Rick Green: Religious freedom is about people of faith being able to live out their faith and their convictions, no matter where they are. We are to rejoice in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance produces character, and character produces hope. Rick Green: This is At the Core on American Family Radio. Welcome to At the Core. We are down to the wire, with less than two weeks until the election. It is the hot topic, and it will continue to be for the next couple of weeks. Rick Green: We need the repetition. We need a push right now. This is pedal-to-the-metal time. There is literally a battle for the heart and soul of America going on, and what happens in these midterms is going to have a significant impact on what our country looks like for the next few decades. It is an important time to pay attention. Rick Green: I am going to let some other folks share with us today. I have several guests who are going to be joining us. This first interview is one I did a few days ago at the beginning of early voting, and it is specifically about Virginia. I think it will really help us understand what is at stake because it highlights the massive contrast. The options that are out there are so different. Rick Green: This is not close. This is not one of those things where you can blindly vote or decide not to vote because it does not matter. The contrast is massive in terms of the difference in what our country will look like. This is very important. This specifically highlights one state, but it applies to the whole election. There are elections and propositions in other states across the country. This is an example of what Christians need to be engaged in today. Rick Green: Dr. Byron Fox and Dr. Michael Huffman are with us. The website we want to give out today is vaib.org. That is the Virginia Association of Independent Baptists. Click on the link for “Say No to All Three.” Rick Green: Gentlemen, you have three very important propositions on the ballot in Virginia. First of all, thank you for joining us. Byron Fox: We are glad to be here. We appreciate what you are doing. You have been active, of course, with our friend Chad Connelly and Faith Wins, and you have been a part of this for a long time, helping to defeat bad things and win good things. This one is huge. You have three major issues on the ballot. People can get the flyer at the website to see the specifics, but let us walk through them. Byron Fox: Christians voting on propositions like this is a stewardship opportunity. This is your chance to say yes or no to major policy issues. Michael Huffman: That is correct. This is a big deal. The eleventh commandment seems to be, “Thou shalt not be political,” but God’s people need to be involved because God has left us with a stewardship of our commonwealth. Jesus Christ was involved in government. Paul was involved in government. The Baptists were involved in government. God is the ordainer of government, along with the church and the family, and He expects us to be involved in all three. Michael Huffman: These are amendments to the Virginia Constitution. This is not a little something. It is very hard to put an amendment in place, and it is nearly impossible to get it out. These are fundamental, major issues. The first is the reproductive freedom amendment, as it is called. Dr. Fox will agree with me that all of these are very deviously worded to make you think they are one thing when they are really another. Michael Huffman: The first one is about life. The second one is the marriage amendment, and the last one is about restoration of voting rights for felons. My wife Rachel and I are voting no, no, no. I am a positive kind of guy, but on this I am very negative because these are wrong for Virginia. Rick Green: You are right about the language. They do this all over the country. They make it sound like they are protecting some right when, in fact, they are taking away the right of the baby to have life. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness keep you from having happiness if you do not have liberty, and you do not have liberty if you do not have life at all. Rick Green: In this case, we are talking about abortion up to and even into the third trimester. They are literally going to put into the Virginia Constitution a right to an abortion all the way through the pregnancy. Byron Fox: That is correct. This goes far beyond Roe and makes abortion a constitutional right up until birth when so-called health is cited. Whose health? The little baby dies. Rick Green: Dr. Huffman, let me ask you about the process. If this passes, in order to reverse it, would you have to go through two legislative sessions and then put it before the people for a vote? This would enshrine abortion up to birth and make it very difficult to reverse. Michael Huffman: The process to get it on the ballot had to go through the state House, then we had to have an election, then we had another state House where they voted on it again, and then it came to the ballot. The same thing would be required to repeal an amendment like this. It is an arduous process. We do not want it to be easy to add an amendment, but once an amendment is added, you have to go through that entire process again to remove it. Michael Huffman: These amendments would be in place for at least two years. The time to stop them is right now. This is the last-ditch effort to stop wickedness in the great state of Virginia. Rick Green: I have a great student from Patriot Academy who, when he