Morning Brief 2022-07-22

BOTTOM OF HOUR 1

GUEST: Eric Schmitt
TOPIC: Missouri Sheriff refuses to release gun owner info to the FBI, even at the risk of his career.

TOP OF HOUR 2
GUEST: Bill O'Reilly
TOPIC: Bill's top stories of the week!

BOTTOM OF HOUR 2
GUEST: Michael Malice
TOPIC: How self-defense continues to be criminalized.

TOP OF HOUR 3
GUEST: Steve Deace
TOPIC: WATCH OUT: The Left is going to turn monkeypox into the next pandemic. Plus, Steve gives a sneak peek at BlazeTV's explosive special on COVID-19 vaccines.

CB, RR, JB, SK, BM

Domestic News...

Is the Hunter Biden probe delay to protect Dems in the midterms?
DOJ memos warn of “election year sensitivities” in relation to indictments. Yet the probe has stretched out for years now; there’s been plenty of time to make announcements.

Hunter Biden investigation developments 'don't add up', former federal prosecutor says
"None of this adds up. None of it makes sense. Indictments should have been brought when you first started calling witnesses and close thereto, that's standard," former U.S. Attorney for Utah Brett Tolman said.

Officials Identify First Case Of Polio In United States In Years
The first case of polio in the United States in nearly a decade was identified in New York Thursday.

Townhall: 10-Year-Old Rape Victim's Mom Is in Domestic Relationship With Child's Alleged Rapist
As the heartbreaking rape case involving an impregnated 10-year-old child unfolds, Townhall has revealed additional details about the exploitative environment the little girl was—and might still be—subjected to.

Steve Deace: Underground training for 'abortion doulas' and DIY abortions in Iowa exposed
An organization calling itself the Iowa Jane Collective recently held "abortion doula" training and instructed participants on how to perform do-it-yourself abortions at home and support women seeking to terminate their pregnancies as states move to restrict the procedure.

Bodycam shows 4-year-old shooting at police while they were arresting his father at McDonald's
Police said the child told them, “I grabbed my dad’s gun and tried to shoot the police so he could be free and do what he wanted.”

Starbucks employees attacked in LA by the homeless
LA Starbucks barista reveals homeless people attacked staff with metal chairs in woke Democrat-led city where illicit drugs are being 'handed out like crack pipes' after firm said it'll shutter 16 stores in US due to violence

Massive brawl breaks out at Disney World between families on line
Two families got into an argument while waiting in line, sparking a fracas that landed at least one man in the hospital.

Politics...

Trump gave order to 'make sure' Jan. 6 rally was 'safe event,' Pentagon memo shows
Gen. Milley’s recollection undercuts months-long effort by Democrats to suggest Trump wanted to incite violence.

Voter confidence in elections has plummeted since Jan. 6: CNN poll
Republicans, the poll showed, saw a modest increase in electoral confidence

GOP Rep. Zeldin attacked at New York gubernatorial campaign event
“I’m OK,” Zeldin said in a statement. “Fortunately, I was able to grab his wrist and stop him for a few moments until others tackled him.” The attacker climbed onto a low stage where the congressman spoke. A video shows the two falling to the ground as other people try to intervene.

Marjorie Taylor Greene rips Dems for 'incredibly hostile work environment' at 'dangerous' Capitol
Greene has had three security incidents near her office that required Capitol Police investigation, plus numerous death threats.

Biden’s pathetic anti-crime package is an empty press release
This is barely a press release, with the headline “$37 billion” and “100,000 new police” numbers meant to sound bold to those not paying attention, even as more than half the cash would go for stuff the left keeps pushing instead of actually getting tough on crime.

Florida Democrats paint DeSantis as 'dictator' and 'a disaster' in primary debate
"He is a disaster of a governor, he's the worst governor in modern Florida history," Crist, who trails DeSantis in the polls by 8-points, said.

In South Texas, Democrats go back to their party's racist roots
Democrats are rapidly losing their hold on the Hispanic vote. A genuine realignment is afoot. It's not enough anymore for Democrats to hurl ethnic insults such as "Tio Taco" and "Coconut" at the candidates in order to intimidate their peers out of voting Republican.

