Rick Green: Welcome to At the Core on American Family Radio. I'm Rick Green, America's Constitution Coach. Thanks for joining me today. Rick Green: As I was listening to that bumper music, I heard a great line from James: “Count it all joy when you experience various trials,” because trials produce perseverance, character, and hope. America, we're going to go through some trials here. My home state of Texas is going to go through some trials, and we better count it joy because God is going to use it. He's going to make us perfect and complete, lacking nothing, with the patience and perseverance we need. Rick Green: I think there are going to be some tough days ahead, but I think they're going to help us reignite a passion for the biblical principles of liberty that made this nation great in the first place. I think we had a little bit of a temper tantrum in the election. As I mentioned last week, a lot of folks stayed home because they didn't get what they wanted. Rick Green: I understand the frustration. It started with the DOGE cuts, saying no to Elon Musk and the cuts and things that would have put us back on a financially responsible path. Instead of being $41 trillion in debt, we would probably be down to $35 trillion or even less and on our way to recovering if we had done the obvious, common-sense things that work for those of us in the real world but don't work for the broken system in Washington, D.C., where everybody is eating out of the trough, taking whatever they want, and demanding bigger budgets. Rick Green: Had we done that, I think the picture would have been totally different. It would have given us momentum. We would have gotten the SAVE Act done, and we would have weathered the storm on Iran and all those things. I understand those who say it's a uniparty because the system is broken in Washington and we're never going to be able to change it. Rick Green: No, no, no. What do you do when something is broken? You fix it. If you own a house and a water line breaks or the toilet breaks, you don't just say, “Something broke in the house. I'm leaving. I give up.” No, you figure out where and why it's broken, figure out what to do to fix it, and recover. That's essentially what we're going to have to do with our country. Rick Green: We've got a broken Washington system that rewards people for growing only the system, for growing only the beast. I liken it to the way we talk in government classes and history about checks and balances. I always say, if you don't do the check, you don't get the balance. If you don't use the check, you don't put things back in balance. Checks and balances work if you actually use them. Rick Green: The ultimate check that needs to be done right now is for the states to check the federal government. There needs to be a power struggle, instead of simply giving the federal government everything it wants. The states need to push back and take some of that power back. Rick Green: That's what we call a convention of states, because Article V of the Constitution provides for the states to come together without the federal government and propose amendments. The states can say, “We don't need the federal government doing education. We don't want the federal government doing agriculture. It certainly should not be involved in health care,” and all the other things it is doing. Rick Green: That would be the check that puts things back in balance. The check has to come from the states pushing back against the federal government and taking that power back. Then we can work things out at the state level. Different states can do different things. Some states are going to do more in health care and other areas, and some are going to do less. Rick Green: Some states are going to recognize the spheres of government that God created: self-government, family government, community and civil government, and church government. Other states will not, and they will be more fascist-like, with their own little dictators and people like Governor Newsom who think they can solve all your problems. Rick Green: That competition is actually good. That's part of what I'm going to be pushing for over the next few years: getting back to a place where each state can do its own thing, decide how it wants to govern, and then we can all vote with our feet. Rick Green: My state of Texas is now going to have Democrat leadership pretty much across the board. Republicans still hold the Texas Senate, so there will be a wall there that can stop a lot of bad legislation. Some things are going to get through because there will be negotiations. The Democrats have the governor, lieutenant governor, and the House, so they are going to hold up appropriations bills or do everything they can to stop school choice. Rick Green: We're going to have to see what the Texas Senate, with 19 Republican senators out of 31, can do to stop the bad stuff. We also barely have a Republican Texas Supreme Court, with a five-to-four majority. Those are the two levers of power in Texas that still remain Republican. Everything else went Democrat. Rick Green: I'm going to have to see what happens in my own state. Would I vote with my feet if Texas got Seattle-bad or Los Angeles-bad? I've never had to think about it this way. I've had 30 years of weak Republican government. We never did many of the big things we should have done, and we're not as red as people think we are, but I've never had to think about it this way. Rick Green: When I first got involved in politics in 1990, I worked on local races in San Angelo, Texas, where I went to college. I worked on justice of the peace races, commissioner races, and the governor's race. That year, Ann Richards was running against Clayton Williams. I was cutting my teeth and figuring out the political world, and Democrats had everything. They had the House, the Senate, and every statewide official. It was total Democrat domination in Texas. Rick Green: Four years later, George W. Bush won. More statewide officials began to be elected, and within eight years, all of the statewide officials were Republican. The Democrats still had the House, and Republicans barely had the Senate. Four years later, in the 2003 legislative session, Republicans took the House for the first time. Rick Green: I'm giving you that history to paint the picture that the pendulum can swing in a fairly short period of time. In roughly a decade, we went from all Democrat to all Republican. Now, 20 or 25 years later, we're mostly Democrat in terms of elected officials, except for the five Republican Texas Supreme Court justices and the Republican judges on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Rick Green: All of that is to say that I think we can swing Texas back even faster than it happened in the 1990s. I don't believe Texas has suddenly become a blue state. I think this election was a perfect storm. You had a couple of million votes that came out of nowhere. I'm not saying for certain that there was cheating. It certainly looks like it based on the numbers, and it's strange how it happened. Rick Green: We also recognize that millions of people came into the country. There has been a lot of legal and illegal immigration, and many people have moved to Texas in the last few years. Evangelicals stayed home, with six million of them across the country not voting. I don't know how many stayed home in Texas. A lot of people voted Democrat who normally don't. All of that came together. Rick Green: I think Texas probably turns around fairly quickly, within five or six years. I bet we could take all of those offices back again. I don't think this will last very long. Rick Green: But it will put me to the test. What if Texas stayed blue? I don't think that's going to happen, but what if we became like Portland or Seattle all across Texas? Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin are already very much like Portland and Seattle. Would I vote with my feet? Rick Green: Now that I'm thinking this through for myself, my family, and our heritage, I understand a little better why I have so many friends in Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, and other left-wing cities who have not left. They have always told me, “Rick, this is our home. We've been here for five generations. We know a lot of good people here. We have good churches. We're going to fight to save our state and turn it around.” Rick Green: There were times, especially in 2021 and 2022, when I thought, “Y'all are crazy. Why don't you come to Texas and help me make Texas stronger?” But now that I'm having to put those shoes on my own feet, I'm thinking, “I get it. I totally get it now.” Rick Green: I'm taking a different approach in response to this election. Instead of immediately asking where the Alamo is and where we should gather to create a stronghold, my mind is going somewhere else. Normally I think strategically about how we survive, fight back, and take ground. But honestly, that's not where my head is now. I don't think that's what the Lord is saying to me. Rick Green: I really feel like it's a Ziklag moment. We've had this big defeat, and we're asking the Lord, “What do we do? Is it okay to go?” I feel like the Lord is saying, “Go. Go now. Take back ground. In fact, go recover all of it.” Rick Green: When David got that message at Ziklag, he went and recovered everything. I feel like that's what we're supposed to do. I'm going for all 50 states. I'm not going to sit back and only fight to restore Texas. We're going to put a lot of effort into Texas because it is my home