talks about Virginia, it is almost as if the heavens open. He reminds me all the time of the importance of Virginia in the beginning of America. The Virginia Declaration of Rights is the foundation of our Bill of Rights. This is the place of Jefferson, Henry, and all of these great figures. Rick Green: For Virginia to be the place that enshrines these things in its Constitution is horrible. We have not even gotten into the second and third issues. The second one basically completely redefines marriage to be the opposite of what it actually means. It becomes anything and everything to everyone. You have a chance, as you said, and we have only about two weeks before the election. Byron Fox: We have already started voting. We have 45 days of voting. Rick Green: If somebody is listening to us in Virginia, or in another state where initiatives like this are happening, and they are saying, “I am not like those guys. I am not involved. I do not know all this stuff. I am not sure what it means, so I am just going to stay out of it and let other people decide,” by not acting, they are helping enshrine abortion up to birth and enshrine a definition of marriage that completely gets rid of one man and one woman. Aren’t they acting by not acting? Michael Huffman: Yes, they are. If you take no action, that is your decision. The constitutional amendment says every individual has the right to reproductive freedom, and then it lists all kinds of things. The interesting part is that it does not separate women from children or minors. It takes away parental consent. Michael Huffman: Virginia Code 1.2-40.1 says that parents have the final say in raising their children. The first thing I learned in law school is that constitutional language supersedes the code. This constitutional amendment says every individual. That is the thirteen-year-old girl who got pregnant sitting in her guidance counselor’s class. That guidance counselor could take her to Planned Parenthood to have an abortion without notifying her mother and father. Michael Huffman: It also says that any person who aids or assists in carrying out this fundamental right cannot be held criminally or civilly responsible. If something goes wrong, all of the safeguards are gone. When I was in law school, I had to read the Roe v. Wade case. Even though the three of us would disagree with its conclusion, one of the concerns it raised was safeguards. Michael Huffman: When I was in the Virginia General Assembly arguing with Senator Louise Lucas about this, she said, “We are just trying to codify Roe.” You are really not, because Roe was at least to some measure concerned about women having these abortions safely. Again, we would disagree with the overall conclusion, but it had some measure of safety. This completely takes away safety. It also takes away the conscientious objection of doctors who have a religious exception to abortion. They could be accused of violating a woman’s fundamental right and put their medical licenses in jeopardy. Rick Green: If I hear you right, Dr. Huffman, this also means you are protecting an abuser. Michael Huffman: Absolutely. An abuser who has taken advantage of a child could take that twelve-, thirteen-, or fourteen-year-old girl into an abortion clinic, get an abortion, and not be held accountable. The parents would not be notified. They would not even be told that it happened. Michael Huffman: You are literally opening the door for the kind of things we have spent decades getting legislation passed to prevent. This is going to wipe those protections away in Virginia. Sex traffickers are protected by the language of this constitutional amendment. Michael Huffman: As lawyers, we understand that words have meanings and definitions. A lot of the issue is not what it says, but what it will allow because of what it does not say. This will also hinder our statutory rape laws. Section 18.2-263 of the Code of Virginia is our statutory rape law. If everybody has a fundamental right to reproductive freedom, that also includes with whom you have relations. I know judges who would entertain an argument from a defense attorney that if you make my client a statutory rapist, you have infringed upon his partner’s right to reproductive freedom. Rick Green: Dr. Fox, Christianity, following a biblical perspective, is what has allowed for prosperity and liberty. Christianity is responsible for stopping evil. We have a duty to stand against evil. For Christians, pastors, and others to check out in Virginia and not participate, not say no, and not take a stand is almost like saying to everyone that we are not essential. Let us be essential here. Byron Fox: Absolutely. We cannot ask God to bless Virginia while we write the shedding of innocent blood into our Constitution. We cannot be silent. Byron Fox: These are very cleverly but dastardly worded amendments. It was on purpose. They did not accidentally write these things this way. This was absolutely intentional, and they must be stopped. There is good and evil, and this is evil. Byron Fox: Someone might say, “You should not be endorsing candidates.” I am not endorsing any candidate. I am pointing out evil. This is absolutely against the Word of God, the Bible that I revere and try to live my life by. Anyone with morality, or even common sense, knows that these things are wrong. This is a common-sense position. All of us are trying to take a stand against these things and stop them right now. Rick Green: Is it fair to say this is not even Republican or