PA Democrat John Fetterman To End Absence From Campaign Trail Two Months After Stroke
Fetterman gave his first media interview since May to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Wednesday — emphasizing that although he may “miss a word” or “slur two together” from time to time, he’s “feeling really good” and has “nothing to hide.”

Paul Pelosi's trading demonstrates the need to toughen up the STOCK Act
Just days before the Senate was to vote on a bill benefiting the chip manufacturing industry, financial disclosures show that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband, Paul Pelosi, purchased up to $5 million of stock in a top semiconductor company.

Mike Pence to run for President in 2024: adviser
An adviser to Pence told CNN on that Pence has "aspirations" to run for President, stoking further speculation about a 2024 Presidential Election bid.

Lawsuit: Illinois Gov’s Office Made Secret Payments To Former Campaign Aide
Payments were made after she was caught stealing from taxpayers, the lawsuit claims.

Economy...

BlackRock, The King Of ESG, Lost $1.7 Trillion Of Clients’ Money In Just 6 Months
The massive sum is the largest amount of money lost by an individual investment firm over that time period.

Nearly half of small businesses are in hiring freeze, citing inflation and costs
The small business network Alignable released its July Hiring report which found that "45% of small businesses are halting their hiring, largely because they say they can’t afford to add staff.

Trucker strike in the Port of Oakland threatens supply chain disruptions
“The cargo won’t flow / until AB5 goes!” rhymed the protesters.

Tesla sells 75% of its bitcoin amid crypto collapse
“The reason we sold a bunch of our bitcoin holdings was that we were uncertain as to when the COVID lockdowns in China would alleviate, so it was important for us to maximize our cash position,” Musk said in an earnings call on Wednesday.

Central Park’s iconic Boathouse to close due to rising costs
He further cited increased labor and insurance costs as the predominant economic hardship the business faced. Recently, these proved too much to overcome, despite the eatery’s consistent popularity.

Border...

DC feels sting of Biden border policy
The flow of illegals, encouraged by Biden and supported by most Democrats, has taxed the resources of border states. What Abbott and Ducey have done, by sending illegals to Washington, which is, after all, a sanctuary city, is spread the burden around.

WAR News... 

Ukraine and Russia to sign grain export agreement, Turkey says
Will sign an agreement Friday to restart grain exports that had been blocked in the Black Sea, according to a Turkish government official.

NPR: Corruption concerns involving Ukraine are revived as the war with Russia drags on
Zelenskyy's dismissal of senior officials is casting an inconvenient light on an issue that the Biden administration has largely ignored since the outbreak of war with Russia: Ukraine's history of rampant corruption and shaky governance.

Ukraine pushes for debt freeze to dodge hard default
Ukraine has asked its creditors for a two year payment freeze on its international bonds in a bid to focus its dwindling financial resources on repelling Russia.

COVID-19...

Biden Takes Maskless Photo In West Wing After Testing Positive For COVID
President Biden took a maskless photo in the White House just hours after officials announced he has symptomatic COVID and would be isolating.

"No One Wants Kamala": Twitter Gets Fooled By Parody Trump Statement
"Doctors described my fight against the China virus as Herculean, and not meaning the woke Disney Hercules but rather the Kevin Sorbo one. The Lou Ferrigno one as well. Joe, I wish you a speedy recovery, even though you are taking America in the wrong direction. No one wants Kamala!”

NIH accidentally unmasks official who hid Chinese-submitted coronavirus data in March 2020
Agency asks court to seal records related to FOIA lawsuit that name NIH "curator" who approved removal request and Chinese researcher who submitted it. Whistleblower support activist says names were publicly available to researchers, not "classified information."

Entertainment...

Russell Brand Rants Against The ‘Great Reset,’ Green Energy ‘Agenda’ to European farmers
“The objective isn’t to get the farmers to behave in an organic, responsible ecologically apposite manner, no, far from it. It’s in order to bankrupt the farmers so that their land can be grabbed,” he said.