state, but we're going after the whole enchilada. We're going after all 50 states. Rick Green: We're going to take Patriot Academy into all 50 states, and we're going to help each state raise up a farm team. We're going to help each state build a remnant of young people and, frankly, older people as well, getting trained to be biblically grounded, constitutionally brilliant, and strategically and tactically sound. Rick Green: In every state, there is going to be a small but tireless, hardworking, committed Christian base fighting for liberty in that state, however long it takes to restore it. We're taking Patriot Academy into all 50 states. Rick Green: We already have Constitution coaches in all 50 states, and we have Leadership Congress graduates in all 50 states. But I want to see a much stronger and more focused effort, where we go into each state capital and do what we've done in Texas for 20 years, because it absolutely is working. Rick Green: Despite this particular election, we have a strong base of young people who are now in their 20s, 30s, and even 40s, leading and serving on school boards, city councils, state legislatures, Congress, and in the White House. That team needs to get busy. Rick Green: We're going to head into all 50 states and build up that base. We've done Leadership Congresses in seven states, and now we're headed to all of them. Go to patriotacademy.com to learn more about what we're doing in your state and how you can be part of it. Rick Green: Maybe you can find a young person between 16 and 25 to spend a few days at your state capital. Maybe you can be the torchbearer from your community who sponsors that young person. Maybe you're a legislator who wants to be the legislative champion in your state and help us at the state capital. Rick Green: We do not cower around here. We do not curl up in the fetal position and give up. It's time to reload and reengage, and I mean that intellectually, for those of you who would try to take it out of context. Rick Green: We'll take a quick break. The phone number is 888-589-8840. I'm Rick Green, America's Constitution Coach, and you're listening to At the Core. Rick Green: Welcome back to At the Core with Walker Wildmon and Rick Green. I'm Rick Green. We're in Ackerman, Mississippi, talking about AFA Christmas buttons. Brother Lawson, thanks for joining us. Jerry Lawson: Rick, it's a joy to be here with you. Rick Green: I'm a neophyte here. I'm new to the AFA Christmas buttons, so educate me. Jerry Lawson: Don Wildmon had this inspiration given to him by God years ago. There were some naysayers here at AFA, but Don said God gave him the inspiration, and he was going to do it anyway. He started doing the buttons around the year 2000. There was a war against Christmas, and Don started putting these buttons together. Jerry Lawson: I thought this was something I could get involved in, so I got with him back in 2000 and started taking buttons, passing them out, witnessing, and having the time of my life. Rick Green: I used to have Tim Wildmon on the WallBuilders radio program every year. We'd talk about the naughty and nice list, the war on Christmas, and different companies that were allowing people to say “Merry Christmas” and those that weren't. Rick Green: Tell me what happens when you're wearing the button. I know it's becoming an evangelism tool because it opens up conversations. Jerry Lawson: For me, the button is a reminder. When I leave the house each day, I put a button on. I do that all 365 days of the year. We've got all kinds of Easter buttons, Christmas buttons, and Lenten buttons. Jerry Lawson: It reminds me that not only do I have the light of Jesus Christ within me, but I want to shine the light on the outside. The Lord leads me to people who are hurting, sad, or upset about the way things are going in the world. Like Don Wildmon used to say, when it gets darker, our lights get brighter. I have joy trying to pick people up, hug them, and share the love of Jesus Christ with them. Rick Green: I love it: wear and share all season long. You can get the buttons at resources.afa.net, or call 877-927-4917 to order some. Rick Green: I'm guessing you don't want just one. You have to have extras in your pocket to give out, because somebody is going to say, “I want one of those.” Jerry Lawson: I tell ministers I'll give them a package of 10. They may have 300 members, and I say, “I'm trying to create a controversy in your church. I want 10 people to wear those buttons and 50 or 60 people to come and say, ‘Preacher, I want one of those buttons.’” Tell the elders and deacons to order some buttons so they can pass them out. Join the fun and the joy with me. Rick Green: Here's the big controversy. Do you wear a Christmas button before Thanksgiving? It's like the fight over whether you put the decorations up now. If you're David Barton, you have Christmas decorations and play Christmas music year-round, and you set your air conditioning at about 45 degrees so you can have a fireplace in July. Rick Green: But let's move that discussion over to the buttons. You've got yours on, and Thanksgiving hasn't even happened yet. So you don't wait? Get the button now? Jerry Lawson: The Lord told me, “Jerry, when you see Christmas decorations in the big-box stores, put your Christmas button on.” On September 15, people in my county started putting out Christmas decorations. I went to my office, got my Christmas buttons, put them on, and started going into those stores passing out Christmas buttons. Rick Green: I love it. I'm seeing the decorations in my hometown too. If decorations in the big-box stores are the signal, then it's time to go get your buttons. Go to resources.afa.net or call 877-927-4917. There is free shipping on the buttons, and the price gets even lower if you get a whole bunch. Rick Green: It's not too soon. You can wear them right now, even before Thanksgiving. If you're going to follow Brother Lawson's lead, create that controversy in your church. Only give 10 away at a time. Keep the rest at home and wait until the fever pitch, until everybody is really riled up about it, and then come in and create peace on earth and goodwill toward all men with buttons. Jerry Lawson: That's exactly right. Rick Green: Wear and share all season long. Get your buttons at resources.afa.net and start wearing them. It's a great way to engage people. My pastor talks about this all the time. You never know what a waitress or waiter is going through in life. The people you run into every day are hurting and looking for someone to give them an encouraging word. We've got the light of the world. Let's get it out from under the bushel and shine it. Jerry Lawson: Anything you give away in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, He's going to give back to you and more. Rick Green: Amen. Jerry Lawson is pastor of Enon Presbyterian Church in Ackerman, Mississippi. I appreciate you, brother. Thanks for coming on. Jerry Lawson: I encourage everybody to go to wearandshare.afa.net and order your buttons today. Merry Christmas. Rick Green: Merry Christmas to you. It's never a bad time of year to say Merry Christmas. Rick Green: Let's go to the phones. We have callers waiting. Mike in West Virginia, you're first up today. What's your question, comment, or insult? Whatever you've got, go for it. Mike: Thank you for taking my call. My comment is that we have to start taking deficit spending seriously. I think a lot of congressmen pretend to take it seriously, but they don't. We're never going to get deficit spending under control as long as there is only one federal organization that ever gets the budget cut. Rick Green: I absolutely agree. It has to get under control. You cannot continue at this rate and survive. There are a handful of people in Congress, including Chip Roy and others, who are not just giving it lip service. They've been working very hard to get it done, but we don't have the votes. Rick Green: That goes to my point in the first segment. It's a broken system in Washington, D.C. Everybody is at the trough. It doesn't matter whether you have Republicans or Democrats in office on this issue. The budget continues to get worse. If you have a Republican president, Republican House, and Republican Senate, the budget still goes up. If you have Democrats in all three, the budget goes up. If you have a mixture of the three, the budget goes up. Rick Green: This is a jurisdiction problem. It is giving authority to people in an area where they're always going to spend money. You have to take the authority away and not just cut one particular department. Rick Green: This is why I brought up the convention of states. I'm a Constitution guy, and I think the proper constitutional way to cut these things, whenever they are not willing to do it themselves, is to do it from the outside. Thankfully, our founders were smart enough to know this day was coming. They knew the nature of man. Rick Green: The American system is designed the way it is because of the biblical perspective of the Founding Fathers. These were not men who thought man was inherently good. They understood the Bible and the depravity of man. No matter who you put in office, their sin nature is drawn toward pride, getting reelected, and other things that will cause them not always to do what is right. Rick Green: Even if you elect a good person, it is difficult to withstand all the pressure and all the people who want you to solve their problems. So the founders said they would take that depraved, self-preserving, self-interested nature