We look around the world today and see that it is on fire in every corner of the world. From Yemen to Afghanistan to Syria to Iraq to the streets of Baltimore, Maryland. Christians and Yzidis are being beheaded, crucified, and burned alive. If by some whim of fate they live, they are sold into sexual slavery and forced to convert to Islam. There are times when we look around and wonder how we can keep up the engagement in fighting for America, even for the world to be a safe, stronger place.

Hillary Clinton is demanding that those of us with “deep seated religious beliefs” change to suit her narrative. Barack Obama is telling the cops in Baltimore to exercise caution when dealing with the thug element burning the city to the ground. Democrats urge minorities to vote Democrat or they are betraying their race. Liberals scream and shout over just about everything. As long as you agree with them everything is okay, but disagree and they don’t think you should be allowed to live. White guilt drives them, although there is nothing to be guilty about. Black Americans scream about reparations, although slavery hasn’t existed in America since 1865, at least sanctioned slavery. Sexual slavery claims millions every year but you won’t hear a squeak about that.

It would be easy to grow discouraged over everything going on. If you watch the news at all, it’s easy to slip into a depression over the whole damn mess. But may I recommend a few things that will “fill the well within” as it were. Seriously, if you don’t find some balance in your life you’ll end up in the ER with heart pain wondering if you’re on the way out.

It’s important to spend your evenings, even your early mornings, doing things you love.

Gardening: There is nothing like getting your hands in the dirt early in the morning. Planting, nurturing those plants, weeding and harvesting can feed your soul in ways no other can. There’s something about reconnecting with the earth and enjoying her bounty that can really lift your spirits and bring balance back into your life.

Reading: Read anything that has nothing to do with politics and the news. Anything that engages your brain and entertains you at the same time. I’m fond of James Rollins, Steve Berry, Nora Roberts, Jayne Ann Krentz, Simon Toyne, and anyone else that catches your attention. Reading really does allow you to escape from the world for a few hours and rejuvenate yourself.

Movies: Really, there is just nothing like going into a theater to watch a good movie with movie popcorn and a good lemonade or soda. For two hours you check out of the world and into another. For me, I can’t wait for the Avengers movie to be released. It’s a short amount of time with a maximum benefit.

Church: There is nothing that feels the soul better than some time spent at church on Sunday, or Saturday as the case may be. God always intended us to take that seventh day as a day of rest. We rejuvenate the soul then spend the day with family. You’ll be surprise at how much it brings your life back into balance.

Learn: Learning a new skill can really help engage your brain and bring that much needed balance back. For me, I decided to learn how to work sound equipment. I have an X32 Mixer, speakers, mics, etc. and am busy learning how to work the equipment. But each person needs to find something they want to learn and spend time mastering that skill.

It’s all about not letting the news and politics consume every moment of your life. It can, if you let it. But this path leads only to madness. Yes, be engaged. Yes, communicate with your elected officials. Yes, pay attention. But remember to step away from the madness each day and “fill the well within” so that you can be of use to your God, your family and your nation.

Candace E. Salima is an author, columnist, public speaker and political activist. A frequent radio guest on shows around the nation, she is valued for her viewpoint on a variety of subjects, particularly politics. She is co-owner and Vice-President of Marketing of CommuniTXT. Follow Candace on Facebook, Twitter orGoogle+. Learn more about her on www.candacesalima.com.

On Tuesday I had the opportunity to sit and listen to two men talk about Operation Underground Railroad. Timothy Ballard, the founder of Operation Underground Railroad, left his job at Homeland Security and formed a 501c3 foundation dedicated to liberating children from sexual slavery. They have carried out multiple undercover sting operations that have freed hundreds of children and imprisoned human traffickers in countries all across the world.

Here is video of one such undercover operation. This is the takedown and in no way indicates the immense amount of labor that goes into the golden moment where they arrest these monsters living among us.

Timothy Ballard found leaving children in these unconscionable situations because they weren’t Americans simply too much to bear. He eventually left Homeland Security and collected a series of individuals together who could aid him in rescuing the lost children around the world. Nearly 2,000,000 are in sexual slavery at this very moment; and that is a sobering and heartbreaking figure.