Meghan insisted Harry compare her plight to Diana’s, book claims
“Knauf suggested that over-dramatizing Meghan’s distress would backfire, but Harry was adamant. If Meghan’s wish to be equated with Diana was not satisfied, insisted Harry, he would probably lose her. Knauf acquiesced.”

Pat Benatar won't play “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” on tour because of gun violence
There's enough demand for Pat Benatar to go on tour?

Media...

Van Jones on Biden's economy being worse for Black Americans
Remember when the economy under Trump saw record employment for Black Americans?

NY Times columnist admits he was 'wrong' about Trump's supporters, says Russian collusion story was a 'hoax'
Despite this revelation, columnist Bret Stephens argued that he would not be "morally" wrong to "lambaste Trump’s current supporters"

CNN Boss Begs Lawmakers To Do Media Hits On His Network
Chris Licht reportedly met Tuesday with under a dozen lawmakers on both sides of the aisle on Capitol Hill to enhance their relationships with the network.

Chris Cuomo Launches Podcast
Will it last longer than CNN+?

Europe...

Million-Dollar Wine Heist Ends With Mexican Beauty Queen Arrested in Europe
Priscila Lara Guevara, former Miss Earth 2016 for Mexico State, and her partner spent months on the run after stealing the bottles from an upscale restaurant hotel in Spain.

Middle East...

Biden’s Failures In The Middle East Are A Gift To American Adversaries
Putin teaches Biden an important lesson: America’s deterrence of adversaries around the world depends on its leadership in the Middle East.

US allies think Iran is playing Biden for time at risk of war
Iran is manipulating international nuclear talks to buy time for its weapons research, according to U.S. allies monitoring the need for a military strike against the regime.

Top Middle East Air Force official expects Iran to resume attacks on US
The top US Air Force general in the Middle East warned on Thursday that Iran-backed militias could resume attacks in the region against the United States and its allies as tensions rise - assaults that could lead to a new Mideast escalation.

As West ignores Iran protests, Iranian dissidents gather for major rally
As the U.S. and its Western allies remain largely silent about ongoing anti-government protests raging across Iran, the world's biggest Iranian resistance movement is set to hold its annual rally this weekend.

Environment...

A Biden Climate Emergency Would Unleash Unconstitutional Actions
The powers Biden is considering invoking are considerable, though none of them were intended by Congress to do what administration is preparing to do.

LGBTQIA2S+...

The Left’s Trans Agenda Is All About Erasing The Past To Control The Future
The left doesn’t just want you to deny biology in the present. They want you to ignore that it was ever valued as reality in the past.

Education...

LA schools implement 'Queer Theory into K-12 pedagogy': Christopher Rufo
"Los Angeles Unified has adopted a year-round program glamorizing transgender identity and promoting an uncritical, ‘trans-affirming’ culture in the classroom."

50 School Districts Granted $10,000 By LGBT-Group To Promote Ideology In Schools
An LGBT organization awarded 50 school districts nationwide a $10,000 grant to promote gender ideology and support “Gender Sexuality Alliance” clubs.

Student behavior among major reasons teachers are leaving their jobs: survey
Of those that said pay was a secondary reason though, 447 teachers said that student behavior was their primary reason for leaving, while 128 said their reason was progressive political activity.

Health...

Big Pharma May Have Made Billions Based On A Falsehood About Depression, New Research Shows
New research from the University College London is calling into question whether widespread prescription of antidepressants is truly an effective way of treating depression.

Technology...

YouTube to remove abortion ‘misinformation,’ add ‘context and information’ to related content
"We’re also launching an information panel that provides viewers with context and information from local and global health authorities under abortion-related videos and above relevant search results."

James Lindsay locked out of Twitter for saying 'ok, groomer'
Author and mathematician Dr. James Lindsay was locked out of Twitter on Thursday for responding to a Media Matters journalist's tweet with the words, "ok groomer."

Science...

Mysterious bundle of string on Mars' surface found by Perseverance rover
Officials at NASA said that they believe the object to be a string left over from Perseverance's landing.

Sports...