and pit people against each other. More than people, they would pit jurisdictions against each other so there would be tension, give and take, and checks and balances. Rick Green: If you send people to Washington as your federal congressman, senator, or president and they start trying to take too much power or do things they should not do at that level of government, the other levels of government have the power and ability to push back and pull power back. Rick Green: That's why the founders spread the power out. Jefferson had a great line in the Declaration of Independence: “When any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.” Rick Green: He's saying that we need government. We're not anti-government, and we're not for anarchy. Government is a blessing when it is in its proper lane, but when it gets out of its lane, it becomes a curse. So we spread the power out and organize it in such a way that there is tension. Rick Green: We have a national government with a few limited powers. That's why Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution lists the things the federal government gets to do. We added a couple of things through the 27 amendments, but that's the federal government's bucket of power. Rick Green: The states have much more power because they are closer to the people. Within each state, the state can decide how much power goes to the state versus local government. Biblically, the individual has certain power and authority, the family has certain power and authority, and the church has certain power and authority. Rick Green: Instead of having a dictatorship or believing that one person is smarter than everyone else and can rule our lives for us, we spread that power among all these different areas. We also empowered each area with tools to protect its turf and push back when another area tries to take its power. Rick Green: That's why we have the judiciary. That's why the states have the ability to amend the Constitution and even overrule the federal judiciary. The Supreme Court is not the final say. That's why the president can veto laws from Congress, Congress can override a veto with a larger vote, and the states can push back. It's also why individuals have freedom of movement and can move to another state where a different level of power is being implemented. Rick Green: That's a lot of moving parts, and it made the greatest nation in the world possible because we were able to push back and keep those checks and balances. Unfortunately, we are on about a hundred-year run of not checking the federal government and putting it back in balance. Rick Green: I have left too many phone calls out here, so let's go to Josh in Texas. Josh, you're up next. Josh: I have a question about the budget. I've always thought about Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the statue, with the head, the bronze, the legs, and the feet of iron mixed with clay. The feet have always troubled me. I've thought the clay represented the economy. The iron represented strength, but it was mixed with a horrible economy. I can't help but think that's what it is today. I want to know your thoughts. Rick Green: My friend Kevin Freeman and I were talking about this two weeks ago, not specifically about Nebuchadnezzar's dream, but about the fact that if you don't get the money piece right, if you don't get the economy right in terms of your monetary supply, the value of money, and all those things, everything else falls apart. Rick Green: Kevin was giving me all these Scriptures and examples, and I thought, “That is a preacher right there.” He's supposed to be doing a new presentation on it for me. If you haven't heard of Kevin, he's a great guy. He wrote Pirate Money, which is about the gold standard, and he wrote The Four Horsemen of the American Apocalypse, about the alliance of globalists, Islamists, and communists and how that strange alliance could bring down America. Rick Green: I don't think the chapter is written yet. I think we can fight back and win, but Kevin is really good on that subject. His show is called Economic War Room, and I recommend that you listen to it. Rick Green: You raised a great point, and that's why we talk so much about the economy and money. Jesus talked about it so much, and the Bible covers it so extensively. Rick Green: Let's try to get one more call in before the break. We only have about 90 seconds. Rebecca, go ahead. I may hold you over. Rebecca: Can you hear me? Rick Green: I can. Go for it. Rebecca: There's a lawmaker, Harrison, I believe, who is asking for Abbott's emergency powers to be stripped because they are evidently very strong. With the new governor coming in, we could see some massive changes very quickly in Texas. Are you aware of that? Rick Green: Yes, absolutely. I'll probably carry this over after the break, but Abbott was a total tyrant during COVID. He had way too much power and used it. I spoke out against him, and I'm persona non grata at the governor's mansion because of it. Rick Green: The idea that he would call a special session and strip those powers before Gina Hinojosa gets in, I don't think that will happen. I saw Harrison's post saying he agreed and wished they would do it, but one of my friends who is also a legislator said the Democrats would leave town. Unfortunately, that's how the Texas system works. They can break quorum, and they do it all the time. Rick Green: There is no way they are going to be able to strip those powers now. They should have done it a long time ago. Five years ago, Republicans should have stripped those powers from the governor. There are far too many emergency powers. Rick Green: I'm Rick Green. You're listening to At the Core with Walker Wildmon and Rick Green. Rick Green: Welcome back to At the Core. Great call asking about the emergency powers of the Texas governor. It is completely out of control. Those powers were significantly abused during COVID by Greg Abbott. Republicans did nothing to stop him. I shouted from the rooftops throughout that whole situation and published articles calling an end to the tyranny. Rick Green: That's why I don't think there is any chance they would do this in the next 60 days before the Democrats take over in January. I appreciate Brian throwing out that idea, but even my conservative friends in the state legislature have not supported it because the Democrats would simply leave town, making it a waste of effort. The ability to get it done is not there. It should have been done a long time ago. Rick Green: I'm always against emergency powers like that. When COVID happened, COVID was never the problem. It was the government's reaction to COVID that killed so many people and created so much harm. Rick Green: Initially, I asked how these governors were doing this. We don't believe in tyranny, where one person gets to shut down an economy, tell people they have to stay home, or act when the legislature is not in session. Governors were being total tyrants, not just Democrats but Republicans as well. Rick Green: I started researching these emergency powers in March 2020. I went back and read the statutes from virtually every state. The powers were created in 1973 and 1974, during a movement across the country when legislatures created emergency powers designed for hurricanes or other major catastrophic events. They were intended for things like stay-in-place orders while authorities dealt with downed power lines and similar emergencies. Rick Green: Because the statutes included the word “pandemic,” people abused them and went off the rails. They even lied about what had been done in the past. We had never done what we did during COVID in the United States, not even during the Spanish flu. There were anecdotal stories of cities such as San Francisco having mask mandates on public transportation, and many cities asked theaters and churches not to meet for a couple of weeks. It was not a year like during COVID. Rick Green: I believe the longest closure I found was six weeks in Wisconsin. They lied to us. The Spanish flu was much worse than COVID, with a fatality rate through the roof and children being killed as well. Even in that far worse situation, we did not do the insanity we did during COVID. Rick Green: The emergency powers passed in the early 1970s were a terrible idea. They were not worded well, and they gave governors the ability to manipulate them. I went back and read not only the statutes but also the legislative journals and debates to make sure I understood them. The legislators never intended to give a governor the ability to shut down the economy or tell people they had to stay home because of a virus. Rick Green: The emergency powers do need to be stripped, but I don't think the Republican legislature in the lame-duck session is going to do it. I don't think the governor would sign it. It would make him a hypocrite to use those powers and then turn around and take them away from the next person. Rick Green: This is why you have to pass laws and design systems so that if your team is not in charge, the system still works. You don't say, “We're going to do this while we're in charge, but we're not going to give you the power to do it when you're in charge.” That's what checks and balances are about. If someone does something beyond what the system allows, the check and balance has to take place. Rick Green: Let's go to Jackie in Texas. Jackie, if you're still with me, go ahead. Jackie: I'm here. I admire you trying to teach a dumbed-down society about the Constitution of the United States. My