I attended Fan Expo Philadelphia at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, this weekend.
This event was about movies, TV shows, anime, gaming, cosplay, autographs, celebrity photo ops and Q&A Panels.
Cosplay is when people participate in dressing up as characters from anime, video games, movies, tv shows and superhero comics. People literally dedicate themselves by spend a lot of money making their costumes from scratch to make it look like the real deal.
This was my first fan expo. I had so much fun at this event. I’ve taken so many pictures and there was a lot of great costumes. There was also a live wrestling show, so that was pretty cool. I got the opportunity to meet John Cena and Mel Gibson. Later that day, John Cena was on the panel and I had the opportunity to ask him a question.
But Cena and Gibson weren’t the only celebrities that attended Fan Expo. William Shatner was there as was Andy Serkis, Christopher Lloyd, Dolph Lundren, Danny Glover, Steve Guttenburg, Helene Hunt, Heather Graham, John Boyega, Giancarlo Esposito, Priscilla Presley and many others.
I had so much fun. I hope to do it again in the future.
Tevin Dix and Mel GibsonJohn Cena and TevinZeon Space at the Fan ExploHere is Ghost from Call of DutyThe Ghost Busters exhibit
The theme of members of their religion being blamed for the actions of “their” nation-state continues.
Let’s simplify. Not one of us Jewish-Americans has a direct line to Benjamin Netanyahu nor do any Russian-Americans speak to Vladimir Putin.
The latest local expression of this was Barstool Philadelphia posting a sign reading “F##k the Jews”.
The two employees were fired and Dave Portnoy, the Jewish owner of Barstool, then pledged to send the two customers who ordered the sign to a tour of Auschwitz
“Rather than ruin a couple 20-year-olds lives maybe this can be used as a teaching moment,” said Portnoy.
The customers were later identified as students at Temple University.
We should add that we don’t believe antisemitism comes from Temple anymore than it comes from from, say, Swarthmore. Nor any less.
The Daily Mailnotes that Portnoy credits New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft with the tour of Auschwitz idea. Kraft, by the way, has his own foundation.
In a further complication, Portnoy accused ABC’s Katie Katro of doing a “bait and switch” interview,
There have been other developments since then, which local news is carrying breathlessly.
The Pennsylvania Superior Court began in 1895 Superior Court of Pennsylvania and is one of our two statewide intermediate courts.
The 15-member court handles criminal cases along with civil cases not involving government. A seat has been vacant since Judge Daniel McCaffrey was elected to Pennsylvania Supreme Court in 2023.
Currently, the Superior Court has eight Democrats and six Republicans.
Competing in the May 20 Republican primary for the nomination to fill the seat are Marie Battista and Anne Marie Wheatcroft.
Marie Battista served as assistant general counsel for the state Department. departments of health and state under governors Corbett and Wolf. She was also a prosecutor in Franklin and Venango Counties along with being a contract specialist for the Department of Defense.
“For those of you who know me well, you probably know that I never intended to be a lawyer. I wanted to a Radio City Rockettet, ” she has said.
She is a graduate of Keystone High School and Clarion University and obtained her law degree from Ohio Northern University. She also has a Doctorate in Education Leadership from the University of Pittsburgh and a master’s degree from Westminster College.
Chester County’s Ann Marie Wheatcraft has served on the Chester County’s Court of Common Pleas since 2012. She introduced “comfort dogs” in Chester County Courtrooms. Judge Wheatcraft had been an assistant district attorney in Chester County.
She has earned her undergraduate degree from Penn State University and her J.D. from the University of New Hampshire Law School. She has volunteered with the Boy Scouts of America and the Avon Grove Wildcats Football League
Judge Wheatcraft is endorsed by the Republican Party of Pennsylvania. Marie Battista is endorsed by those skeptical of the state GOP.
The story of the National SJP encampment at Swarthmore College continues to evolve.
