York, was caught on camera having a violent argument with a group of pro-life students who were tabling on campus. Rodriguez was later fired from her position after threatening a reporter from the New York Post, who was looking into this incident, with a machete.

Woke professor argues with student after he called police heroes

An unnamed professor from Cypress College was captured having a heated discussion with a student over Zoom. The professor verbally attacked the student, who had given a presentation on "cancel culture" and his support of law enforcement. The university later confirmed that the professor was put on leave after the incident.

Professor goes on Anti-Trump rant

Professor Olga Perez Stable Cox was filmed by a student going on an anti-Trump rant during her human-sexuality class at Orange Coast College. This rant included Professor Cox describing Trump's election as "an act of terrorism”. The student who filmed this outburst was suspended for an entire semester along with several other punishments, including a three-page apology essay to Professor Cox explaining his actions. Orange Coast College continues to defend Professor Cox, citing the student code of conduct.

Unhinged teacher caught on video going on left-wing political rant

Lehi High School teacher Leah Kinyon was filmed amid a wild, left-wing rant during a chemistry class. Kinyon made several politically charged remarks, which included encouraging students to get vaccinated and calling President Trump a "literal moron." Despite her claims that the school admins "don't give a crap" about her delusional ramblings, a statement from Lehi High School reveals that she "is no longer an employee of Alpine School District."

Far-left Berkeley law professor melts down when a Senator asks her if men can get pregnant

During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Berkeley Law Professor Khiara M. Bridges was asked by Missouri Senator Josh Hawley to clarify earlier statements involving "people with a capacity for pregnancy." The senator's line of questioning is met with a long-winded, frantic rant accusing the senator of being transphobic. When Sen. Hawley tries to clarify further, Professor Bridges makes the outrageous claim that such a line of questioning somehow leads to trans suicides.

Woke ideology trumps medicine in America's top 5 medical schools

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Progressive ideology has infected our most prestigious medical schools and is seeping into our medical system.

As Glenn covered in his latest TV special, "diversity, equity and inclusion" (DEI), and leftist rhetoric have overtaken science and medicine as the focus of medical schools across the nation. The next generation of doctors and nurses is being force-fed DEI and "anti-racist" nonsense at the expense of slipping standards. This has led to a decline in people's trust in the medical industry and for good reason. Woke ideology has already been the driving force behind at least one medical malpractice case, and more are undoubtedly on the way.

All of this is being spearheaded by universities, which have integrated DEI practices into the fabric of their programs. Our top medical schools now require students and staff to participate in mandatory DEI and "anti-racist" classes and training and are adjusting the standards to reflect this new shift in focus. Here are 5 statements from the top American medical schools that show that medicine is no longer their primary focus:

Harvard Medical School

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Taken from the Harvard University "Unconscious bias" resource page:

“As members of HMS, we each have a responsibility to create an inclusive community that values all individuals. Barriers to inclusion may include assumptions we make about others that guide our interactions. Recognizing our Unconscious Bias is a critical step in developing a culture of equity and inclusion within HMS and in our partnerships with other communities.”

The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

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Pulled from the JHM Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Health Equity blog:

“One-hour live, virtual unconscious bias training ... [w]ill be required at all Johns Hopkins Health System (JHHS) entities for managers and above; hospital nurse leaders; credentialed providers (such as physician assistants and nurse practitioners); and for school of medicine faculty and trainees (including residents, fellows, medical and graduate students, and research postdocs), as well as those at a manager level or above.”

Stanford University School of Medicine

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Found on the Stanford Medicine Commission on Justice and Equity page:

“The Commission on Justice and Equity—composed of external and internal leaders, experts, and advocates—represents an institution-wide, collaborative effort to dismantle systemic racism and discrimination within our own community and beyond.”

Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

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Taken from the Penn Medicine Commitment to Inclusion, Equity, and Antiracism site:

“We openly acknowledge the role of structural forces of oppression as primary drivers of the disparate health outcomes. We believe that working to reverse the underrepresentation of historically excluded groups is critical in achieving equitable health outcomes. While this is an ongoing journey for our program, here are some of the tangible steps we have taken to achieve an inclusive culture”

Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons

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Pulled from the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons Diversity, Equity, Inclusivity, Justice, and Anti-Racism page:

"Courses are being revised to be more inclusive and informed by the key principle of race as a social construct and a social determinant of health. We are training faculty that Anti-Racism is not an add-on to a course. Anti-Racism is a pedagogy - a manner of teaching, designing courses, and measuring learning outcomes. We make sure that the classroom environment is inclusive by holding space for respectful conversation and ensuring that we address any “classroom ruptures”– a disorienting dilemma or situation when a bias or microaggression that may occur, providing real time opportunities for professional development, learning, and growth. Racist actions and remarks are never tolerated at Columbia University and will be dealt with following established protocols."