question is in reverse to what you were saying about Abbott and those powers. What can we do in the next 60 days to implement something that can't be changed, something that needs to go into effect, such as no Sharia law ever in the state of Texas or in the United States? How far can we carry this? Rick Green: Thank you, Jackie. I don't know about being more knowledgeable, but I don't think there is a lot we can do at the Texas level because of quorum. The Democrats can walk out and break quorum, and by the time you tried to punish them, they would be in charge in January. That's why a lame-duck session makes it difficult to do anything. Rick Green: The federal level is different. They don't have the same rules and freedom to break quorum, and Republicans have enough votes that they could still get things done. At the federal level, I do think what you suggested is doable and should be done. Rick Green: You're hearing a few people say that Congress needs to stay in town and work every day. Chip Roy has been posting about this, saying they should work every day for the next 50-something days and get some of the big things done. Rick Green: The federal situation is totally different from Texas. Whatever Republicans pass right now, they have the power to pass. The American people gave them that power through the end of this year. They have a responsibility to do what they believe is best and pass these laws. If the laws are constitutional and within the scope of the power the Constitution gives them, then they should use the power they've been given. Rick Green: The reason Republicans lost, and the reason six million evangelicals who voted in 2022 did not vote this time, is that Republicans did not use the power they had. They did not pass the SAVE Act or make the DOGE cuts. If we had followed Elon Musk's lead and done the DOGE cuts, sticking with the coalition that got President Trump back into the White House, none of this would be an issue right now. We would have won the elections, and our side would have shown up in droves. Rick Green: That's what happens when you don't use power: You lose power. They have a chance to create momentum going into the next two years and give us the ability to rebuild if they would seize this moment and pass good legislation. The president can protect those things for two years with his veto pen. Rick Green: Imagine if they passed the SAVE Act. The filibuster is not a constitutional provision. It is a rule of the Senate. There is nothing preventing them from changing the rules if they have the votes, even if it is only for the next 60 days. Rick Green: I know people will say the Democrats will then get rid of the filibuster and punish us for the next two years. So what? They're going to do it anyway. They're going to try to get statehood for Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., pack the court, and do all those things. Rick Green: The only thing protecting us for the next two years is President Trump's veto. Anything passed over the next 50-something days and signed by the president can be challenged, but he can veto the effort to undo it. Unless they have enough votes to override his veto, which they will not, we're good for the next two years. Rick Green: That means we have to win in 2028. We have to win the presidency and potentially win back the House and Senate. I know it will be difficult, but two years is a lifetime in politics. We could absolutely bring that coalition back together and build momentum. Rick Green: If Republicans show backbone and courage right now, they will not have the chance to do it after January. After January, Republicans in Congress will be window dressing. Anything they say or do will be just words. Rick Green: To win back the people who gave us the ability to govern, Republicans are going to have to prove that they will do better with the power they were given. I doubt they will do that in the next 60 days, but if they did, we would have the momentum to win everything back in 2028. Rick Green: When they don't do it, that does not mean we can't win in the long run, but it means it will be much harder. We will have to rebuild over time and scratch and claw to win back the trust and enthusiasm of the people who have given up. Rick Green: Let's see if we can get a couple more calls in. The number is 888-589-8840. Kenny is up next in Indiana. Kenny: Why is Sharia law not considered treason in our country? Rick Green: I got you. Why is Sharia law not considered treason in our country? It certainly should be considered unconstitutional. It is not compatible with our Constitution for a lot of reasons. Rick Green: If you are implementing Sharia, could you argue that it is treason? I'm hesitating because I'm thinking through the definition of treason. If Sharia were being used in a small community, they could argue that they were not trying to take over the entire nation. We know that is the Islamic plan, but if its use in that community only affected that community, they could argue that it was not undermining the entire nation. Rick Green: I am thinking through this as I answer you because it is actually undermining the American system. That is part of a treasonous claim. Rick Green: It is an esoteric argument because we can't even get politicians to say that Sharia should be banned. We can't get politicians to say that people should not be able to create Islamic-dominated enclaves where Sharia is used, including Sharia courts in Texas. We're never going to get them to say it is treason and make it that serious. Rick Green: But I think your thinking is right, Kenny. We have to start asking: If something is not compatible with our system, why do we allow it to exist? If something is going to undermine our system, why do we permit it? Rick Green: I saw a post the other day that I thought was brilliant. It said that if a cult leader started a new religion that said women had no rights, people could marry children, the Constitution should be undermined, the religion must dominate every other community and religion, and anyone who joined the cult and tried to leave could be put to death, would we want that in our communities? Would we pass laws saying it was not allowed? Rick Green: We shut down cults that allow polygamy. Why would we not stop a cult that has polygamy, child marriage, and all the other things I listed? I think you're headed in the right direction. We have to figure out how to convince the American people that this is not freedom of religion. Rick Green: It is not merely a religion. It is a political ideology and a dominating force meant to destroy everything outside of it. It is against everything we believe, yet its advocates wrap themselves in the Constitution and freedom of religion. Rick Green: That's how Hassan got elected in Michigan. His entire campaign theme was, “If you love the Constitution, you'll vote for me,” because that supposedly proved you were not a bigot and were for freedom of religion. It made people feel good and helped them with their white guilt. It made them feel like nice Christians, and it worked. Rick Green: He convinced many people in Michigan that if they really talked to him long enough, they would find out they were against everything he stood for. But he got them to vote for him because he wrapped himself in the Constitution and Christian niceness. We have to get smarter and realize what we're up against and how to fight it. Rick Green: We only have a couple of minutes left. Daniel in Arkansas, go ahead. Daniel: Why are there so many seats in the House? Rick Green: The number is set by federal law. The exact number is not set by the Constitution, but the Constitution allows federal law to set it. We have had 435 members for a long time. Rick Green: If the first proposed amendment in the Bill of Rights had been ratified, we would have about 7,000 members of Congress right now. So let's be glad that amendment was not ratified. Rick Green: The Senate is set by the Constitution because each state gets two senators. The 435 members in the House are just a magic number. The total population of the country is divided among those 435 members to determine how many people are represented by each member. Rick Green: I don't know that 435 is too many. New Hampshire has 400 members in its state legislature, and the Texas House has 150. When I started, Texas had 150, and that seemed to work pretty well. Rick Green: It is not so much the number as the principles and jurisdiction. I don't care if there are 400 members or 5,000 members. They should not be able to govern on issues the Constitution does not give them, such as education, agriculture, and the other areas I listed earlier. Rick Green: We can fix this, folks. We have to fix the jurisdiction question before everything else will fall into place. Rick Green: Thanks for listening. I'm Rick Green, America's Constitution Coach. Thank you to all of our veterans. Tomorrow is Veterans Day. Thank you for everything you did to make our freedom possible. We will increase our devotion to the cause for which you gave the last full measure of devotion. God bless you. Have a good one.