We know that there were nine arrests of SJPers, and only two of them were connected with Swarthmore. Having heard the story from KYW, I walked up from the train station and found the “tent city” in front of Trotter Hall. It turns out that if I had tried to enter by the Visitor’s Parking Lot, I might have been turned away as an “outside agitator”. The two persons from SJP who spoke to me handed out flyers, one from Writers Against The War On Gaza and another listing their demands, primarily against Swarthmore College’s collaboration with Cisco.
By inviting outsiders to join the protest, the SJP, who have their right to protest, stirred up, as Don Imus used to say “a big bowl of stupid”. This gave the College Administration the right to do what they did. It should also be noted that the College intermittently blocked outside access to the Phoenix College Newspaper or that the Swarthmore Public Library had a strange malfunction.
Note; There are 18 pages to the most recent article from the Phoenix.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that this action actually began on April 30. A SJP spokesperson, Ash, said “We want divestment from Cisco because this is a tech company that is used to surveil Palestinians,” .
This is the Instagram Swarthmore SJP with it’s most recent updates.
Val Smith, president of Swarthmore College says that SJP inviting people from “outside the Campus Community to join them” led her to take action.
The actions of Prime Minister Benjamin Nethanyahu are being used as justification for both legitimate protest actions and increasing anti-semitism. That’s the current situation.
Meanwhile, back in the US, there’s been a plethora of protests with over 60 protests in 50 states. These are more anti-Trump than anti-Musk, though it’s generally anti-government.
Forbes. Com listed 20! anti-Tesla protests with violent components in them.
This includes this event, on Match 7, my birthday in which “aman unintentionally set his clothes on fire while also setting fire to three Tesla charging stations with Molotov cocktails, in a North Charleston, South Carolina parking lot.”
Just one more example of the Molotov Cocktail Brigade a UMass Boston student was “charged with one count of unlawful possession of an unregistered destructive device” in an attack on a Tesla.
Is there lawful possession of an unregistered destructive device? Just asking.
House Democratic leaders Hakeem Jeffries and Nancy Pelosi gave Fox News Digital the cold shoulder when asked to respond to the string of violent attacks against Tesla.
Yet J. D. Vance, among others, quickly condemned the arson attack Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat.
The 50501 group continues, even locally. Counter-protestors may also want to attend.
Dodgers’ Superstar Welcomes Anchor Baby into Family
By Joe Guzzardi
In anticipation of the Supreme Court’s May 15 birthright citizenship review, consider that the Los Angeles Dodgers’ $700 million superstar Shohei Ohtani and his wife Mamiko Tanaka, Japanese nationals, just welcomed their first child, a girl. Shohei and Mamiko’s U.S. citizen baby was born in Arlington, VA. His baby daughter is luckier than 99% of anchor babies. Going into the 2025 season, Ohtani’s career earnings reached approximately $46 million, which includes his contracts and signing bonuses with the Los Angeles Angels. Since Ohtani’s new deferred contract covers a decade, the All-Star, MVP, pitcher/designated hitter will earn, exclusive of endorsement income, $2 million per year with the Dodgers or $20 million in total. After that, the Dodgers will pay Ohtani for another 10 years despite not being under contract. In those 10 seasons, he will make $68 million per year. Ohtani’s endorsement income is estimated at $40 million from Mitsubishi, Seiko, Japan Airlines, and New Balance, among other mega-billion-dollar corporations.
Ohtani chose to have his child born in the U.S. instead of Japan because having American citizenship will be, over her lifetime, advantageous to his baby girl. Think of the foolishness of granting precious citizenship to foreign nationals residing in the country on work or tourist visas in relationships, new or established, that result in births and automatically conferred American citizenship.