Woke NASCAR launching electric racing series in 2023
NASCAR hasn't hidden its intention to electrify stock car racing in the coming years, but it may happen sooner than expected.

Animals...

NY Fishing Restrictions May Have Played A Role In Recent Shark Attack Spike
“The reason why people are interacting with sharks more often this year and more than last year is because of conservation efforts over the years [that] has protected a food source known as the Atlantic Menhaden,” an expert told the NY Post.

July 22, 2008 - Glenn filled in for Larry King last night on CNN... The media will destroy its credibility pushing Obama... Glenn's new green programming... Americans could show up at the Capitol with pitchforks and torches at any moment...

July 22, 2013 - Trayvon Martin / George Zimmerman fallout... Glenn mocks Geraldo’s selfie in towel... Why don't progressives care about Chicago murders?...

Why do Americans feel so empty?

Mario Tama / Staff | Getty Images

Anxiety, anger, and chronic dissatisfaction signal a country searching for meaning. Without truth and purpose, politics becomes a dangerous substitute for identity.

We have built a world overflowing with noise, convenience, and endless choice, yet something essential has slipped out of reach. You can sense it in the restless mood of the country, the anxiety among young people who cannot explain why they feel empty, in the angry confusion that dominates our politics.

We have more wealth than any nation in history, but the heart of the culture feels strangely malnourished. Before we can debate debt or elections, we must confront the reality that we created a world of things, but not a world of purpose.

You cannot survive a crisis you refuse to name, and you cannot rebuild a world whose foundations you no longer understand.

What we are living through is not just economic or political dysfunction. It is the vacuum that appears when a civilization mistakes abundance for meaning.

Modern life is stuffed with everything except what the human soul actually needs. We built systems to make life faster, easier, and more efficient — and then wondered why those systems cannot teach our children who they are, why they matter, or what is worth living for.

We tell the next generation to chase success, influence, and wealth, turning childhood into branding. We ask kids what they want to do, not who they want to be. We build a world wired for dopamine rather than dignity, and then we wonder why so many people feel unmoored.

When everything is curated, optimized, and delivered at the push of a button, the question “what is my life for?” gets lost in the static.

The crisis beneath the headlines

It is not just the young who feel this crisis. Every part of our society is straining under the weight of meaninglessness.

Look at the debt cycle — the mathematical fate no civilization has ever escaped once it crosses a threshold that we seem to have already blown by. While ordinary families feel the pressure, our leaders respond with distraction, with denial, or by rewriting the very history that could have warned us.

You cannot survive a crisis you refuse to name, and you cannot rebuild a world whose foundations you no longer understand.

We have entered a cultural moment where the noise is so loud that it drowns out the simplest truths. We are living in a country that no longer knows how to hear itself think.

So people go searching. Some drift toward the false promise of socialism, some toward the empty thrill of rebellion. Some simply check out. When a culture forgets what gives life meaning, it becomes vulnerable to every ideology that offers a quick answer.

The quiet return of meaning

And yet, quietly, something else is happening. Beneath the frustration and cynicism, many Americans are recognizing that meaning does not come from what we own, but from what we honor. It does not rise from success, but from virtue. It does not emerge from noise, but from the small, sacred things that modern life has pushed to the margins — the home, the table, the duty you fulfill, the person you help when no one is watching.

The danger is assuming that this rediscovery happens on its own. It does not.

Reorientation requires intention. It requires rebuilding the habits and virtues that once held us together. It requires telling the truth about our history instead of rewriting it to fit today’s narratives. And it requires acknowledging what has been erased: that meaning is inseparable from God’s presence in a nation’s life.

Harold M. Lambert / Contributor | Getty Images

Where renewal begins

We have built a world without stillness, and then we wondered why no one can hear the questions that matter. Those questions remain, whether we acknowledge them or not. They do not disappear just because we drown them in entertainment or noise. They wait for us, and the longer we ignore them, the more disoriented we become.

Meaning is still available. It is found in rebuilding the smallest, most human spaces — the places that cannot be digitized, globalized, or automated. The home. The family. The community.