“We go about our lives thinking we have eradicated slavery, but it’s bigger than ever,” he says. “There are more slaves today than all the slaves in 300 years of the transatlantic slave trade.” In fact, human rights organizations agree there are at least 21 million victims of human trafficking in the world today, including 2 million children. Rescuing these children has become Ballard’s mission in life—a mission he believes is inspired of the Lord. (Source)

Ballard and his team of former CIA agents, Navy Seals, businessmen and attorney generals have become a beacon of light and hope for the children being abused by monsters across the world. It is a dark and dangerous world and the Operation Underground Railroad people put their their lives on the line each time they carry out an undercover sting.

Tuesday we heard first hand account of a sting that went down in Colombia. The child sex slavery ring was being run by a former Miss Cartagena who told poor parents that their children were just too beautiful and could make an entire year’s salary in a matter of weeks with her modeling agency. The parents, wanting their children to have a better life, allowed them to go with this monster. Within 24-hours they were drugged, raped and being regularly sold as sex slaves. An O.U.R. team was in Columbia, working with the Colombian government and federal law enforcement, to carry out an undercover sting that would take place simultaneously in three different Colombian cities. There were a few hitches, but at the end of the day over fifty children were free and eight human traffickers were under arrest. I don’t know the number freed and arrested in the other cities, but sufficeth to say, O.U.R. struck a huge blow to the child sex slave industry in Colombia. The Colombian federal law enforcement officers continued to carry out raids and stings, continuing to free children and arrest more and more people.

Those who support Operation Underground Railroad are known as modern-day Abolitionists, as are Ballard and his team. This foundation is perhaps the one most worthy of supporting because it is dedicated to finding and rescuing the lost children of the world, all 2 million of them. The heinous nature of pedophiles makes them among the most evil of the dregs of society. I invite you to learn more about Operation Underground Railroad and become an Abolitionist yourself. It is a most worthy cause.

Candace E. Salima is an author, columnist, public speaker and political activist. A frequent radio guest on shows around the nation, she is valued for her viewpoint on a variety of subjects, particularly politics. She is co-owner and Vice-President of Marketing of CommuniTXT. Follow Candace on Facebook, Twitter or Google+. Learn more about her on www.candacesalima.com.

The magic, the emotion, the beauty is breathtaking.
The best Cinderella movie ever made.

Movie: Cinderella (2015)
Director: Kenneth Brannagh
Starring: Lily James, Cate Blanchett, Helena Bonham Carter, and Richard Madden
Rating/Runtime: PG / 112 Minutes

It was girls night out and what better movie to see than an early showing of Kenneth Brannagh’s Cinderella. I didn’t do any research going into the movie, but expected it to be rather lackluster. For goodness sake, it’s a story that has been told over and over and over. How pleased I am to say I was wrong. Lily James plays an amazing kind, gentle and courageous Cinderella. One who soldiers on throughout all the abuse handed out by her wicked stepmother and equally awful step-sisters.

We see more of Ella’s early life, before she lost both parents, and we better understand why she became the woman she did. Cate Blanchett plays the wicked stepmother and she is deliciously awful, but with more dimension than has been shown in previous films. Richard Madden’s Prince Charming also has more depth than we have seen in previous films. It rounded out to the classic Cinderella story and made deeper, richer and more intriguing.

Helena Bonham Carter’s Fairy Godmother was wonderful. Funny, slightly unsure of herself, but still delivers everything with a bang, and then some. The Fairy Godmother scene made me laugh out loud, and my nieces to literally gasp in delight when Cinderella was dressed in her ballgown.

Once I realized that Kenneth Brannagh had directed the film, it became obvious why the film was so well done. This movie will not disappoint and without question earns the the 5 out of 5 Stars I am giving it. It is a movie that every little girl will love and it teaches some valuable lessons as well. Live life with courage and kindness. That is the overriding message of the film, and it is a good one to remember. Cinderella opens today.

We loved it so much that we are going back to see it again on Monday. It’s just that good. And don’t forget, there is a Frozen short at the beginning that is equally delightful.

Candace E. Salima is an author, columnist, public speaker and political activist. A frequent radio guest on shows around the nation, she is valued for her viewpoint on a variety of subjects, particularly politics. She is co-owner and Vice-President of Marketing of CommuniTXT. Follow Candace on Facebook, Twitter or Google+. Learn more about her on www.candacesalima.com.