Japan, a country whose immigration standards reflect how seriously the nation takes citizenship, has tighter oversight. The Japanese Nationality Law requires that at least one parent must be a citizen for the child to qualify for citizenship. The U.S. Congress has written several bills with the same common sense citizenship requirement. None gained congressional support. President Donald Trump’s Executive Order 14160, “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship,” addressed the obvious flaws in the long-standing misinterpretation of the 14th Amendment. The Executive Order, announced on January 20 and one of the first President Trump issued, spelled out what citizenship in the Trump administration would require:
“Among the categories of individuals born in the United States and not subject to the jurisdiction thereof, the privilege of United States citizenship does not automatically extend to persons born in the United States: (1) when that person’s mother was unlawfully present in the United States and the father was not a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident at the time of said person’s birth, or (2) when that person’s mother’s presence in the United States at the time of said person’s birth was lawful but temporary (such as, but not limited to, visiting the United States under the auspices of the Visa Waiver Program or visiting on a student, work, or tourist visa) and the father was not a United States citizen or lawful permanent resident at the time of said person’s birth.”
A day after President Trump released his EO, Congressman Brian Babin (R-TX), Chairman of the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee, introduced The Birthright Citizenship Act to restore the 14th Amendment to its original purpose and end the misuse of birthright citizenship. Babin’s legislation aligns with the EO and seeks a congressional remedy to the misreading and exploitation of the 14th amendment.
Center for Immigration Studies’ research found that one out of every ten births in the United States is to an illegal immigrant mother. Additionally, nearly 400,000 expectant mothers cross the border illegally each year, often with the sole intention to give birth in the U. S. Once granted automatic citizenship, these children can initiate chain migration, opening pathways for extended family members to gain legal residency. This practice has also fueled a global birth tourism industry, which takes advantage of the current loophole in U.S. immigration laws. Birth tourism is a criminal enterprise that, for an enormous fee, openly allows worldwide temporary visa-holding foreign nationals to stay in their hotels until the women are ready to give birth to a new American citizen. Such hotels, their criminal proprietors, and their pregnant guests who committed visa fraud would be easy targets for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Instead, ICE has winked at birth tourism hotels for years.
An intelligent overhaul of birthright citizenship is imperative. The Biden administration’s open borders admitted about ten million illegal immigrants and another estimated two million got aways. Those millions represent many more anchor baby citizens and eventual chain migration arrivals. Crossing the border illegally or as a temporary worker like Ohtani or a tourist and then giving birth on U.S. soil should not entitle the newborns to citizenship.
Joe Guzzardi is an Institute for Sound Public Policy Institute. Contact him at jguzzardi@ifspp.org
Yet another organization discovered through the links listed in the 2024 Bill of Rights Banquet Program. Thank you again, Carris and Eric. This is how I learned about Marco Polo 501 C (3); Garrett Ziegler and Hunter Biden.
Hunter Biden is asking a federal judge to voluntarily dismiss his 2023 lawsuit against Garrett Ziegler and Marco Polo, an organization run by Ziegler that published Report On The Biden Laptop.
Because “no one is buying his artwork or memoir . . . (Biden) does not have the resources to continue to litigate this matter,” his team says.
For someone who claims to be short on money, Hunter gets around.
Even with Secret Service despite the law only applying to former presidents’ children aged under 16, per the Former Presidents Protection Act (codified in 18 USC, Section 3056). “
Maybe he qualifies as an emotional 15-year old.
Actually “Biden issued an executive memorandum before he left the presidency indefinitely extending Secret Service protection for his son”
Choose your parents well.
If the last name Ziegler has any resonance, he is the cousin of President Richard M. Nixon’s Press Secretary, Ron Ziegler.
Ziegler graduated magna cum laude with a degree in economics from St. Louis University in 2018. He was hired directly out of college by the first Trump Administration and was a policy analyst under Peter Navarro in the Office of Trade and Manufacturing
Marco Polo is a 501c3 research group “with a mission of exposing corruption and blackmail. Mission & Leadership – Marco Polo – Substack Founded in 2021, Marco Polo spent it’s first year writing the Report on the Biden Laptop.
So the last question. Why does any of this matter? Because (see below) the Bidens are not hiding and they seem to want to return to destroy what’s left of a once vibrant (whether or not you agreed with them) political p[arty.