Democrat, left or right? This is good or evil. Michael Huffman: Yes, that is correct. It is a strong assessment, but it is accurate. I have had pro-choice people look at me after we discussed this amendment and say, “Doctor, help me. I am still pro-choice, but I am against this amendment because this goes too far.” Michael Huffman: When you take away parental consent, protect sex traffickers, take away safeguards, remove conscience protections, and reduce the requirement in the third trimester from three doctors to one, you have a serious problem. It would take only one doctor to say that a woman’s physical or mental health is at risk because of the pregnancy, and she could have an abortion on that child’s birthday. That one doctor could be the abortion doctor who stands to benefit from the procedure. Michael Huffman: This message has to get out. People have to understand what is actually going on. As I said, I have pro-choice people telling me, “Doctor, help me. This is way too far.” Rick Green: Let us talk about whether this can be defeated. People sometimes say, “We cannot win this one.” If the churches show up, if Christians show up, and if we get our team on the field, we absolutely can defeat this evil. We can win this. Do you agree? Byron Fox: Yes, one hundred percent. There is a core group, a growing core group, in Virginia of conservative, spiritually minded voters who have become engaged. Our voter turnout rate is 99 percent. Rick Green: Can you imagine having a group that votes at that high a percentage? Byron Fox: There is already a core group standing strongly opposed to this. However, all of us in that category have to find three people who did not vote last time and who share some of our values, and get them to the polls, even if we have to pick them up in our cars and take them there. It is that important. This comes down to voter turnout. Rick Green: We do not always realize that it is not just our vote. We can multiply and force-multiply by letting people know, posting online, telling them about this, and getting them to show up. On Election Day or during early voting, go pick them up and say, “Let us do this together as a church activity, Sunday school class, or whatever it might be.” If you are a grandparent, make sure your children and grandchildren who are old enough to vote are going and voting. Rick Green: You have links for people who are wondering where to go and where to vote. Go to vaib.org, the Virginia Association of Independent Baptists. Check out the flyer because it breaks down each of these three ballot initiatives. There is deeper information there, and there is also a link to find your polling place. Rick Green: Dr. Huffman, do not just be one vote out there. Be a force multiplier and get ten other people to vote on this. Michael Huffman: You are exactly right. As Dr. Fox said, get in the car and take people with you. On the VAIB website, there is also a link and QR code. If you are not registered to vote, the QR code will take you directly to the Virginia registrar’s website, where you can register online. Michael Huffman: There are videos about the abortion amendment and the marriage amendment, as well as articles about all three amendments. All three must be defeated. Again, that is vaib.org. Check out all the information. It will be very helpful. Rick Green: Thank you for leading the charge. If you had not stepped up and let people know about this, if you had not put this information together and made it easy for people to vote and share the information, evil would continue to march and win. This is how we stop it. This is how good can stand up. Rick Green: The old expression says that all it takes for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing. Here is a chance for good people to do something. Everybody can do something here in Virginia, and across the country as well. There are other issues going on in other places. We will talk about those in a moment. Rick Green: Dr. Michael Huffman, Dr. Byron Fox, God bless you. Thank you for being willing to stand, for being willing to be part of the solution, and for putting these tools out there. Rick Green: Next up is Jordan Lawrence from First Liberty. It is always good to have the folks from First Liberty with us. Jordan, thanks for joining us today. Jordan Lawrence: It is great to be here, Rick. Rick Green: Some people who have not been paying attention may think our topic sounds strange. We have joked about this in the past, but it looks like we literally have a choice between Republicans and communists. These people really do want to get rid of the Constitution. What are your thoughts on how bold the Democrats and socialists are becoming? Jordan Lawrence: Our founder, Kelly Shackleford, recently wrote about this, and I wholeheartedly agree. The way to think about it is to understand the beauty of the Constitution as designed by the Framers. It is built on checks and balances, federalism, and separation of powers. Jordan Lawrence: That may sound too abstract, but Justice Scalia said our freedom is found in the fact that we have checks and balances. What the Democratic Socialists of America want to do is obliterate all of them. They want to go from a House and a Senate to just a House. They want to make the president not a coequal branch but subservient to the House of Representatives. They want the Supreme Court not to be a separate branch but subservient to the wishes of the majority. Jordan Lawrence: The Framers understood that if we have blanket majority