With great power comes great responsibility. This is an old adage that remains as true as it ever was. On March 2nd, Benjamin Netanyahu spoke before a joint session of the U.S. Congress. He addressed the great problems we face in the Middle East. The growing threat of ISIS and and the increasingly great probability of a nuclear armed Iran should be areas of great concern to Barack Obama, the White House and the Obama Administration. But they’ve made it clear this is not a priority with them. What is a priority is striking a deal with Iran before Obama leaves office at the end of his last, thank God, and final term.

Let’s put aside Barack Obama for a moment and look at the characteristics of a great leader. Great leaders come in all shapes and sizes. Some are good looking, some are average, and some look like a refugee from Middle Earth. But what they all have in common is a strength of character unparalleled in society.

Sense of Self: Great leaders have a strong sense of identity. In other words, they know who they are, what they stand for, and what they are going to do about it. They understand that it requires knowing who they are inside and what they are capable of in order to instill confidence in others. Ronald Reagan was a great example of this. He was tough, a great communicator and loved America deeply. He came into power at the conclusion of the Iranian Hostage Crisis.

On November 4th of 1979 radical Islamists stormed the U.S. Embassy in Iran and took everyone hostage. They remained in captivity until January 20th of 1981. Why did they release the hostages? Because they knew full well that Ronald Reagan would rain the full force and might of the American military down on them and he wouldn’t stop until every last American was home. So the day that Ronald Reagan was sworn in as president was the day they released the hostages. The Islamists knew Reagan’s strong sense of identity and were not willing to go up against him.

Integrity and Honor: A great leader has an inviolate sense of integrity and honor. Abraham Lincoln had this in spades. He attributed all that he became to his dear, sweet mother. But deep inside the 16th President of the United States was an innate sense of right and wrong that never wavered. Faced with the tearing in two of our nation over the issue of slavery, he fought the Civil War to keep our nation together and to abolish slavery in America. He knew he was drawing a hard line, but America had to stand in order for freedom and liberty to flourish. Had we divided, we would have fallen. Lincoln’s sense of right or wrong, as well as the high standard of excellence he held himself to proved his integrity and honor was indeed, inviolate. A great leader understands that he must be honorable in his dealings with his fellow man.

Spirituality: It is critical that a great leader recognize that he or she answers to a higher power. All that we accomplish on earth is because of a benevolent God who has allowed, even inspired, it to happen. George Washington, the father of our country, was the first to recognize the Omnipotent hand that guided our Founding Fathers and the Americans during the Revolutionary War. The concluding paragraph of his first inaugural address was as follows:

Having thus imported to you my sentiments, as they have been awakened by the occasion which brings us together, I shall take my present leave; but not without resorting once more to the benign parent of the human race, in humble supplication that since he has been pleased to favour the American people, with opportunities for deliberating in perfect tranquility, and dispositions for deciding with unparellelled unanimity on a form of Government, for the security of their Union, and the advancement of their happiness; so his divine blessing may be equally conspicuous in the enlarged views, the temperate consultations, and the wise measures on which the success of this Government must depend. (Source)

Maturity: A great leader realizes that maturity is the key to making correct decisions in all things. This is something sorely lacking in the current White House. Today, because they didn’t like Benjamin Netanyahou’s speech, the White House staffers took to Twitter to ridicule Netanyahou, as if they’d never graduated junior high and stopped maturing at that point. Let’s face facts, had Barack Obama not thrown a temper tantrum the attention would have been scant about the Israeli Prime Minister speech. Only political junkies, like myself, would have tuned in. Instead, because Obama and the Democrats had a colossal fit to rival a teenage girl, the light was bright and shone directly on Netanyahou. His speech was spot on in addressing the issues facing America and Israel with Iran and ISIS. It was a relief to see a great leader, we haven’t seen one in so long. Israel’s Prime Minister shows great maturity as he has not only had to fight for Israel’s very survival, he has grown to maturity and has a good grasp of what will help his nation grow instead of suffering from the crab syndrome as Barack Obama does.

In essence, a great leader is something America is sorely lacking in political circles. We are coming up on the next presidential cycle. We have endured seven years of a leaderless nation. It is time that we, as a nation, choose our next leader because of his stellar qualifications as opposed to the color of his skin. Skin color matters not, it is the content of his character and his priorities that must be judged. America needs a great leader, we’ve had enough of the other.

Candace E. Salima is an author, columnist, public speaker and political activist. A frequent radio guest on shows around the nation, she is valued for her viewpoint on a variety of subjects, particularly politics. She is co-owner and Vice-President of Marketing of CommuniTXT. Follow Candace on Facebook, Twitter or Google+. Learn more about her on www.candacesalima.com.