Rick Green: Welcome to At the Core on American Family Radio. I'm Rick Green, America's Constitution Coach. Thanks for joining me today. Rick Green: As I was listening to that bumper music, I heard a great line from James: “Count it all joy when you experience various trials,” because trials produce perseverance, character, and hope. America, we're going to go through some trials here. My home state of Texas is going to go through some trials, and we better count it joy because God is going to use it. He's going to make us perfect and complete, lacking nothing, with the patience and perseverance we need. Rick Green: I think there are going to be some tough days ahead, but I think they're going to help us reignite a passion for the biblical principles of liberty that made this nation great in the first place. I think we had a little bit of a temper tantrum in the election. As I mentioned last week, a lot of folks stayed home because they didn't get what they wanted. Rick Green: I understand the frustration. It started with the DOGE cuts, saying no to Elon Musk and the cuts and things that would have put us back on a financially responsible path. Instead of being $41 trillion in debt, we would probably be down to $35 trillion or even less and on our way to recovering if we had done the obvious, common-sense things that work for those of us in the real world but don't work for the broken system in Washington, D.C., where everybody is eating out of the trough, taking whatever they want, and demanding bigger budgets. Rick Green: Had we done that, I think the picture would have been totally different. It would have given us momentum. We would have gotten the SAVE Act done, and we would have weathered the storm on Iran and all those things. I understand those who say it's a uniparty because the system is broken in Washington and we're never going to be able to change it. Rick Green: No, no, no. What do you do when something is broken? You fix it. If you own a house and a water line breaks or the toilet breaks, you don't just say, “Something broke in the house. I'm leaving. I give up.” No, you figure out where and why it's broken, figure out what to do to fix it, and recover. That's essentially what we're going to have to do with our country. Rick Green: We've got a broken Washington system that rewards people for growing only the system, for growing only the beast. I liken it to the way we talk in government classes and history about checks and balances. I always say, if you don't do the check, you don't get the balance. If you don't use the check, you don't put things back in balance. Checks and balances work if you actually use them. Rick Green: The ultimate check that needs to be done right now is for the states to check the federal government. There needs to be a power struggle, instead of simply giving the federal government everything it wants. The states need to push back and take some of that power back. Rick Green: That's what we call a convention of states, because Article V of the Constitution provides for the states to come together without the federal government and propose amendments. The states can say, “We don't need the federal government doing education. We don't want the federal government doing agriculture. It certainly should not be involved in health care,” and all the other things it is doing. Rick Green: That would be the check that puts things back in balance. The check has to come from the states pushing back against the federal government and taking that power back. Then we can work things out at the state level. Different states can do different things. Some states are going to do more in health care and other areas, and some are going to do less. Rick Green: Some states are going to recognize the spheres of government that God created: self-government, family government, community and civil government, and church government. Other states will not, and they will be more fascist-like, with their own little dictators and people like Governor Newsom who think they can solve all your problems. Rick Green: That competition is actually good. That's part of what I'm going to be pushing for over the next few years: getting back to a place where each state can do its own thing, decide how it wants to govern, and then we can all vote with our feet. Rick Green: My state of Texas is now going to have Democrat leadership pretty much across the board. Republicans still hold the Texas Senate, so there will be a wall there that can stop a lot of bad legislation. Some things are going to get through because there will be negotiations. The Democrats have the governor, lieutenant governor, and the House, so they are going to hold up appropriations bills or do everything they can to stop school choice. Rick Green: We're going to have to see what the Texas Senate, with 19 Republican senators out of 31, can do to stop the bad stuff. We also barely have a Republican Texas Supreme Court, with a five-to-four majority. Those are the two levers of power in Texas that still remain Republican. Everything else went Democrat. Rick Green: I'm going to have to see what happens in my own state. Would I vote with my feet if Texas got Seattle-bad or Los Angeles-bad? I've never had to think about it this way. I've had 30 years of weak Republican government. We never did many of the big things we should have done, and we're not as red as people think we are, but I've never had to think about it this way. Rick Green: When I first got involved in politics in 1990, I worked on local races in San Angelo, Texas, where I went to college. I worked on justice of the peace races, commissioner races, and the governor's race. That year, Ann Richards was running against Clayton Williams. I was cutting my teeth and figuring out the political world, and Democrats had everything. They had the House, the Senate, and every statewide official. It was total Democrat domination in Texas. Rick Green: Four years later, George W. Bush won. More statewide officials began to be elected, and within eight years, all of the statewide officials were Republican. The Democrats still had the House, and Republicans barely had the Senate. Four years later, in the 2003 legislative session, Republicans took the House for the first time. Rick Green: I'm giving you that history to paint the picture that the pendulum can swing in a fairly short period of time. In roughly a decade, we went from all Democrat to all Republican. Now, 20 or 25 years later, we're mostly Democrat in terms of elected officials, except for the five Republican Texas Supreme Court justices and the Republican judges on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Rick Green: All of that is to say that I think we can swing Texas back even faster than it happened in the 1990s. I don't believe Texas has suddenly become a blue state. I think this election was a perfect storm. You had a couple of million votes that came out of nowhere. I'm not saying for certain that there was cheating. It certainly looks like it based on the numbers, and it's strange how it happened. Rick Green: We also recognize that millions of people came into the country. There has been a lot of legal and illegal immigration, and many people have moved to Texas in the last few years. Evangelicals stayed home, with six million of them across the country not voting. I don't know how many stayed home in Texas. A lot of people voted Democrat who normally don't. All of that came together. Rick Green: I think Texas probably turns around fairly quickly, within five or six years. I bet we could take all of those offices back again. I don't think this will last very long. Rick Green: But it will put me to the test. What if Texas stayed blue? I don't think that's going to happen, but what if we became like Portland or Seattle all across Texas? Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin are already very much like Portland and Seattle. Would I vote with my feet? Rick Green: Now that I'm thinking this through for myself, my family, and our heritage, I understand a little better why I have so many friends in Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, and other left-wing cities who have not left. They have always told me, “Rick, this is our home. We've been here for five generations. We know a lot of good people here. We have good churches. We're going to fight to save our state and turn it around.” Rick Green: There were times, especially in 2021 and 2022, when I thought, “Y'all are crazy. Why don't you come to Texas and help me make Texas stronger?” But now that I'm having to put those shoes on my own feet, I'm thinking, “I get it. I totally get it now.” Rick Green: I'm taking a different approach in response to this election. Instead of immediately asking where the Alamo is and where we should gather to create a stronghold, my mind is going somewhere else. Normally I think strategically about how we survive, fight back, and take ground. But honestly, that's not where my head is now. I don't think that's what the Lord is saying to me. Rick Green: I really feel like it's a Ziklag moment. We've had this big defeat, and we're asking the Lord, “What do we do? Is it okay to go?” I feel like the Lord is saying, “Go. Go now. Take back ground. In fact, go recover all of it.” Rick Green: When David got that message at Ziklag, he went and recovered everything. I feel like that's what we're supposed to do. I'm going for all 50 states. I'm not going to sit back and only fight to restore Texas. We're going to put a lot of effort into Texas because it is my home state, but we're going after the whole enchilada. We're going after all 50 states. Rick Green: We're going to take Patriot Academy into all 50 states, and we're going to help each state raise up a farm team. We're going to help each state build a remnant of young people and, frankly, older people as well, getting trained to be biblically grounded, constitutionally brilliant, and strategically and tactically sound. Rick