rule, minority rights will be crushed. That is why we have limited government and checks and balances. The president can veto what Congress does, and Congress has to approve who is on the Supreme Court, but Congress does not choose who that person is. The president does. Jordan Lawrence: Justice Scalia said before he died that what protects our constitutional rights, including the free exercise of religion, is not only that they are written in the Bill of Rights. It is also that we have checks and balances to restrain the majority from violating those rights. Jordan Lawrence: The Democratic Socialists want to get rid of all of that. I would add the Electoral College to the list. What their platform advocates is a recipe for utter disaster. Rick Green: There are so many things we could talk about, but the court issue makes me chuckle. It has to be a little comical, especially for you, having argued before the Supreme Court for years. The left used to worship the court. That was where they got most of their policy changes. Now they want to make it subservient because they do not like the way it is ruling. Jordan Lawrence: We want Americans to have an independent judiciary. In the 1960s, with the Warren Court, the court was going off the rails with living constitutionalism. But the checks and balances are for the people to elect a president and a Senate that will support candidates who interpret the Constitution correctly. Jordan Lawrence: We have had that with President Trump. President Trump has won some cases and lost some cases. That is the classic example of an independent judiciary. That is exactly what we want. Jordan Lawrence: If we end up like Venezuela, where the Supreme Court is subservient to elected officials, the justices become rubber stamps. They are not an independent judiciary, and people lose respect for the court. Jordan Lawrence: Even people who are Democratic Socialists do not all agree on the right result in every case. That is why we need checks and balances. It is reckless to suggest otherwise. They do not understand what they are talking about, and what they are proposing would be detrimental to our republic and even to their own agenda. If they can simply replace people they do not like, who is going to respect the court? Rick Green: Do you think they are throwing out the craziest ideas they can to energize their base and rile people up? Sometimes when you watch their interviews, it does not seem as though they have thought these things through. People throw the ideas back at them, and they look like they are caught in the headlights. Or do they genuinely want these things? Jordan Lawrence: This is just my impression, and I could be wrong, but I think they generally want these things and do not realize how foolish they are. The Book of Proverbs says that he who rolls a stone will have a stone roll back on him, and he who digs a pit will fall into it. Jordan Lawrence: I do not think they realize that the Supreme Court will not be respected if it is viewed as a political hack simply doing the will of elected officials. When elected officials are doing something wrong, it will not be a check and balance. The court will either rubber-stamp whatever the legislative body does, or the legislative body will replace justices who oppose it with yes-men and yes-women. Jordan Lawrence: That is unconscionable. They are very selective. They say they do not like that the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade, or that the president, who happens to be President Trump right now, has all this executive power. But they have forgotten that President Trump has lost on tariffs and birthright citizenship. Whatever you think about those issues, it demonstrates the vitality of an independent judiciary. Jordan Lawrence: That is exactly what we want under our Constitution. If we do not like it, we can change Congress and the president to get the Supreme Court we want. Rick Green: Speaking of Congress, when you hear them say they want to abolish the Senate, it is radical. They are talking about remaking what is the best example of a constitutional republic the world has ever known. Jordan Lawrence: They need to realize that the beauty and wisdom of the Constitution was to put anti-majoritarian checks and balances in place. That includes the Electoral College and the fact that every state has equal representation in the United States Senate. That keeps one dominating regional interest from dictating who is president and what laws Congress passes. Jordan Lawrence: If a president only had to run in New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago, we would get a very different president. If we had a unicameral system based on simple majority rule, those urban, blue areas would dictate everything for the whole nation. That is why we have these restraints. Jordan Lawrence: The ten smallest states in the union currently have equal numbers of Democratic and Republican senators. Vermont, Wyoming, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and the other small states are balanced. The system is working. For them to say that we are going to throw all of that out is crazy. Rick Green: A lot of this has gone viral, and many people are hearing about it. Do you think it moves the needle in the elections? Jordan Lawrence: I hope it does. The crucial turning point will be how educated average American voters are about these issues. When the Federalist and Anti-Federalist papers were written, they were written like newspaper opinion pieces