The United States was facing, until recently, an historic recruitment crisis within the Armed Services. It is likely still facing a similar retention crisis. Much of the twin problems within our fighting force can be chalked up to the social engineering pressed upon the service members by the Pentagon and the White House from the prior Administration. However, a significant portion, particularly in the National Guard and Reserve components, is due to its disproportionate treatment relative to the Active component. There are three primary areas where Active and Reservists (collectively referring to the Reserve component and the various State National Guards) diverge in treatment, (1) Pay, (2) Benefits, and (3) Duties. From the outset, it is important to acknowledge that there is a major difference in the Active and Reserve components. The Active-duty service members are engrossed in the military bureaucracy 365 days a year for the entire length of their obligation. They get reassigned...

Lately, I’ve been seeing a lot of people compare President Trump’s deportation efforts to Nazi Germany. Honestly, it’s getting out of hand. It’s not just inaccurate—it’s offensive, too. This isn’t about politics for me. It’s about facts. We can’t let our emotions run wild and twist reality. Deportation is not the same thing as genocide. Not even close. Let’s Start With the Basics Deportation isn’t some new, cruel invention. It didn’t start with Trump. It didn’t start with Bush. It didn’t even start with Obama—although, for the record, Obama deported more people than any president in U.S. history. Millions. He was literally called the “Deporter-in-Chief” by immigration activists. But suddenly now, when Trump talks about deportation, it’s being painted as the start of a fascist regime? Come on. There’s a difference between disliking a policy and misrepresenting it completely. You can be against deportations. That’s fine. But calling it “Nazi-like” is not just wrong—it’s ridiculous. Histo...

The Social Security Administration is facing a $25 trillion time bomb within the next decade that will be catastrophic for millions of Americans if unaddressed. According to the Social Security Trust Fund, the program has until 2034 before it depletes all reserve assets. For clarity, this does not mean that Social Security will go “bankrupt” as that is impossible for a government program. It does mean that annual Trust Fund income (payroll taxes plus interest) will be insufficient to cover the outgoing expenses (retirement checks) and there will be insufficient reserves to fill the gap. The result will be an anticipated 23% reduction in benefits for existing beneficiaries. This would be devastating for millions of seniors. A news report from the National Institute on Retirement Security found that more than 40% of seniors use Social Security as their only form of retirement income. Congress has a rapidly dwindling time to act, and unfortunately, the closer we get to the deadline, t...

The United States has, since the Woodrow Wilson Administration, pursued a trade policy marred by liberal ideology. Liberalism proposes that all men, through reason, can ascertain universal axioms that are applicable to all humans, in all locations, at all times. Liberal thinkers, like John Locke and Thomas Jefferson, posited that central to these axioms is the belief that humans are inherently free by their nature, and that the preservation of this freedom is the central aim of the State. The individual is the central actor within the liberal paradigm. Any restriction on the individual’s freedom is to be denounced as the greatest sin. Economists reduce the individual to being nothing more than a consumer. All decisions the individual makes result in the consumption of varying amounts of “utility”, or happiness/satisfaction. All non-monetary sources of utility, like concepts of fairness, duty, and honor, are overlooked by liberal economists, or outride discarded. Material consumption,...

Dear Fellow Americans, I write this letter not with judgment, but with concern. Not with despair, but with hope. Because like many of you, I’ve been watching what’s happening in our country—and I know I’m not alone in noticing the shift. We are becoming more and more divided. Politically. Culturally. Personally. The gap between us isn’t just in our opinions—it’s in our relationships. Neighbors won’t speak. Families avoid each other. Strangers assume the worst. And all the while, the anger, fear, and loneliness grow. But here’s the truth: it doesn’t have to be this way. We need to talk to each other more, not less. We need to bridge the divide—not with insults, but with understanding. Not with the goal of winning arguments, but with the hope of winning each other back. Somewhere along the way, we started believing that disagreement means division. That if someone votes differently or thinks differently, they must be against us. But that’s not the America I believe in. That’s not the Ame...