Green: In every state, there is going to be a small but tireless, hardworking, committed Christian base fighting for liberty in that state, however long it takes to restore it. We're taking Patriot Academy into all 50 states. Rick Green: We already have Constitution coaches in all 50 states, and we have Leadership Congress graduates in all 50 states. But I want to see a much stronger and more focused effort, where we go into each state capital and do what we've done in Texas for 20 years, because it absolutely is working. Rick Green: Despite this particular election, we have a strong base of young people who are now in their 20s, 30s, and even 40s, leading and serving on school boards, city councils, state legislatures, Congress, and in the White House. That team needs to get busy. Rick Green: We're going to head into all 50 states and build up that base. We've done Leadership Congresses in seven states, and now we're headed to all of them. Go to patriotacademy.com to learn more about what we're doing in your state and how you can be part of it. Rick Green: Maybe you can find a young person between 16 and 25 to spend a few days at your state capital. Maybe you can be the torchbearer from your community who sponsors that young person. Maybe you're a legislator who wants to be the legislative champion in your state and help us at the state capital. Rick Green: We do not cower around here. We do not curl up in the fetal position and give up. It's time to reload and reengage, and I mean that intellectually, for those of you who would try to take it out of context. Rick Green: We'll take a quick break. The phone number is 888-589-8840. I'm Rick Green, America's Constitution Coach, and you're listening to At the Core. Rick Green: Welcome back to At the Core with Walker Wildmon and Rick Green. I'm Rick Green. We're in Ackerman, Mississippi, talking about AFA Christmas buttons. Brother Lawson, thanks for joining us. Jerry Lawson: Rick, it's a joy to be here with you. Rick Green: I'm a neophyte here. I'm new to the AFA Christmas buttons, so educate me. Jerry Lawson: Don Wildmon had this inspiration given to him by God years ago. There were some naysayers here at AFA, but Don said God gave him the inspiration, and he was going to do it anyway. He started doing the buttons around the year 2000. There was a war against Christmas, and Don started putting these buttons together. Jerry Lawson: I thought this was something I could get involved in, so I got with him back in 2000 and started taking buttons, passing them out, witnessing, and having the time of my life. Rick Green: I used to have Tim Wildmon on the WallBuilders radio program every year. We'd talk about the naughty and nice list, the war on Christmas, and different companies that were allowing people to say “Merry Christmas” and those that weren't. Rick Green: Tell me what happens when you're wearing the button. I know it's becoming an evangelism tool because it opens up conversations. Jerry Lawson: For me, the button is a reminder. When I leave the house each day, I put a button on. I do that all 365 days of the year. We've got all kinds of Easter buttons, Christmas buttons, and Lenten buttons. Jerry Lawson: It reminds me that not only do I have the light of Jesus Christ within me, but I want to shine the light on the outside. The Lord leads me to people who are hurting, sad, or upset about the way things are going in the world. Like Don Wildmon used to say, when it gets darker, our lights get brighter. I have joy trying to pick people up, hug them, and share the love of Jesus Christ with them. Rick Green: I love it: wear and share all season long. You can get the buttons at resources.afa.net, or call 877-927-4917 to order some. Rick Green: I'm guessing you don't want just one. You have to have extras in your pocket to give out, because somebody is going to say, “I want one of those.” Jerry Lawson: I tell ministers I'll give them a package of 10. They may have 300 members, and I say, “I'm trying to create a controversy in your church. I want 10 people to wear those buttons and 50 or 60 people to come and say, ‘Preacher, I want one of those buttons.’” Tell the elders and deacons to order some buttons so they can pass them out. Join the fun and the joy with me. Rick Green: Here's the big controversy. Do you wear a Christmas button before Thanksgiving? It's like the fight over whether you put the decorations up now. If you're David Barton, you have Christmas decorations and play Christmas music year-round, and you set your air conditioning at about 45 degrees so you can have a fireplace in July. Rick Green: But let's move that discussion over to the buttons. You've got yours on, and Thanksgiving hasn't even happened yet. So you don't wait? Get the button now? Jerry Lawson: The Lord told me, “Jerry, when you see Christmas decorations in the big-box stores, put your Christmas button on.” On September 15, people in my county started putting out Christmas decorations. I went to my office, got my Christmas buttons, put them on, and started going into those stores passing out Christmas buttons. Rick Green: I love it. I'm seeing the decorations in my hometown too. If decorations in the big-box stores are the signal, then it's time to go get your buttons. Go to resources.afa.net or call 877-927-4917. There is free shipping on the buttons, and the price gets even lower if you get a whole bunch. Rick Green: It's not too soon. You can wear them right now, even before Thanksgiving. If you're going to follow Brother Lawson's lead, create that controversy in your church. Only give 10 away at a time. Keep the rest at home and wait until the fever pitch, until everybody is really riled up about it, and then come in and create peace on earth and goodwill toward all men with buttons. Jerry Lawson: That's exactly right. Rick Green: Wear and share all season long. Get your buttons at resources.afa.net and start wearing them. It's a great way to engage people. My pastor talks about this all the time. You never know what a waitress or waiter is going through in life. The people you run into every day are hurting and looking for someone to give them an encouraging word. We've got the light of the world. Let's get it out from under the bushel and shine it. Jerry Lawson: Anything you give away in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, He's going to give back to you and more. Rick Green: Amen. Jerry Lawson is pastor of Enon Presbyterian Church in Ackerman, Mississippi. I appreciate you, brother. Thanks for coming on. Jerry Lawson: I encourage everybody to go to wearandshare.afa.net and order your buttons today. Merry Christmas. Rick Green: Merry Christmas to you. It's never a bad time of year to say Merry Christmas. Rick Green: Let's go to the phones. We have callers waiting. Mike in West Virginia, you're first up today. What's your question, comment, or insult? Whatever you've got, go for it. Mike: Thank you for taking my call. My comment is that we have to start taking deficit spending seriously. I think a lot of congressmen pretend to take it seriously, but they don't. We're never going to get deficit spending under control as long as there is only one federal organization that ever gets the budget cut. Rick Green: I absolutely agree. It has to get under control. You cannot continue at this rate and survive. There are a handful of people in Congress, including Chip Roy and others, who are not just giving it lip service. They've been working very hard to get it done, but we don't have the votes. Rick Green: That goes to my point in the first segment. It's a broken system in Washington, D.C. Everybody is at the trough. It doesn't matter whether you have Republicans or Democrats in office on this issue. The budget continues to get worse. If you have a Republican president, Republican House, and Republican Senate, the budget still goes up. If you have Democrats in all three, the budget goes up. If you have a mixture of the three, the budget goes up. Rick Green: This is a jurisdiction problem. It is giving authority to people in an area where they're always going to spend money. You have to take the authority away and not just cut one particular department. Rick Green: This is why I brought up the convention of states. I'm a Constitution guy, and I think the proper constitutional way to cut these things, whenever they are not willing to do it themselves, is to do it from the outside. Thankfully, our founders were smart enough to know this day was coming. They knew the nature of man. Rick Green: The American system is designed the way it is because of the biblical perspective of the Founding Fathers. These were not men who thought man was inherently good. They understood the Bible and the depravity of man. No matter who you put in office, their sin nature is drawn toward pride, getting reelected, and other things that will cause them not always to do what is right. Rick Green: Even if you elect a good person, it is difficult to withstand all the pressure and all the people who want you to solve their problems. So the founders said they would take that depraved, self-preserving, self-interested nature and pit people against each other. More than people, they would pit jurisdictions against each other so there would be tension, give and take, and checks and balances. Rick Green: If you send people to Washington as your federal congressman, senator, or president and they start trying to take too much power or do things they should not do at that level of government, the other levels of government have the power and ability