for ordinary people to read and understand. They explained the importance of checks and balances. Jordan Lawrence: Instead, people now say, “That pesky Senate and Electoral College are unfair. The Supreme Court does not do whatever we want. We want yes-men in all those positions and want to eliminate all the restraints.” Jordan Lawrence: I hope enough people vote against the senators and members of Congress who advocate this craziness. If they come to power and vote for it, people will regret it. Those who roll a stone will have a stone roll back on them. It will not be nirvana or utopia if they eliminate all those restraints. Rick Green: Amen. Jordan Lawrence, we appreciate you and everyone at First Liberty. People can sign up for your emails and support the organization at firstliberty.org. Rick Green: What I am trying to do today is push you to vote. You have to realize how bad the Democratic Socialists of America are. You cannot say it is just a handful of Democrats. They are taking over the party. It is unbelievable how many people are supporting this outrageous agenda. Rick Green: You are hearing how radical it is and how far these people want to go to destroy the nation. This is no time to sit out. I have talked about this on previous programs. The complaints and excuses people use not to vote are no good this year. Rick Green: You cannot say there is no difference. There is such a stark difference. The idea that Democrats will literally change the makeup of the nation, that these Democratic Socialists want to get rid of some of the greatest institutions that make our system work, and that they support a radical transgender agenda and abortion up to birth is as bad as it gets. Rick Green: We have not even talked today about the Islamic invasion or the support these people are giving to illegal aliens who come into our country and do not want to assimilate. If you have watched what is going on in France and across Europe, you know it is not as violent everywhere, but France is the canary in the coal mine. Rick Green: France did exactly what we have been doing by bringing people into the country and allowing people to come in who do not love the country or want what it offers. They want to conquer the country and change it into something completely different. Rick Green: Any group that wants to undermine the Constitution, impose Sharia law, or impose socialism is incompatible with Western civilization. These systems do not work in our system. These people are not here to assimilate or be part of the American dream. What you are seeing in France can and will happen in the United States if we continue on that path. Rick Green: It is not enough to do what President Trump has already done, which is secure the border. You have to do remigration. You have to get out of the country the people who are trying to destroy it. We have a long way to go. Rick Green: If you give power to the Democratic Party, you enable the people who want to destroy our country. If you give power to the Republican Party, you at least have a chance. That does not mean it will happen because they are politicians too, and there are battles within the Republican Party. But at least you have a chance to give President Trump the power he needs to do remigration, not just secure the border but remove the people who are trying to destroy the country. Rick Green: We had another deportation this week of a major Islamic figure for threatening to undermine the country and being a threat to national security. That is the path this is going to take. If you put the Democrats in charge, there is no way that is going to happen. Rick Green: The contrast is huge. The excuse that your vote does not make a difference is no good. Look at all the close races across the country. The polling is neck and neck up and down the ballot across the nation. It is absolutely necessary for you to get out and vote. Vote early and get it done. Rick Green: Another excuse is that all the candidates are bad. People say they do not like either the Republican or the Democrat, or that both candidates are sinners. They have both done bad things. That is all of us. There is none righteous, no, not one. Rick Green: My friend Chad Connelly from Faith Wins said on our WallBuilders program the other day that people who say this are like people who do not like Diet Coke and therefore decide to drink Liquid Drano. That is how big the difference is. They are literally going to destroy the country because they did not want to drink Diet Coke. Rick Green: All of these excuses are ridiculous. Even if everything people use as an excuse were true, it would not change their duty. You still have this gift of freedom. The servant who buried his talent was called wicked and slothful. Even with all of those factors, you still have a duty to vote. Rick Green: Our last guest of the day is Doug Napier. I like ending the show with this because it is different and interesting. One complaint we have had for a long time is that corporate America has gone woke and is using our dollars to change the culture in the wrong direction. Rick Green: We buy goods and services from these companies, and then they promote incredible policies or use their advertising to promote cultural changes that are not good. Doug has started something called the 1792 Exchange. It is the opposite of that. It is a way to positively influence corporations, encourage them to do things that are pro-America, and reward them for doing so. Rick Green: It is somewhat similar to