These are the daily virtues that do not trend on social media, but that hold a civilization upright. If we want to repair this country, we begin there, exactly where every durable civilization has always begun: one virtue at a time, one tradition at a time, one generation at a time.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

A break in trust: A NEW Watergate is brewing in plain sight

Gary Hershorn / Contributor | Getty Images

When institutions betray the public’s trust, the country splits, and the spiral is hard to stop.

Something drastic is happening in American life. Headlines that should leave us stunned barely register anymore. Stories that once would have united the country instead dissolve into silence or shrugs.

It is not apathy exactly. It is something deeper — a growing belief that the people in charge either cannot or will not fix what is broken.

When people feel ignored or betrayed, they will align with anyone who appears willing to fight on their behalf.

I call this response the Bubba effect. It describes what happens when institutions lose so much public trust that “Bubba,” the average American minding his own business, finally throws his hands up and says, “Fine. I will handle it myself.” Not because he wants to, but because the system that was supposed to protect him now feels indifferent, corrupt, or openly hostile.

The Bubba effect is not a political movement. It is a survival instinct.

What triggers the Bubba effect

We are watching the triggers unfold in real time. When members of Congress publicly encourage active duty troops to disregard orders from the commander in chief, that is not a political squabble. When a federal judge quietly rewrites the rules so one branch of government can secretly surveil another, that is not normal. That is how republics fall. Yet these stories glided across the news cycle without urgency, without consequence, without explanation.

When the American people see the leadership class shrug, they conclude — correctly — that no one is steering the ship.

This is how the Bubba effect spreads. It is not just individuals resisting authority. It is sheriffs refusing to enforce new policies, school boards ignoring state mandates, entire communities saying, “We do not believe you anymore.” It becomes institutional, cultural, national.

A country cracking from the inside

This effect can be seen in Dearborn, Michigan. In the rise of fringe voices like Nick Fuentes. In the Epstein scandal, where powerful people could not seem to locate a single accountable adult. These stories are different in content but identical in message: The system protects itself, not you.

When people feel ignored or betrayed, they will align with anyone who appears willing to fight on their behalf. That does not mean they suddenly agree with everything that person says. It means they feel abandoned by the institutions that were supposed to be trustworthy.

The Bubba effect is what fills that vacuum.

The dangers of a faithless system

A republic cannot survive without credibility. Congress cannot oversee intelligence agencies if it refuses to discipline its own members. The military cannot remain apolitical if its chain of command becomes optional. The judiciary cannot defend the Constitution while inventing loopholes that erase the separation of powers.

History shows that once a nation militarizes politics, normalizes constitutional shortcuts, or allows government agencies to operate without scrutiny, it does not return to equilibrium peacefully. Something will give.

The question is what — and when.

The responsibility now belongs to us

In a healthy country, this is where the media steps in. This is where universities, pastors, journalists, and cultural leaders pause the outrage machine and explain what is at stake. But today, too many see themselves not as guardians of the republic, but of ideology. Their first loyalty is to narrative, not truth.

The founders never trusted the press more than the public. They trusted citizens who understood their rights, lived their responsibilities, and demanded accountability. That is the antidote to the Bubba effect — not rage, but citizenship.

How to respond without breaking ourselves

Do not riot. Do not withdraw. Do not cheer on destruction just because you dislike the target. That is how nations lose themselves. Instead, demand transparency. Call your representatives. Insist on consequences. Refuse to normalize constitutional violations simply because “everyone does it.” If you expect nothing, you will get nothing.

Do not hand your voice to the loudest warrior simply because he is swinging a bat at the establishment. You do not beat corruption by joining a different version of it. You beat it by modeling the country you want to preserve: principled, accountable, rooted in truth.

Adam Gray / Stringer | Getty Images

Every republic reaches a moment when historians will later say, “That was the warning.” We are living in ours. But warnings are gifts if they are recognized. Institutions bend. People fail. The Constitution can recover — if enough Americans still know and cherish it.

It does not take a majority. Twenty percent of the country — awake, educated, and courageous — can reset the system. It has happened before. It can happen again.