to push back and pull power back. Rick Green: That's why the founders spread the power out. Jefferson had a great line in the Declaration of Independence: “When any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.” Rick Green: He's saying that we need government. We're not anti-government, and we're not for anarchy. Government is a blessing when it is in its proper lane, but when it gets out of its lane, it becomes a curse. So we spread the power out and organize it in such a way that there is tension. Rick Green: We have a national government with a few limited powers. That's why Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution lists the things the federal government gets to do. We added a couple of things through the 27 amendments, but that's the federal government's bucket of power. Rick Green: The states have much more power because they are closer to the people. Within each state, the state can decide how much power goes to the state versus local government. Biblically, the individual has certain power and authority, the family has certain power and authority, and the church has certain power and authority. Rick Green: Instead of having a dictatorship or believing that one person is smarter than everyone else and can rule our lives for us, we spread that power among all these different areas. We also empowered each area with tools to protect its turf and push back when another area tries to take its power. Rick Green: That's why we have the judiciary. That's why the states have the ability to amend the Constitution and even overrule the federal judiciary. The Supreme Court is not the final say. That's why the president can veto laws from Congress, Congress can override a veto with a larger vote, and the states can push back. It's also why individuals have freedom of movement and can move to another state where a different level of power is being implemented. Rick Green: That's a lot of moving parts, and it made the greatest nation in the world possible because we were able to push back and keep those checks and balances. Unfortunately, we are on about a hundred-year run of not checking the federal government and putting it back in balance. Rick Green: I have left too many phone calls out here, so let's go to Josh in Texas. Josh, you're up next. Josh: I have a question about the budget. I've always thought about Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the statue, with the head, the bronze, the legs, and the feet of iron mixed with clay. The feet have always troubled me. I've thought the clay represented the economy. The iron represented strength, but it was mixed with a horrible economy. I can't help but think that's what it is today. I want to know your thoughts. Rick Green: My friend Kevin Freeman and I were talking about this two weeks ago, not specifically about Nebuchadnezzar's dream, but about the fact that if you don't get the money piece right, if you don't get the economy right in terms of your monetary supply, the value of money, and all those things, everything else falls apart. Rick Green: Kevin was giving me all these Scriptures and examples, and I thought, “That is a preacher right there.” He's supposed to be doing a new presentation on it for me. If you haven't heard of Kevin, he's a great guy. He wrote Pirate Money, which is about the gold standard, and he wrote The Four Horsemen of the American Apocalypse, about the alliance of globalists, Islamists, and communists and how that strange alliance could bring down America. Rick Green: I don't think the chapter is written yet. I think we can fight back and win, but Kevin is really good on that subject. His show is called Economic War Room, and I recommend that you listen to it. Rick Green: You raised a great point, and that's why we talk so much about the economy and money. Jesus talked about it so much, and the Bible covers it so extensively. Rick Green: Let's try to get one more call in before the break. We only have about 90 seconds. Rebecca, go ahead. I may hold you over. Rebecca: Can you hear me? Rick Green: I can. Go for it. Rebecca: There's a lawmaker, Harrison, I believe, who is asking for Abbott's emergency powers to be stripped because they are evidently very strong. With the new governor coming in, we could see some massive changes very quickly in Texas. Are you aware of that? Rick Green: Yes, absolutely. I'll probably carry this over after the break, but Abbott was a total tyrant during COVID. He had way too much power and used it. I spoke out against him, and I'm persona non grata at the governor's mansion because of it. Rick Green: The idea that he would call a special session and strip those powers before Gina Hinojosa gets in, I don't think that will happen. I saw Harrison's post saying he agreed and wished they would do it, but one of my friends who is also a legislator said the Democrats would leave town. Unfortunately, that's how the Texas system works. They can break quorum, and they do it all the time. Rick Green: There is no way they are going to be able to strip those powers now. They should have done it a long time ago. Five years ago, Republicans should have stripped those powers from the governor. There are far too many emergency powers. Rick Green: I'm Rick Green. You're listening to At the Core with Walker Wildmon and Rick Green. Rick Green: Welcome back to At the Core. Great call asking about the emergency powers of the Texas governor. It is completely out of control. Those powers were significantly abused during COVID by Greg Abbott. Republicans did nothing to stop him. I shouted from the rooftops throughout that whole situation and published articles calling an end to the tyranny. Rick Green: That's why I don't think there is any chance they would do this in the next 60 days before the Democrats take over in January. I appreciate Brian throwing out that idea, but even my conservative friends in the state legislature have not supported it because the Democrats would simply leave town, making it a waste of effort. The ability to get it done is not there. It should have been done a long time ago. Rick Green: I'm always against emergency powers like that. When COVID happened, COVID was never the problem. It was the government's reaction to COVID that killed so many people and created so much harm. Rick Green: Initially, I asked how these governors were doing this. We don't believe in tyranny, where one person gets to shut down an economy, tell people they have to stay home, or act when the legislature is not in session. Governors were being total tyrants, not just Democrats but Republicans as well. Rick Green: I started researching these emergency powers in March 2020. I went back and read the statutes from virtually every state. The powers were created in 1973 and 1974, during a movement across the country when legislatures created emergency powers designed for hurricanes or other major catastrophic events. They were intended for things like stay-in-place orders while authorities dealt with downed power lines and similar emergencies. Rick Green: Because the statutes included the word “pandemic,” people abused them and went off the rails. They even lied about what had been done in the past. We had never done what we did during COVID in the United States, not even during the Spanish flu. There were anecdotal stories of cities such as San Francisco having mask mandates on public transportation, and many cities asked theaters and churches not to meet for a couple of weeks. It was not a year like during COVID. Rick Green: I believe the longest closure I found was six weeks in Wisconsin. They lied to us. The Spanish flu was much worse than COVID, with a fatality rate through the roof and children being killed as well. Even in that far worse situation, we did not do the insanity we did during COVID. Rick Green: The emergency powers passed in the early 1970s were a terrible idea. They were not worded well, and they gave governors the ability to manipulate them. I went back and read not only the statutes but also the legislative journals and debates to make sure I understood them. The legislators never intended to give a governor the ability to shut down the economy or tell people they had to stay home because of a virus. Rick Green: The emergency powers do need to be stripped, but I don't think the Republican legislature in the lame-duck session is going to do it. I don't think the governor would sign it. It would make him a hypocrite to use those powers and then turn around and take them away from the next person. Rick Green: This is why you have to pass laws and design systems so that if your team is not in charge, the system still works. You don't say, “We're going to do this while we're in charge, but we're not going to give you the power to do it when you're in charge.” That's what checks and balances are about. If someone does something beyond what the system allows, the check and balance has to take place. Rick Green: Let's go to Jackie in Texas. Jackie, if you're still with me, go ahead. Jackie: I'm here. I admire you trying to teach a dumbed-down society about the Constitution of the United States. My question is in reverse to what you were saying about Abbott and those powers. What can we do in the next 60 days to implement something that can't be changed, something that needs to go into effect, such as no Sharia law ever in the state of Texas or in the United States? How far can we carry this? Rick Green: Thank you, Jackie. I don't know about being more knowledgeable, but I don't think there is a lot we can do at the Texas