David Harsanyi

AMERICAN CULTURE: January 20, 2023

Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov refused to take a pregame skate Tuesday night in the team’s LGBTQ+ warmup jersey, citing his preference “to stay true to myself and my religion,” which is Russian Orthodox. “I respect everyone. I respect everybody’s choices,” said the only player who refused to participate in Pride Night.

JOE BIDEN: January 13, 2023

Every president probably stashes away classified documents. The chances of any president being successfully prosecuted for pilfering them are infinitesimal. Nevertheless, Joe Biden has engaged in the same behavior as Donald Trump — perhaps worse, since vice presidents are unable to declassify documents — and precedent and transparency, our very democracy, demanded that Attorney General Merrick Garland name a special counsel to investigate.

ABORTION: December 23, 2022

“Our Jewish brothers and sisters,” squad member Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez explained during a recent rant, “are able to have an abortion according to their faith.” Many religions, the congresswoman goes on, do not share the “fundamentalist Christian” definition of life. They too have a right to exercise their faith, and to stand in their way is “authoritarian” and “theocratic.”

FREEDOM: December 9, 2022

Saying anything you like — or refraining from saying whatever you want — is one of the most fundamental rights in a free nation. Without it, the First Amendment is worthless.