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Obama's Social Media Mishap

No, the president did not accidently tweet an embarrassing photo. Regrettably, this is far more serious.

Over the weekend, the New York Times reported that Tashfeen Malik "talked openly on social media about her views on violent jihad."

"She said she supported it," the Times wrote. "And she said she wanted to be part of it."

Yet as Malik sought entry into the United States, she ultimately passed three background checks. Not once did those posts raise any red flags. . . because the Department of Homeland Security never checked her social media profile.

Moreover, the Times tells us that "there is a debate inside the Department of Homeland Security over whether it is even appropriate to do so."

Are you kidding me?

I fully appreciate the need to balance security concerns and privacy rights when it comes to American citizens. But in this case, we're talking about foreign individuals wanting to come into the country. Of course, we should be reviewing their social media posts.

At one point, we were doing that. Remember the PRISM program? But, according to ABC News, the Obama Administration stopped the program fearing "bad public relations."

Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson refused in early 2014 to reinstate the program that would have allowed "immigration officials [to review] the social media messages of all foreign citizens applying for U.S. visas." Malik was admitted in May 2014.

John Cohen, a former top DHS official for intelligence and analysis, told ABC News that "immigration officials were not allowed to use or review social media as part of the screening process," despite repeated requests. Two other DHS officials have confirmed Cohen's remarks.

This is just another example of the Obama Administration's left-wing ideology putting the country at risk.

Meanwhile, a report from Finland demonstrates why we should be extra cautious when it comes admitting refugees. Finnish authorities arrested two Iraqi refugees last week and charged them with 11 counts of murder.

It turns out that the Iraqis participated in a 2014 ISIS execution video. Yet a year later these executioners managed to find their way to Finland as "refugees."

More Barbarism

There are unconfirmed reports that the governing Sharia council of the Islamic State has issued a fatwa permitting the killing of children with disabilities. Dozens of babies, some up to 3 months-old with varying disabilities including Down syndrome, have reportedly been killed either by lethal injection or suffocation.

Our friends at Breitbart noted the historical parallels to Nazi-era euthanasia laws that allowed so-called "mercy killings" of children with disabilities.

Of course, I can't help but be reminded of the debate that has taken place among many so-called "progressives." For some advocates of abortion, it is not enough to destroy the life of an innocent unborn child in womb. Advocates of "after-birth abortions" argue that a 3 month-old baby is not aware of her own humanity.

Sadly, I am not making this up.

Cruz & Clinton In Control

Two polls released this weekend found Texas Senator Ted Cruz surging to the top in the Iowa Republican caucus. According to a Fox News survey, Cruz leads Donald Trump 28% to 26%. Sen. Rubio is third with 13%, followed by Dr. Ben Carson at 10%. No other candidate received double-digit support.

The Des Moines Register poll, considered by many to be the gold standard of Iowa polling, found Senator Cruz opening up a 10-point lead over Trump -- Cruz 31%, Trump 21%, Carson 13%, Rubio 10%. No other candidate received double-digit support.

Among Iowa Democrats, the Des Moines Register poll found former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton leading Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders 48% to 39%, while four percent of Iowa Democrats back former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley.

The Culture Wars Continue

The war on America's Judeo-Christian culture continues unabated. The principal at a Brooklyn, New York, public school recently issued an edict banning Thanksgiving and Christmas. And, for good measure, the Pledge of Allegiance got the ax too.

Teachers and staff at the school, which is overwhelmingly Asian and Hispanic, were urged to be "sensitive of the diversity of our families. Not all children celebrate the same holidays."

But these are American holidays! Who celebrates "harvest festivals" or "winter celebrations"? What about the children who do celebrate them? And why on earth was the Pledge of Allegiance dropped?

Of course, I know why the Pledge was banned! These things are happening because the left is trying to "fundamentally transform" America into something that bears little resemblance to the nation our Founding Fathers risked their lives, fortunes and sacred honor to create. It is why a majority of Americans, according to a recent Reuters poll, feel they are strangers in their own country.

Left-wing students, with zero appreciation for the freedom they have, are behaving like members of the Soviet Politburo -- demanding universities erase from history all those who fail to meet the left's standards. Obama made his own contribution to this attack on our culture when he repeatedly refused to utter the word "Creator" when he quoted the second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence.

This is not an insignificant issue, my friends. Our nation's traditions and Judeo-Christian heritage are worth fighting for, whether the fight is against petty bureaucrats or Islamist tyrants.

WIRED

As many of you know, my younger daughter, Sarah, writes curriculum for middle and high school youth pastors. Sarah and her husband, Rodney, a pastor with the North Point family of churches in Georgia, have recently co-authored a devotional book entitled WIRED.

The devotional is aimed at helping middle and high school students better appreciate and understand their relationship with God and those around them. This devotional is a great tool to help our youth withstand the increasingly secular culture.

If you have a young person in your life who is navigating questions of faith, please check out WIRED. It is a great Christmas gift!