Delaware County and my world, Swarthmore, have also declared states of emergency. The only two major hospitals left in Delaware County are Lankenau and Riddle, The Delaware County Health Department should, operative word should, be working on this situation. Then there’s Delaware County Council which, I’d like to believe means well. Only State Senator Tim Kearney. of our local legislators, to my knowledge, has been involved with this situation.
Piggy-backing on Sharon Devaney’s excellent article this is a list of ER’s currently operating in Delco. We also listed those within 30 minutes or less from Swarthmore. Note; In Swarthmore, we’ve been told that Riddle is the first ER option and Lankenau is the second. After that, who knows?
Emergency WardsServing Delco
Bryn Mawr Hospital, 130 South Bryn Mawr Avenue,Bryn Mawr, PA, 484-337-3000
Well Philly’s DA Election is less than a month away. But is it the only election race that counts in Philly this year? And if not, should it be? There are also races for one judicial seat on the Commonwealth Court (“CC”) and another for the Superior Court (“SC”). Both political parties have candidates running for each judicial seat. There is no doubt that all these elections play a vital role in applying, enforcing, and shaping state and city law. The Primary Election is on May 20. The deadline to register to vote or to change your Party is before that on May 5 Register to vote or switch parties here, in seconds, for free: https://www.pavoterservices.pa.gov/pages/VoterRegistrationApplication.aspx.
Pennsylvania is one of a handful of states that still elects its judges in partisan political elections. This process often frustrates voters because they are not advised on the open positions and the candidates running for them. This should be an essential responsibility of political party leaders (i.e., Chairpersons, Electors, State Committee Persons, Ward Leaders, Committee Persons, etc.); Election Officials; and even attorneys. However, in Philly voters are often misguided into believing these elections are more about supporting President Trump while silently trying to undermine his direction. Such misguidance is wrong, possibly even treasonous. This coming Primary Election is about the safety, health, and welfare of all residents, guests, and businesses within the city. It is Philly First when it comes to the people, law, order and safety, and that is America First.
Since Soros-backed incumbent DA, Larry Krasner, took office on New Years Day, 2018, homicides are up 50% . Gun shooting assaults also increased by 54%. This means that over the past 7½ years, Mr. Krasner’s Office has been successful in failing to prosecute these and other felonies, e.g., robberies, thefts, drug sales, etc. These numbers do not even factor his 2020 failures to prosecute the vandals who torched, destroyed, and looted Philly during the George Floyd riots. In reports of the New York Times, Mr. Krasner’s office dismissed or dropped charges in approximately 98% of the 558 criminal cases related to them. This involved about 544 individuals and 99% of the charges where three-fourths of these cases were related to commercial burglary or trespassing. On behalf of the city, in conjunction with former Mayor Jim Kenney, Mr. Krasner also dropped up to 2,000 summonses. Clearly, during his tenure Mr. Krasner established that he is derelict in his duty to promote public safety. As the city’s Prosecutor and enforcer of the state’s and city’s criminal laws, promoting safety is his job. See PROSECUTORS LIKE KRASNER GO SOFT-ON-CRIME AND IT HAS CONSEQUENCES FOR CITIES
Philly needs to elect a new DA. So who are its registered Republican and Independent Voters going to vote for? Especially since the state and local Republican Party (“GOP”) failed to produce a Trump supporting candidate. Many people are asking. The only person to step up for this challenge is Honorable President Judge Patrick Dugan (retired; Democrat) who sat in Philly’s Municipal Court (“MC”) since five years before Mr. Krasner became DA—you know, before all the above increases. Judge Dugan may not be Pro-Trump, but one thing is for sure, he is not Pro-Soros. And he is Pro-Law & Order—just like President Trump.
So which, if any, of the coming elections are most important to Philly? Are not all PA elections and courts the same? Why would a guy who was a Judge want to be DA? And why is Mayor Cherelle Parker, Council President Kenyatta Johnson, and all of City Council, remaining silent on these elections? Their silence and the answers to these questions reveal why everyone in Philly needs to stop voting straight-lever party lines.