what Tim Wildmon has done for years with the Naughty and Nice List, monitoring what companies are doing around Christmas and rewarding the ones that do a good job while calling attention to the ones that do not. The 1792 Exchange looks at what companies are doing on many different issues and goes much deeper. Rick Green: Doug Napier is the CEO of the organization. This is not corporate responsibility in name only, which often means indoctrination, as the left has done with companies for the last fifty years. This is actual stewardship and responsibility. Doug, thanks for joining us. Doug Napier: Thanks for having me. It is great to be with you. Rick Green: What was the genesis of this? What caused its creation, and what are you excited about it doing in the long run? Doug Napier: There are a couple of factors. The 1792 Exchange is the leading provider of actionable data on corporate bias. We have been tracking companies for several years. We have a database of more than 4,600 companies that we have profiled, and we look at about thirty criteria. Doug Napier: We look at key things such as whether they respect constitutional rights, free speech, free exercise, freedom of conscience, and free enterprise. We have been doing that for quite a while. Doug Napier: As we have turned the corner into the 250th birthday of our nation, we have started looking back at what has made this nation great, especially in the marketplace. You focus on key areas of influence in the public square, such as government and the church. We focus on the marketplace because it is a key influencer. Doug Napier: We asked what makes an American company a great American company, one that is patriotic and shares the values that have made this nation great. We decided to put it together and analyze it. We have created this charter, and we are now taking nominations for people to nominate companies that fit this profile so we can celebrate American companies that are doing great things the right way. Rick Green: I am excited about this because the left has waged battle for the heart and soul of America for decades. Those who love America have enjoyed the benefits and blessings, but we have not always been in the fight, especially in areas like this. Rick Green: Franklin said the free market is the means under God of establishing the freedom of our country entire and handing it down complete to posterity. Without a free market, without thriving companies that are moving in the same direction for the greatness of America, it falls apart. It is too important a leg of the stool. Rick Green: The American Family Association has done the Naughty or Nice List, calling out companies that were anti-American or anti-Christian. But what you are talking about goes much deeper. How do we rate companies and weigh in on the job they are doing so that people can make informed decisions about which companies are truly pro-American and create a pro-American environment for their employees? Doug Napier: Exactly. There are good companies out there, and we are starting to receive nominations. Anybody can nominate a company. Employees can nominate their own companies because they see what happens from the inside. Doug Napier: People can go to 1792exchange.com. They will see the American Company link, where they can nominate companies. We are starting to get some good nominations, and we know there are great companies out there that have understood these things for a long time. Doug Napier: Go back to World War II and look at the great companies that stepped forward on behalf of our nation. Our American freedoms were at risk, and they stepped up. Nobody questioned it. Ford built a factory in less than a year to produce B-24 bombers, producing them at the rate of one per hour so that we could defend our liberties. Doug Napier: It is time for us to look back at history and look forward to the next 250 years of American history. If we are going to stay great and be great, we need companies and all the institutions of the United States to act in ways that support American values. That is what this project does. Rick Green: We say around here that if we are going to make America great again, we have to know what made it great in the first place. We talk about religious liberty, the role of the church, and all those things, but we also talk about the economic engine and the great companies that created the environment. Rick Green: Even advertising campaigns can have a civic or patriotic quality that makes you proud to be an American instead of tearing us apart. Some of the most patriotic commercials were from beer companies. Budweiser would have the Clydesdales, and you would get goosebumps during the Super Bowl ads. Rick Green: It seems like we are coming back to that. The 250th anniversary obviously has a lot to do with it, but what you are doing goes much deeper to try to drive that for decades to come. Doug Napier: We want to remind companies that it is not just about putting an American flag in their commercials. That is somewhat patriotic, but it goes deeper. It is how they practice inside the walls of the company and how they treat their employees. It is also who they listen to. Doug Napier: A lot of companies have been pulled into ideological swamps by activist groups trying to get companies to do their bidding. Most of it is not good for our country. We work with many companies directly and tell them that we are here to help them get out of that, get back to business, and get back to neutral on ideological