Movie: Kingsman: The Secret Service
Director: Matthew Vaughn
Starring: Colin Firth, Taron Egerton, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Caine
Rating/Runtime: R / 129 Min.

While all the desperate women went to see the awful Fifty Shades of Grey, my sister and I went to see Kingsman: The Secret Service, because Colin Firth is in it, and my sister and I go see anything Colin Firth is in.

In a nutshell, the Kingsmen have been around for over a century. Their codenames are those of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Colin Firth is Galahad, and he makes a very fine Galahad. He recruits a street kid, Eggsy, who turns out to be the son of a man who had saved his life many years earlier. Eggsy excels at the training, but in the meantime, a megalomaniac billionaire has decided that the best way to deal with global warming is to kill off as much of the world’s population as possible. Yeah, global warming . . . maniac. That plays for me.

First, the language is a little rough. Hollywood seems to be completely incapable of making a spy movie without liberally sprinkling the “f” word around. It’s a crutch, and it’s ridiculous that they can’t figure out how to make a good spy movie without falling back on all the old crutches. But that aside, it really is a fun movie. Excellent fight scenes, and I do mean really excellent fight scenes. The humor is there, the writing is excellent despite all the crutches Hollywood threw in. Profanity, brief nudity and crudity, a lot of violence, but the actual fight scenes had an elegance that was awesome. And come on, it’s Colin Firth!

I laughed, I clapped, I cheered. And then we came to a scene that cost the movie an entire star just for that alone. You’ll have to watch it to see what I mean, but you can’t do that and not lose a star from me. I give Kingsman: The Secret Service 3 out of 5 stars. It really deserved four, but that one scene cost it.

Candace E. Salima is an author, columnist, public speaker and political activist. A frequent radio guest on shows around the nation, she is valued for her viewpoint on a variety of subjects, particularly politics. She is co-owner and Vice-President of Marketing of CommuniTXT. Follow Candace on Facebook, Twitter or Google+. Learn more about her on www.candacesalima.com.

I had a long conversation with my sister today. She regaled me with the insanity pervasive with radical feminists, and it was so revolting I nearly couldn’t eat the lunch we were enjoying together. They seemed to be obsessed with all things vagina . . . and I will say nothing more on the matter. It used to be that feminism was about equal pay for equal work. It was about women being treated well instead of as chattels or second-class citizens. It was about the right to vote and women understanding that they need to be all that God intended them to be. It WAS NOT about being revolting, gross and treating men as second-class citizens. Women should not be elevated above men and men should not be elevated above women. God always intended us to work as equal partners and value each other as such. As to feminists, all I can say to you is to learn a little phrase that goes something like: “Moderation in all things.”

Radical liberals are just as bad as radical libertarians. Radical anything is bad. Liberals want total government control and no freedom for anyone to choose anything. Radical libertarians want no laws at all, total anarchy. Neither option is wise, and in actuality are bone stupid. Communism is another word for total government control and there isn’t a single nation who has implemented communism whose people haven’t suffered horribly. On the other hand, total anarchy is something only nitwits want. The fact the certain factions in America are calling for it proves they have no idea what a total lack of laws would produce. Again, “moderation in all things” would come in handy with both of these. The U.S. Constitution and it’s republic form of government provides that moderation.

Fifty Shades of Grey is a trilogy about an extremely dangerous man who indulges in stalking, controlling, and dominating. Christian Grey is no ideal, but a monster who uses his money and abusive nature to corrupt innocence and destroy a young girl’s life. He should be no woman’s fantasy man because these books take an horribly abusive relationship and somehow made it palatable to the mainstream. It is horrifying that we are training an entire generation to believe this abusive behavior is the norm and it is a travesty. Read this entire blog post and realize that you’ve been led down a dark and thorny path to an extremely corrupt and dangerous relationship being normalized, and have allowed yourselves to be horribly deceived if you believe the likes of Christian Grey is anyone’s dream man. Even the actors playing the lead roles were horrified and believe the movie to be terrible. There’s no moderation in this, just turn around and run. Violence is never the answer in a relationship.