As to all these levels, the CCP serves as the primary trial courts. In Felony Criminal, Family, and Civil matters in excess of $50,000, cases are heard by the judge on bench or by a jury overseen by the bench. It also hears de novo appeals in cases arising from the minor courts. To distinguish, the CC and the SC, as third tier statewide courts, are appellate courts. The CC is unique. PA is the only state in America to have one. Although it is third tier, it handles original civil action claims brought by state and those cases filed against it. The CC also hears appeals raised from final orders of certain state agencies. See PA Statute, 42 Pa.C.S. §§ 761-764. The SC handles appeals of Civil, Family, and Criminal cases arising from the CCP.
These elected positions affect and effect our daily lives. Everyone understands the DA’s job is to protect the public from criminals. But many people have no idea what judges do throughout the different courts to do the same. By understanding their function, it becomes clear that Philly now has a rare opportunity to use Judge Dugan’s experiences and abilities as a MC Judge in the DA’s Office. For these reasons, everyone in Philly should make the DA’s Primary Race their first priority on May 20.
In PA, there are four judicial levels. They make up the Commonwealth’s Unified Judicial System. First, the Minor Courts, being the County Magisterial Courts (Civil & Criminal) and Municipal Courts (Civil, Criminal, and Special, Treatment). Second, the County Courts of Common Pleas (“CCP”) (being Civil, Family, and Criminal). Third, the statewide intermediate appellate courts, being the CC and the SC. Fourth, the State Supreme Court which is the ultimate state authority overseeing all of them. See Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts, Pennsylvania Court Structure @ https://www.pmconline.org/resources/pennsylvania-court-structure (c. 2024) (retrieved April 21, 2025).
As to all these levels, the CCP serves as the primary trial courts. In Felony Criminal, Family, and Civil matters in excess of $50,000.00, cases are heard by the judge on bench or by a jury overseen by the bench. It also hears de novo appeals in cases arising from the minor courts. To distinguish, the CC and the SC, as third tier statewide courts, are appellate courts. The CC is unique. PA is the only state in America to have one. Although it is third tier, it handles original civil action claims brought by state and those cases filed against it. The CC also hears appeals raised from final orders of certain state agencies. See PA Statute, 42 Pa.C.S. §§ 761-764. The SC handles appeals of Civil, Family, and Criminal cases arising from the CCP.
In this coming Primary, Philly has nine vacancies on its CCP. The Democrats have 10 candidates running for them. The GOP failed to nominate any candidates. The same for any of its local grass-root subgroups. As to the MC, there are 3 vacancies. The GOP, as well as any local grass-root subgroups, again failed to nominate anyone; whereas, the Democrats nominated 5 people.
Philly’s DA Office functions in pretty much all of these courts. In essence, the Office is almost always the second responder to crime and the victims, following the Police. If the Office decides to prosecute a case, it will begin in the minor courts. The presiding judge addresses whether the charges are reasonable; if serious enough, transfers them up to the CCP; conducts Preliminary Hearings; decides if bail should be set; and decides minor cases like: misdemeanors and civil small claims; landlord-tenant; and other problem-solving matters. This is what Judge Dugan did fairly and objectively for twelve years. Philly now needs him to apply those experiences as DA.
As to the noted judicial vacancies, there are excellent candidates in each race. For the CC, the GOP nominated attorney, Matthew Wolford, Esquire, while a local grass-root subgroup, opposed it and nominated attorney, Joshua Prince, Esquire. On the other side, the Democrats nominated Honorable Stella Tsai of the Philadelphia County CCP. She is running unopposed. For the SC vacancy, the GOP nominated Honorable President Judge, Anne Marie Wheatcraft, of the Chester County CCP. The same local grass-root subgroup, opposed and nominated attorney, Maria Battista, Esquire. The Democrats nominated Honorable Brendan P. Neuman of the Washington County CCP. He is running unopposed. For the CCP, the Democrats have 11 nominations for 9 vacant seats, and 6 nominations for 3 vacant seats in the MC. Sadly, neither the GOP, nor its local subgroup, produced any candidates. Interested in them? See the City Commissioners’ website at: https://vote.phila.gov/voting/candidates-for-office/. See also Pennsylvanians for Modern Courts, Meet the Candidates, 2025 Judicial Election @ https://www.pmconline.org/current-judge-selection-process (providing more details).