In recent days, the people of Kerrville, Texas, have experienced deep hardship as floodwaters tore through the region—washing away homes, damaging roads, and leaving many families shaken. What began as a season of much-needed rain quickly turned into a time of sorrow and loss. In moments like these, it’s only natural to ask, “Why?” Why do disasters like this happen? Why does suffering seem to fall upon the innocent? And for many, the quiet question whispered through the tears is: “Where was God?” Let us be clear—God is not to blame. The Bible tells us in James 1:17 that “Every good and perfect gift is from above.” God is the giver of life, the comforter in the storm, and the one who carries us when our strength fails. He does not delight in destruction or suffering. Nature itself, since the Fall, is broken—subject to forces of chaos, decay, and pain. But God remains sovereign, merciful, and near to the brokenhearted. In Psalm 46, we’re reminded: “God is our refuge and strength, a very ...

  The United States has faced a growing social malaise over the past half-century. Younger Americans over each subsequent generation have faced higher rates of mental illness, including anxiety and depression. Families are eroding as marriage rates decline, divorce rates rise, and fertility rates now fall below replacement levels. Communities are suffocated by the weight of crime, drugs, and deteriorating community engagement. Patriotism is nearing all-time lows among the American public. The economy has stagnated, particularly for blue-collar workers and rural communities. This is a predictable conclusion to a Post-War left-wing era. In the aftermath of World War II, and in the outbreak of the Cold War, the American political system definitively shifted from its historic foundation. For the first 169 years, the United States was defined by a political battle between liberalism and conservativism. The conservatives weren’t attempting to preserve a liberal tradition, but one groun...

Elon Musk has never been one to sit quietly on the sidelines. Whether he's launching rockets, reinventing the car, or shaking up social media, his influence spans industries and ideologies. So when Musk floated the idea of starting a third political party, it wasn’t just another billionaire’s tweet—it ignited a national conversation. The question is: Could it work? And should it? Like most things involving Elon Musk, the idea of a third party under his influence comes with bold promises, disruptive potential, and a fair share of controversy. Let’s unpack the good, the bad, and the realistic path such a party would face in America’s deeply entrenched two-party system. To some, it sounds like another flashy idea destined to fade. To others, it’s exactly the kind of disruption American politics needs. Personally, I think a third party could work. But it won’t work if it’s just a "middle-of-the-road" alternative to Democrats and Republicans. That’s not enough anymore. America...

Recently, a colleague within The Outrider Post provided a logical argument for the Christian doctrine of Sola Scriptura. He made a passionate defense for the infallibility of the Holy Scripture as an authority for Christian theology. While I must commend him for this noble endeavor, I must provide a rebuttal to the idea that Scripture is the sole authority within the Church. The Holy Scripture is the divinely inspired Word of God, and should be given the veneration owed to it as we should owe our Father in heaven. However, the Church is the body of Christ and where two or more gather in His name, His spirit shall be. We should not so easily dismiss the traditions and experiences of the Church as a source of authority for Christian teachings. Christ provided a guide for measuring the spirits of man. The Apostle John tells us in 1 John 4, to not “believe every spirit”, but rather to “test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into th...

“Before you heal someone, ask him if he is willing to give up the things that make him sick.” I came across that quote recently, and even though it's often attributed to Hippocrates, it immediately made me think of Jesus. Jesus didn't just go around healing people because He could — He always looked deeper. Into the heart. Into the soul. Into the will. In John 5, Jesus meets a man who’s been paralyzed for 38 years. That’s a lifetime of waiting, hoping, hurting. But before healing him, Jesus asks something unexpected: “Do you want to be made well?” (John 5:6) It seems like a strange question. Of course he wants to be healed, right? But Jesus isn’t just asking about his legs. He’s asking about his life. Because healing — true healing — isn’t just physical. It’s spiritual. It’s emotional. And it almost always requires letting go of something we've held onto for too long. Do You Really Want to Be Made Well? It’s easy to say yes. But healing asks something of us. It asks us to w...

  As of the time that I am writing this the House appears set to approve the final provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. President Donald Trump appears set to secure his landmark legislative achievement 164 days since the commencement of his second term. There is no doubt that this piece of legislation will be the centerpiece of his presidency, likely surpassing the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in his future presidential biographies. Although I have not been shy in recent days critiquing specific provisions of the bill, I do wholeheartedly believe that on net, the OBBBA will be a positive step for the United States of America and should be applauded. However, in a 940-page bill, in a Congress with the narrowest of majorities, from a Republican Party that has become a broad coalition of anti-leftist, oftentimes contradicting, interests, that there will be provisions that pass that aren’t ideal. Nevertheless, let’s breakdown the One Big Beautiful Bill Act with the great, the goo...