issues. Doug Napier: Patriotic issues are common values. They are not even issues. They are things we embrace. Gallup did a poll last June tracking American adults who consider themselves extremely proud to be American. That number dropped from 2001 to 2026 by about 55 percent, down to 33 percent. Doug Napier: That is a twenty-two-point drop. We are heading in the wrong direction in terms of that polling. It is time to turn it around. We have many reasons to be proud as Americans and proud of what we have done as a country. America is one of the greatest countries in the world. We have helped raise everyone’s standard of living and protected the world from evil empires. Doug Napier: It starts here at home. We need to preserve those values, recognize them, and exercise them in the marketplace so they can spread broadly into the culture. Rick Green: A twenty-two-point drop is huge, and it explains a lot. I think one thing your project will help do is keep great companies from making the mistakes we have seen in the last few years, when woke boards or CEOs led companies such as Harley-Davidson, John Deere, Tractor Supply, and Cracker Barrel to do crazy things. Rick Green: They did things that were a slap in the face to their core customers and employees. What you are doing will help them understand their own audience better by giving that audience a voice. How do people participate? Doug Napier: The easiest way is to go to 1792exchange.com and read the charter about what makes an American company an American company. They can see the indicators and criteria. Doug Napier: These are not shocking criteria. They are things people recognize, such as constitutional stewardship, civic identity, and economic patriotism. Are companies thinking about America first? Are they thinking about how they can invest here? Doug Napier: People can go there, see the criteria, and promote them. If they recognize a company that is doing these things well, they can nominate that company. We are going to give several recognitions in July of next year, and we will probably give a grand-prize recognition to one company that exemplifies the profile of an American company. Rick Green: I am glad to hear you say the 250th anniversary ends next year. David Barton has said that for a while. We are not done. We have until July 4, 2027, to celebrate the 250th anniversary. I am glad you recognize that and are encouraging people toward it. When will you give the awards? Doug Napier: It will be during that month. We have not set the date. July 4 would certainly be appropriate, but we want to make it a good day when we can bring the company together and celebrate. Doug Napier: These are big things. We point out what companies should be doing to improve, especially regarding religious liberty, cancel culture, and some of the woke attitudes they have carried forward. We also want to point out companies that are doing it well, reward them, and recognize them. Doug Napier: We will probably start in November with a monthly recognition of a company that was nominated and met the criteria. Then we will recognize the major profile company sometime in late June or early July. Rick Green: I love it. 1792exchange.com. I just signed up for the email. It was very easy. Get on their newsletter list. They have great reports on corporate bias, charitable giving, and company policies. Rick Green: Last question, Doug. Why 1792? Doug Napier: That is a great question. In 1792, a group of men met on Wall Street in New York City and signed what was called the Buttonwood Agreement. The agreement was intended to restore integrity and trust to the stock trading taking place in New York City. Doug Napier: This was the foundation of the New York Stock Exchange. The name is purposeful because it is the basis of the New York Stock Exchange, and we profile 4,600 companies, most of which are on the New York Stock Exchange. Doug Napier: It is a time for companies to remember that we need to continue protecting that trust and integrity and restore it where it has been lost. Our corporate bias ratings help companies see where they need to strengthen their practices. That is where 1792 came from. Rick Green: I love it. We learned some good history today. Doug, thank you so much. I appreciate you coming on. It is a very interesting name. Rick Green: One of the thrills I get from doing this program is learning from our guests. I also learn from the WallBuilders program with David and Tim Barton every day. We get great questions and cover great topics. I had no idea that this happened in 1792. Rick Green: The take-home message today is vote, vote, vote. Make sure you get out and vote. Go ahead and vote early. I am a fan of a one-day election. I think that is the way it should be. Most people would treat it as more of a civic duty. People would get time off work. I think that is the way we should go. Rick Green: That is not the system we have, so we can complain about opportunities for cheating and work to stop them. We should reduce mail-in voting or get rid of it completely unless there is an extreme situation. I also think we should reduce early voting. Rick Green: But if you have the opportunity to vote early, and it is the law right now, go vote and get it done. You never know what is going to happen on Election Day. You could get busy or have an accident. You do not know, so get it done now. Rick Green: Tell your friends and family. Sound the alarm. This is the time, folks. The heart and soul of America is on the line. That is literally what is on the ballot. Thanks so much for listening today.