There is no doubt that every judicial candidate is qualified. But the Republican nominations only beckon the questions: If the GOP can find and nominate Republicans to run for intermediate level judicial vacancies, why did they not find and nominate ones to run for DA , CCP, or MC, in their coming Primary? Are the members of the GOP not really Trump Supporters? So why are they not following President Trump’s direction? The same goes for all local GOP grass-root subgroups.
It may very well be because those same leaders of the GOP tend to mislead their local subgroups. For example, back in February, many grass-root GOP subgroups throughout the state were at odds with their GOP, while simultaneously relying on it for party-related advice. They were disputing over who should be the next GOP Chairman. It could also be because certain subgroups, in actuality, were assisting the Democrats and the RINOs in dividing the Party to promote a candidate favorable to them. These circumstances reveal two significant problems within the state and local GOP—leadership and guidance.
The coming Primary makes it more obvious. For the CC, the GOPs endorsed Mr. Wolford. But, after receiving GOP advice, certain local grass-root subgroups endorsed Mr. Prince. For Superior Court, the GOPs endorsed Judge Wheatcraft. But, after receiving GOP advice, those local grass-root subgroups endorsed Ms. Battista. In the DA’s Race, despite knowing that a candidate needs to win in the Primary, the GOPs failed to produce a candidate and near simultaneously proposed that all Republican Voters use the Primary to “nominate” Judge Dugan as a write-in candidate. They call this the suburban “Pike-Allegheny County Plan”. And with this, the local grass-root subgroups that endorsed Mr. Prince and Ms. Batista agree. Sounds like a really great and elaborate plan of the Democrats and RINOs to win everything in November but the DA’s Office. Remember, in Philly the Democrats straight-lever always wins. And with this Pike-Allegheny Plan, Judge Dugan will not be part of that straight lever.
It means nothing to be a Trump Supporter if you do not follow his direction. He has proven that he will work with Democrats if they will work with him. He even hired some from Philly to defend him in his last Impeachment Trial. So in this coming Primary, that direction is to win by promoting law enforcement, order, and public safety. That would be a vote for Judge Dugan as a Democrat over Mr. Krasner in the Primary. One thing is for sure, he may not like President Trump, but his Honor agrees with that direction. Whether he likes President Trump is immaterial, irrelevant, highly prejudicial, and only serves to confuse the 2025 Elections before the Primary, and well before the General in November. If allowed to do so, Mr. Krasner and George Soros win.
They know that as well.
Need help registering to vote? Have questions? Contact the Soul of America, LLC, by email at: Admin@TheSOA.ORG, or telephone at: 215-222-1732; andwww.TheSOA.ORG.
And may God always Bless and keep Philadelphia and America safe.
“The Pope is Dead, Long Live the Papacy,” reads the Crisis Magazine headline. Crisis describes itself as the nation’s most trusted source for authentic Roman Catholic perspectives on church and state, arts and culture, science and faith. The article scathingly assessed Pope Francis for his progressive views and hoped that the next pope would adhere to more traditional Catholic values. Among the many criticisms leveled at Pope Francis were that he permitted Holy Communion for unrepentant sinners, okayed same-sex couples’ marriages, put Islam on the same footing as Catholicism, and forged the Vatican-China agreement which created a new diocese in totalitarian China.