Wake up. Stand up. Demand integrity — from leaders, from institutions, and from yourself. Because the Bubba effect will not end until Americans reclaim the duty that has always belonged to them: preserving the republic for the next generation.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Warning: Stop letting TikTok activists think for you

Spencer Platt / Staff | Getty Images

Bad-faith attacks on Israel and AIPAC warp every debate. Real answers emerge only when people set aside scripts and ask what serves America’s long-term interests.

The search for truth has always required something very much in short supply these days: honesty. Not performative questions, not scripted outrage, not whatever happens to be trending on TikTok, but real curiosity.

Some issues, often focused on foreign aid, AIPAC, or Israel, have become hotbeds of debate and disagreement. Before we jump into those debates, however, we must return to a simpler, more important issue: honest questioning. Without it, nothing in these debates matters.

Ask questions because you want the truth, not because you want a target.

The phrase “just asking questions” has re-entered the zeitgeist, and that’s fine. We should always question power. But too many of those questions feel preloaded with someone else’s answer. If the goal is truth, then the questions should come from a sincere desire to understand, not from a hunt for a villain.

Honest desire for truth is the only foundation that can support a real conversation about these issues.

Truth-seeking is real work

Right now, plenty of people are not seeking the truth at all. They are repeating something they heard from a politician on cable news or from a stranger on TikTok who has never opened a history book. That is not a search for answers. That is simply outsourcing your own thought.

If you want the truth, you need to work for it. You cannot treat the world like a Marvel movie where the good guy appears in a cape and the villain hisses on command. Real life does not give you a neat script with the moral wrapped up in two hours.

But that is how people are approaching politics now. They want the oppressed and the oppressor, the heroic underdog and the cartoon villain. They embrace this fantastical framing because it is easier than wrestling with reality.

This framing took root in the 1960s when the left rebuilt its worldview around colonizers and the colonized. Overnight, Zionism was recast as imperialism. Suddenly, every conflict had to fit the same script. Today’s young activists are just recycling the same narrative with updated graphics. Everything becomes a morality play. No nuance, no context, just the comforting clarity of heroes and villains.

Bad-faith questions

This same mindset is fueling the sudden obsession with Israel, and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee in particular. You hear it from members of Congress and activists alike: AIPAC pulls the strings, AIPAC controls the government, AIPAC should register as a foreign agent under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. The questions are dramatic, but are they being asked in good faith?

FARA is clear. The standard is whether an individual or group acts under the direction or control of a foreign government. AIPAC simply does not qualify.

Here is a detail conveniently left out of these arguments: Dozens of domestic organizations — Armenian, Cuban, Irish, Turkish — lobby Congress on behalf of other countries. None of them registers under FARA because — like AIPAC — they are independent, domestic organizations.

If someone has a sincere problem with the structure of foreign lobbying, fair enough. Let us have that conversation. But singling out AIPAC alone is not a search for truth. It is bias dressed up as bravery.

Anadolu / Contributor | Getty Images

If someone wants to question foreign aid to Israel, fine. Let’s have that debate. But let’s ask the right questions. The issue is not the size of the package but whether the aid advances our interests. What does the United States gain? Does the investment strengthen our position in the region? How does it compare to what we give other nations? And do we examine those countries with the same intensity?

The real target

These questions reflect good-faith scrutiny. But narrowing the entire argument to one country or one dollar amount misses the larger problem. If someone objects to the way America handles foreign aid, the target is not Israel. The target is the system itself — an entrenched bureaucracy, poor transparency, and decades-old commitments that have never been re-examined. Those problems run through programs around the world.

If you want answers, you need to broaden the lens. You have to be willing to put aside the movie script and confront reality. You have to hold yourself to a simple rule: Ask questions because you want the truth, not because you want a target.

That is the only way this country ever gets clarity on foreign aid, influence, alliances, and our place in the world. Questioning is not just allowed. It is essential. But only if it is honest.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

A nation unravels when its shared culture is the first thing to go

Spencer Platt / Staff | Getty Images

Texas now hosts Quran-first academies, Sharia-compliant housing schemes, and rapidly multiplying mosques — all part of a movement building a self-contained society apart from the country around it.