level because of quorum. The Democrats can walk out and break quorum, and by the time you tried to punish them, they would be in charge in January. That's why a lame-duck session makes it difficult to do anything. Rick Green: The federal level is different. They don't have the same rules and freedom to break quorum, and Republicans have enough votes that they could still get things done. At the federal level, I do think what you suggested is doable and should be done. Rick Green: You're hearing a few people say that Congress needs to stay in town and work every day. Chip Roy has been posting about this, saying they should work every day for the next 50-something days and get some of the big things done. Rick Green: The federal situation is totally different from Texas. Whatever Republicans pass right now, they have the power to pass. The American people gave them that power through the end of this year. They have a responsibility to do what they believe is best and pass these laws. If the laws are constitutional and within the scope of the power the Constitution gives them, then they should use the power they've been given. Rick Green: The reason Republicans lost, and the reason six million evangelicals who voted in 2022 did not vote this time, is that Republicans did not use the power they had. They did not pass the SAVE Act or make the DOGE cuts. If we had followed Elon Musk's lead and done the DOGE cuts, sticking with the coalition that got President Trump back into the White House, none of this would be an issue right now. We would have won the elections, and our side would have shown up in droves. Rick Green: That's what happens when you don't use power: You lose power. They have a chance to create momentum going into the next two years and give us the ability to rebuild if they would seize this moment and pass good legislation. The president can protect those things for two years with his veto pen. Rick Green: Imagine if they passed the SAVE Act. The filibuster is not a constitutional provision. It is a rule of the Senate. There is nothing preventing them from changing the rules if they have the votes, even if it is only for the next 60 days. Rick Green: I know people will say the Democrats will then get rid of the filibuster and punish us for the next two years. So what? They're going to do it anyway. They're going to try to get statehood for Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., pack the court, and do all those things. Rick Green: The only thing protecting us for the next two years is President Trump's veto. Anything passed over the next 50-something days and signed by the president can be challenged, but he can veto the effort to undo it. Unless they have enough votes to override his veto, which they will not, we're good for the next two years. Rick Green: That means we have to win in 2028. We have to win the presidency and potentially win back the House and Senate. I know it will be difficult, but two years is a lifetime in politics. We could absolutely bring that coalition back together and build momentum. Rick Green: If Republicans show backbone and courage right now, they will not have the chance to do it after January. After January, Republicans in Congress will be window dressing. Anything they say or do will be just words. Rick Green: To win back the people who gave us the ability to govern, Republicans are going to have to prove that they will do better with the power they were given. I doubt they will do that in the next 60 days, but if they did, we would have the momentum to win everything back in 2028. Rick Green: When they don't do it, that does not mean we can't win in the long run, but it means it will be much harder. We will have to rebuild over time and scratch and claw to win back the trust and enthusiasm of the people who have given up. Rick Green: Let's see if we can get a couple more calls in. The number is 888-589-8840. Kenny is up next in Indiana. Kenny: Why is Sharia law not considered treason in our country? Rick Green: I got you. Why is Sharia law not considered treason in our country? It certainly should be considered unconstitutional. It is not compatible with our Constitution for a lot of reasons. Rick Green: If you are implementing Sharia, could you argue that it is treason? I'm hesitating because I'm thinking through the definition of treason. If Sharia were being used in a small community, they could argue that they were not trying to take over the entire nation. We know that is the Islamic plan, but if its use in that community only affected that community, they could argue that it was not undermining the entire nation. Rick Green: I am thinking through this as I answer you because it is actually undermining the American system. That is part of a treasonous claim. Rick Green: It is an esoteric argument because we can't even get politicians to say that Sharia should be banned. We can't get politicians to say that people should not be able to create Islamic-dominated enclaves where Sharia is used, including Sharia courts in Texas. We're never going to get them to say it is treason and make it that serious. Rick Green: But I think your thinking is right, Kenny. We have to start asking: If something is not compatible with our system, why do we allow it to exist? If something is going to undermine our system, why do we permit it? Rick Green: I saw a post the other day that I thought was brilliant. It said that if a cult leader started a new religion that said women had no rights, people could marry children, the Constitution should be undermined, the religion must dominate every other community and religion, and anyone who joined the cult and tried to leave could be put to death, would we want that in our communities? Would we pass laws saying it was not allowed? Rick Green: We shut down cults that allow polygamy. Why would we not stop a cult that has polygamy, child marriage, and all the other things I listed? I think you're headed in the right direction. We have to figure out how to convince the American people that this is not freedom of religion. Rick Green: It is not merely a religion. It is a political ideology and a dominating force meant to destroy everything outside of it. It is against everything we believe, yet its advocates wrap themselves in the Constitution and freedom of religion. Rick Green: That's how Hassan got elected in Michigan. His entire campaign theme was, “If you love the Constitution, you'll vote for me,” because that supposedly proved you were not a bigot and were for freedom of religion. It made people feel good and helped them with their white guilt. It made them feel like nice Christians, and it worked. Rick Green: He convinced many people in Michigan that if they really talked to him long enough, they would find out they were against everything he stood for. But he got them to vote for him because he wrapped himself in the Constitution and Christian niceness. We have to get smarter and realize what we're up against and how to fight it. Rick Green: We only have a couple of minutes left. Daniel in Arkansas, go ahead. Daniel: Why are there so many seats in the House? Rick Green: The number is set by federal law. The exact number is not set by the Constitution, but the Constitution allows federal law to set it. We have had 435 members for a long time. Rick Green: If the first proposed amendment in the Bill of Rights had been ratified, we would have about 7,000 members of Congress right now. So let's be glad that amendment was not ratified. Rick Green: The Senate is set by the Constitution because each state gets two senators. The 435 members in the House are just a magic number. The total population of the country is divided among those 435 members to determine how many people are represented by each member. Rick Green: I don't know that 435 is too many. New Hampshire has 400 members in its state legislature, and the Texas House has 150. When I started, Texas had 150, and that seemed to work pretty well. Rick Green: It is not so much the number as the principles and jurisdiction. I don't care if there are 400 members or 5,000 members. They should not be able to govern on issues the Constitution does not give them, such as education, agriculture, and the other areas I listed earlier. Rick Green: We can fix this, folks. We have to fix the jurisdiction question before everything else will fall into place. Rick Green: Thanks for listening. I'm Rick Green, America's Constitution Coach. Thank you to all of our veterans. Tomorrow is Veterans Day. Thank you for everything you did to make our freedom possible. We will increase our devotion to the cause for which you gave the last full measure of devotion. God bless you. Have a good one.
Rick Green, America’s Constitution Coach, explains why he believes states must reclaim authority from Washington and outlines a Patriot Academy effort to train constitutionally grounded Christians in all 50 states. He connects Texas’s political shift, federal deficit spending, Article V, checks and balances, and the need for conservatives to use political power before it disappears.
Green also responds to callers about Texas emergency powers, COVID-era executive authority, Sharia law, the federal budget, and the size and jurisdiction of Congress. Earlier, pastor Jerry Lawson of Enon Presbyterian Church in Ackerman, Mississippi, joins Green to discuss Christmas buttons as a practical evangelism tool and a way for Christians to share encouragement and the light of Christ throughout the year.
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