My disclaimer: I’m a baptized Roman Catholic, an altar boy who served faithfully for several years, and remained active in church activities until my late teens. Priests frequently visited our home, so often that I considered entering the priesthood. But I gradually drifted away, and nothing distanced me faster and farther than when the Boston Globe in 2002 exposed the sexual abuse cases, which would eventually be revealed to span the globe to include hundreds of pedophile priests, thousands of victims and billions in settlements. In Boston alone, 140 priests were implicated in sex abuse charges against 552 victims, with more than $85 million in payments. In retrospect, I’m lucky that I, as a former altar boy with priests welcomed as regular guests at our house, escaped the horrific crimes that my young peers suffered.
To the list of grievances that Crisis detailed, I’ll add one more. On immigration, the Roman Catholic Church is hypocritical. From parish priests all the way up to the pope, their message is consistent—accept more illegal immigrants. If the faithful turn their backs on their fellow man, they’re not true Christians but rather selfish xenophobes. The Roman Catholic clergy holds predictably hardline opinions on President Trump, his deportation policy and the White House’s determination to protect American sovereignty.
Take as an example the former San Diego Cardinal Robert McElroy, a progressive like Pope Francis and recently transferred to Washington D.C. to become the district’s archbishop. Asked if he would meet President Donald Trump when he became a permanent D.C. resident, McElroy replied that, in the short term, he had no such plans. Then, McElroy added in an obvious criticism of U.S. immigration, “What does it mean in our society to be a compassionate society … and we believe in the human dignity of every person?” McElroy called the wall and deportations “incompatible with Catholic doctrine,” added that Pope Francis shares his “profound concern” on the U.S.-Mexico border which he considers a “wider cultural attack” on those fleeing persecution and violence. The Pope said a problem today is an effort to portray immigrants as criminals. “When you classify people as criminals,” McElroy said, you class them as “the other, as different,” and thus deserving of lesser treatment, a curious statement that does not distinguish between convicted criminals like MS-13 or Tren de Aragua gangsters and family reunification immigrants. Ironically Italy, without papal interference, has cut immigration arrivals via sea by 60%, cracked down on false asylum claims, and made deals with some African nations to try to block departures.
Moreover, McElroy has his own shameful past tied to the pedophile disgrace. Victims’ lawyers claim that McElroy has been involved in serial cover-ups on behalf of the perpetrators. In 2007, the San Diego Diocese settled lawsuits brought by 144 victims, but recently more than 450 claims have been made. The Diocese said more than 60% of the latest claims are for incidents that occurred more than 50 years ago. If true, five decades still does not erase the victims’ pain or nightmarish memories. In his statement last year, McElroy alleged that settling the remaining cases at the same rate they were settled in 2007 would cost the church upwards of $550 million. To avoid that high-payout, McElroy put the Archdiocese into bankruptcy last year as he sought to delay or deny compensation to more than 500 victims. Just hours before the first of about 150 cases were scheduled for trial, the archdiocese filed for Chapter 11 protection. Now, alleged victims looking for a settlement with the church will find themselves in bankruptcy court.
McElroy scorned President Trump #45 and #47, but he said he had a lengthy call with former President Joe Biden that included a discussion about the border. The breathtaking hypocrisy starts here. McElroy once said that abortion “remains our preeminent priority because it directly attacks life itself.” Yet, McElroy was willing to interact with one of history’s most pro-abortion presidents and, along with Vice President Kamala Harris, women’s right-to-choose administrations. Biden signed an executive order defending women’s ability to cross state borders to obtain an abortion, and he admonished the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. The Pope’s duplicity reached a peak when earlier this year President Biden awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, an honor Pope Francis should have refused with the explanation that he could not accept the prestigious medal from a pro-abortion president. Because of his abortion advocacy, Biden should be a pariah to Pope Francis and McElroy.
Final thought: McElroy is foolish to avoid meeting President Trump. Differences are best resolved face-to-face, not using the media as his messenger. If McElroy would reach out to President Trump, he would assuredly be invited to the White House and the Cardinal could lay out his personal immigration vision. He may not sell it, but McElroy would have a chance to speak his mind to the U.S. president, a privilege few Americans ever get.
Joe Guzzardi is an Institute for Sound Public Policy analyst. Contact him at jguzzardi@ifspp.org