It is time to talk honestly about what is happening inside America’s rapidly growing Muslim communities. In city after city, large pockets of newcomers are choosing to build insulated enclaves rather than enter the broader American culture.

That trend is accelerating, and the longer we ignore it, the harder it becomes to address.

As Texas goes, so goes America. And as America goes, so goes the free world.

America has always welcomed people of every faith and people from every corner of the world, but the deal has never changed: You come here and you join the American family. You are free to honor your traditions, keep your faith, but you must embrace the Constitution as the supreme law of the land. You melt into the shared culture that allows all of us to live side by side.

Across the country, this bargain is being rejected by Islamist communities that insist on building a parallel society with its own rules, its own boundaries, and its own vision for how life should be lived.

Texas illustrates the trend. The state now has roughly 330 mosques. At least 48 of them were built in just the last 24 months. The Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex alone has around 200 Islamic centers. Houston has another hundred or so. Many of these communities have no interest in blending into American life.

This is not the same as past waves of immigration. Irish, Italian, Korean, Mexican, and every other group arrived with pride in their heritage. Still, they also raised American flags and wanted their children to be part of the country’s future. They became doctors, small-business owners, teachers, and soldiers. They wanted to be Americans.

What we are watching now is not the melting pot. It is isolation by design.

Parallel societies do not end well

More than 300 fundamentalist Islamic schools now operate full-time across the country. Many use Quran-first curricula that require students to spend hours memorizing religious texts before they ever reach math or science. In Dallas, Brighter Horizons Academy enrolls more than 1,700 students and draws federal support while operating on a social model that keeps children culturally isolated.

Then there is the Epic City project in Collin and Hunt counties — 402 acres originally designated only for Muslim buyers, with Sharia-compliant financing and a mega-mosque at the center. After public outcry and state investigations, the developers renamed it “The Meadows,” but a new sign does not erase the original intent. It is not a neighborhood. It is a parallel society.

Americans should not hesitate to say that parallel societies are dangerous. Europe tried this experiment, and the results could not be clearer. In Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, entire neighborhoods now operate under their own cultural rules, some openly hostile to Western norms. When citizens speak up, they are branded bigots for asserting a basic right: the ability to live safely in their own communities.

A crisis of confidence

While this separation widens, another crisis is unfolding at home. A recent Gallup survey shows that about 40% of American women ages 18 to 39 would leave the country permanently if given the chance. Nearly half of a rising generation — daughters, sisters, soon-to-be mothers — no longer believe this nation is worth building a future in.

And who shapes the worldview of young boys? Their mothers. If a mother no longer believes America is home, why would her child grow up ready to defend it?

As Texas goes, so goes America. And as America goes, so goes the free world. If we lose confidence in our own national identity at the same time that we allow separatist enclaves to spread unchecked, the outcome is predictable. Europe is already showing us what comes next: cultural fracture, political radicalization, and the slow death of national unity.

Brandon Bell / Staff | Getty Images

Stand up and tell the truth

America welcomes Muslims. America defends their right to worship freely. A Muslim who loves the Constitution, respects the rule of law, and wants to raise a family in peace is more than welcome in America.

But an Islamist movement that rejects assimilation, builds enclaves governed by its own religious framework, and treats American law as optional is not simply another participant in our melting pot. It is a direct challenge to it. If we refuse to call this problem out out of fear of being called names, we will bear the consequences.

Europe is already feeling those consequences — rising conflict and a political class too paralyzed to admit the obvious. When people feel their culture, safety, and freedoms slipping away, they will follow anyone who promises to defend them. History has shown that over and over again.

Stand up. Speak plainly. Be unafraid. You can practice any faith in this country, but the supremacy of the Constitution and the Judeo-Christian moral framework that shaped it is non-negotiable. It is what guarantees your freedom in the first place.

If you come here and honor that foundation, welcome. If you come here to undermine it, you do not belong here.

Wake up to what is unfolding before the consequences arrive. Because when a nation refuses to say what is true, the truth eventually forces its way in — and by then, it is always too late.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.