Moderation in all things is about not going to one extreme side or the other. It’s about being wise and exerting common sense. It’s about realizing what is really good for you as opposed to what is popular. It’s about understanding that life is meant for you to triumph over, not get trampled under foot by. Find balance in life and seriously, if vagina yogurt starts sounding like a good idea you’ve gone off the deep end and there is no pulling you back. I beg of you, exert common sense and stay away from the dark side of insanity.

Candace E. Salima is an author, columnist, public speaker and political activist. A frequent radio guest on shows around the nation, she is valued for her viewpoint on a variety of subjects, particularly politics. She is co-owner and Vice-President of Marketing of CommuniTXT. Follow Candace on Facebook, Twitter or Google+. Learn more about her on www.candacesalima.com.

Movie: Seventh  Son
Director: Sergei  Bodrov
Starring: Jeff Bridges, Julianne Moore, and Ben  Barnes

If you’ve read the books, forget them. The movie has very little to do with the books. Oh, Thomas Ward and Spook are there, as well as Alice and Mother Malkin, but the rest was created out of thin air. I decided to just toss away what I knew about the books and enjoy the movie, which is what you’ll have to do as well. If you’re a purist about the Joseph Delaney novels, you’re going to have some trouble with the movie. That being said, it was really  good.

Loosely based on Books 1 and 2 of the Seventh Son, it now goes something like this. Thomas Ward is the seventh son of a seventh son and a witch, and he becomes the apprentice of the man who deals with those things that go bump in the night . . . and then some. His name is Spook, also known as Gregory. Mother Malkin is a really, really bad witch who happens to be Queen of the Witches. She’s been in a pit topped with iron slats for ten years, and was put there by Spook. She escapes and intends to bring all the hoards of hell against the earth so that she can . . . rule the earth. Really, isn’t that what every megalomaniac bad guy wants to  do?

Jeff Bridges, who apparently just talks weird now (three movies now), is the Spook. He takes Thomas on as an apprentice and begins teaching him the craft of conquering evil spirits, witches, boggarts, etc. The battle between good and evil ensues and that’s where the story  unfolds.

The story is strong, and the special effects are spot on. I’d say the writing, while good, completely missed the mark by not sticking with the stories written by Delaney. However, the direction is good and Bodrov pulled good performances out of the actors. All in all, I think it’s a movie you’ll enjoy. I give it 4 out of 5 stars. They can’t earn five stars because the filmmakers didn’t even try to work with the  books.

Candace E. Salima is an author, columnist, public speaker and political activist. A frequent radio guest on shows around the nation, she is valued for her viewpoint on a variety of subjects, particularly politics. She is co-owner and Vice-President of Marketing of CommuniTXT. Follow Candace on Facebook, Twitter or Google+. Learn more about her on www.candacesalima.com.

On February 5th, Barack Obama decided to invoke the Crusades in an attempt to defend ISIS, or Islam, or both . . . I wasn’t quite sure which. What I am sure of is that he did not emphatically condemn the beheadings, rapes, human trafficking, crucifixions and burning alive of the ISIS captives. He always begins to, then gets lost in the defense of Islam and the determination to show Christianity in as bad a light as possible.

At one time, prior to the 2008 election, Barack Obama said the Beatitudes were so radical that not even the American military could enforce them . . . completely missing the point that Jesus Christ never ordered anyone to coerce another into believing, let alone forcing conversion at the point of a sword. But let’s focus on the National Prayer Breakfast and Barack Obama’s remarks. In case you missed it, here is his speech in it’s entirety:

You’ll notice that Barack Obama had to go back a thousand years to bring up the Crusades (1091 A.D. to 1291 A.D.) and 800 years for the Inquisition (12th Century to the 14th Century). But let’s talk about the Crusades. What Barack Obama neglected to mention was that the Crusades were payback for the Muslim incursion, and the gross brutality, into Europe and their attempt to establish a caliphate from the Middle East to France. They were turned back in Belgium and driven all the way back to the Middle East. Coincidentally, the battle turned the tide on September 11th. The Crusades ensued not long after and the British and French took the fight to them. It was a miserable time in the world’s history, and the barbarity from both sides was completely overboard. However, the Muslim armies started it and the Crusades finishes it. And the Inquisition? I got nothing, it was horrible. I won’t defend it.

But let’s get back to Barack Obama. He has shown incredible weakness when dealing with ISIS. A video cropped up of a Jordanian pilot being burned alive. Barack Obama pretends that he doesn’t know the “ideology” behind ISIS or ISOL, both begin with the words Islamic State, so Obama is either really stupid or behaving deliberately ignorant. King Abdullah of Jordan bombed Raka, the ISIS stronghold in Syria, the morning following the release of the video of the pilot’s brutal death. Barack Obama? He danced around condemning radical Islam and brought up the Crusades and the Inquisition. He didn’t, however, mention that Christianity had a reformation and evolved to a non-violent religion. Islam? It embraces the brutality of the middle ages and has never stopped.”

ISIS executed several imams the following day for daring to disagree with the brutality of burning a man alive. Oddly, those same imams said nothing about the crucifixions of Arab Christians, Yzidis or Kurds. They are murdering anyone, and that includes Muslims, who do not not agree with their faction of Islam, in this case, Sunni. And what did Barack Obama say? He brought up the Crusades, and the Inquisition.

What it boils down to is that Barack Obama sorely lacks in the leadership arena. He can’t lead. He doesn’t like America. He doesn’t like anyone who isn’t black. He doesn’t like anyone but Marxists . . . that would be communists. He doesn’t like the U.S. Constitution. He doesn’t like our republic form of government. He doesn’t like American exceptionalism. He doesn’t like America being independent. He doesn’t like America being a super power. He doesn’t like the War on Terror and has really just twinkle toed around being forced to take a stand against radical Islam.

No one, but no one, thinks his ridiculous speech on February 5th was anything but bad and in extremely poor taste. How many days are left before Obama is no longer president, because I’m not sure America can survive Obama’s cowardice.

Candace E. Salima is an author, columnist, public speaker and political activist. A frequent radio guest on shows around the nation, she is valued for her viewpoint on a variety of subjects, particularly politics. She is co-owner and Vice-President of Marketing of Communitxt. Follow Candace on Facebook, Twitter or Google+. Learn more about her on www.candacesalima.com.

Barack Obama, supposedly the most powerful man in the world, is playing a game of “if I ignore it, it will go away”. Let me explain. To the point of ridiculousness Obama is refusing to name terrorist organizations, rather calling them insurgents or radicals . . . but never what they are, which are Islamic jidhadists determined to destroy all who do not align themselves with them politically, religiously, and ridiculously attempting to establish a worldwide Muslim Caliphate. They are cutting a bloody swath through the Middle East eating the hearts of their enemies, crucifying Arab Christians, beheading anyone they feel like, selling women and girls into sex trafficking, raping at will any female of any age, kidnapping foreign aid workers, journalists, converting by the sword, etc. . . . in other words a demonic force driven by lust, hate and anti-religious fervor.

The Muslim Brotherhood, Hezbollah, Hamas, Al Qaeda, ISIS or ISOL, Taliban or Boko Haram, are just a few names of radical terrorists groups out there who have never left medieval times. While Christians moved on from the Crusades and became more civilized, Islam has never managed to do so. In America alone there are over thirty-five known Muslim jihadist terror camps, thriving without the Department of Justice appearing to do a single thing about them. The Mexican drug cartels are at our southern border and in bed with the terrorists. We have thousands crossing into our nation illegally on a daily basis, and they are not all trying to find a better life. Too many are criminals and terrorists waltzing back and forth across our porous southern border carrying out many criminal activities with the approval of the Obama Administration. It is a huge security risk for America, but Barack Obama refuses to secure our borders.

And just what is Barack Obama doing about all this? Preparing to watch the Super Bowl. Attending the funeral of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, dropping everything to do so. Ironically, Obama couldn’t drop everything to join forty world leaders and millions of French citizens in a march against terrorism, but he could do exactly that when Abdullah died. On the other hand, in a fit of insanity Obama traded five of the most dangerous terrorists we had at Gitmo for Bowe Bergdahl who is now being charged with desertion, and most likely treason. And what happened to those five dangerous terrorists Barack Obama turned loose? They jumped right back into the war and started killing with an abandon associated with out-of-control serial killers.

Fifty-six perfect of Americans believe Barack Obama is underplaying the threat of terrorism in the world today. Specifically, he is unwilling to identify them as Islamic terrorists, but they are. We are at war. Our soldiers have been fighting this war since 2001 and it does seem like the President has moved on from this war without acknowledging the remaining threat and soldiers fighting that battle. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, if we would turn our military loose, stop with the ridiculous list of Rules of Engagement, and let them just fight the war, it would have been over by now. But Congress won’t stay out of it, and we are at war with an ideology that wants to see the eradication of all freedom and liberty, in other words, no opportunity for growth whatsoever.

Barack Obama is very dangerous to America right now. He continues to try and spend with abandon. Uses Executive Orders to “legislate” what he can’t get Congress to do. He has violated the trust the American people put him and violated his oath of office, nearly on on a daily basis. He has stopped pretending that he cares about any of our allies, and continues to ally himself with Muslim nations that sponsor terrorism. He cozies up to communists, i.e. Cuba, and is an object of ridicule for Vladimir Putin of Russia. He didn’t join the world in France, but later sent Secretary of State John Kerry who dragged James Taylor along sing “You’ve Got a Friend”. Instead of focusing on the dangers to the world and America, Barack Obama reportedly sent his election team to Israel to defeat Benjamin Netanyahu.

You just can’t make this stuff up. In the meantime, the cost to America for the mistake of voting Barack Obama into office continues to climb. We have 721 days left in the Obama presidency . . . here’s hoping America makes it through.

Candace E. Salima is an author, columnist, public speaker and political activist. A frequent radio guest on shows around the nation, she is valued for her viewpoint on a variety of subjects, particularly politics. Follow Candace on Facebook, Twitter or Google+. Learn more about her on www.candacesalima.com.

Movie: American Sniper
Director: Clint Eastwood
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Sienna Miller
Rating/Runtime: R – 132 Minutes
Website: www.americansnipermovie.com

Breathtaking, inspiring and informative. American Sniper shows us the brutal facts of war and the high cost paid by our soldiers. Chris Kyle is a bonafide American hero.

American Sniper is the adaptation of Chris Kyle’s book of the same name. Kyle was the most lethal sniper in American military history and is credited with saving thousands of lives with his confirmed 160 kills, although he and his fellow SEALs indicated that number is more likely 255 kills. Michael Moore, the coward, tweeted that Chris Kyle was a coward . . . clearly the man hasn’t read the book, seen the movie, or talked to anyone who knew Chris Kyle. Kyle was anything but a coward and was dedicated to God, family and country. The movie takes us from his bronc riding career to the last day of his life, and it is quite a ride.

Kyle made it through BUDS to become a Navy SEAL, one of the elite team of warriors in the American military. Through four tours of duty in Iraq, Kyle proved again and again that not only his courage beyond measure, so was his ability to accurately assess a situation and make the proper decision. The job of a sniper is to insure the success of the team on the ground. He takes out any and all threats within reach of his bullet, and he does so quickly and decisively. Through his four tours, Kyle also left his perch above the action to go down and help clear buildings in the search for the Butcher who liked to torture and murder his victims with a drill. Coward? No. Kyle liked to fight. He liked to be in the thick of it. And he was one of the most often requested snipers by the allies.

Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller captured Chris and Taya Kyle perfectly. Kyle’s parents and wife gave the film their stamp of approval and were very grateful to Eastwood, Cooper and Miller for just telling the story as it was. And this is what it was: Chris Kyle was a man who loved his God, country and family. He dedicated his life to fighting for America to keep it from spreading to New York City or San Diego, is how he put it. He was a brave man who paid a high cost, as does any American soldier who has to fight in battle with those who have no compunction in using women and children to further their cause of hate and violence. But Chris Kyle came home, he came home and he figured out how to transform himself from elite soldier to husband and father.

When asked if he had any problems with the confirmed 160 kills, Kyle responded, “No. I’m not haunted by those I killed, I am haunted by those American soldiers I couldn’t save.” That, my friends, is a hero. Kyle found a way to continue helping soldiers and it ultimately cost him his life. It is a great tragedy that the “Legend” lost his life trying to help an Iraqi veteran deal with his PTSD.

I give American Sniper a solid FIVE STARS and recommend every adult American go see this movie. Yes, there is liberal use of the “F” word, nonetheless, it would be very good that we understand the price these men and women pay to keep their families safe, as well as America. Read the book. Watch the movie. And thank God every day that men like Chris Kyle exist and are willing to fight the battle you can’t or won’t.

Candace E. Salima is an author, columnist, public speaker and political activist. A frequent radio guest on shows around the nation, she is valued for her viewpoint on a variety of subjects, particularly politics. Follow Candace on Facebook, Twitter or Google+. Learn more about her on www.candacesalima.com.