Rick Green: Religious freedom is about people of faith being able to live out their faith and their convictions, no matter where they are. We are to rejoice in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance produces character, and character produces hope. Rick Green: This is At the Core on American Family Radio. Welcome to At the Core. We are down to the wire, with less than two weeks until the election. It is the hot topic, and it will continue to be for the next couple of weeks. Rick Green: We need the repetition. We need a push right now. This is pedal-to-the-metal time. There is literally a battle for the heart and soul of America going on, and what happens in these midterms is going to have a significant impact on what our country looks like for the next few decades. It is an important time to pay attention. Rick Green: I am going to let some other folks share with us today. I have several guests who are going to be joining us. This first interview is one I did a few days ago at the beginning of early voting, and it is specifically about Virginia. I think it will really help us understand what is at stake because it highlights the massive contrast. The options that are out there are so different. Rick Green: This is not close. This is not one of those things where you can blindly vote or decide not to vote because it does not matter. The contrast is massive in terms of the difference in what our country will look like. This is very important. This specifically highlights one state, but it applies to the whole election. There are elections and propositions in other states across the country. This is an example of what Christians need to be engaged in today. Rick Green: Dr. Byron Fox and Dr. Michael Huffman are with us. The website we want to give out today is vaib.org. That is the Virginia Association of Independent Baptists. Click on the link for “Say No to All Three.” Rick Green: Gentlemen, you have three very important propositions on the ballot in Virginia. First of all, thank you for joining us. Byron Fox: We are glad to be here. We appreciate what you are doing. You have been active, of course, with our friend Chad Connelly and Faith Wins, and you have been a part of this for a long time, helping to defeat bad things and win good things. This one is huge. You have three major issues on the ballot. People can get the flyer at the website to see the specifics, but let us walk through them. Byron Fox: Christians voting on propositions like this is a stewardship opportunity. This is your chance to say yes or no to major policy issues. Michael Huffman: That is correct. This is a big deal. The eleventh commandment seems to be, “Thou shalt not be political,” but God’s people need to be involved because God has left us with a stewardship of our commonwealth. Jesus Christ was involved in government. Paul was involved in government. The Baptists were involved in government. God is the ordainer of government, along with the church and the family, and He expects us to be involved in all three. Michael Huffman: These are amendments to the Virginia Constitution. This is not a little something. It is very hard to put an amendment in place, and it is nearly impossible to get it out. These are fundamental, major issues. The first is the reproductive freedom amendment, as it is called. Dr. Fox will agree with me that all of these are very deviously worded to make you think they are one thing when they are really another. Michael Huffman: The first one is about life. The second one is the marriage amendment, and the last one is about restoration of voting rights for felons. My wife Rachel and I are voting no, no, no. I am a positive kind of guy, but on this I am very negative because these are wrong for Virginia. Rick Green: You are right about the language. They do this all over the country. They make it sound like they are protecting some right when, in fact, they are taking away the right of the baby to have life. Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness keep you from having happiness if you do not have liberty, and you do not have liberty if you do not have life at all. Rick Green: In this case, we are talking about abortion up to and even into the third trimester. They are literally going to put into the Virginia Constitution a right to an abortion all the way through the pregnancy. Byron Fox: That is correct. This goes far beyond Roe and makes abortion a constitutional right up until birth when so-called health is cited. Whose health? The little baby dies. Rick Green: Dr. Huffman, let me ask you about the process. If this passes, in order to reverse it, would you have to go through two legislative sessions and then put it before the people for a vote? This would enshrine abortion up to birth and make it very difficult to reverse. Michael Huffman: The process to get it on the ballot had to go through the state House, then we had to have an election, then we had another state House where they voted on it again, and then it came to the ballot. The same thing would be required to repeal an amendment like this. It is an arduous process. We do not want it to be easy to add an amendment, but once an amendment is added, you have to go through that entire process again to remove it. Michael Huffman: These amendments would be in place for at least two years. The time to stop them is right now. This is the last-ditch effort to stop wickedness in the great state of Virginia. Rick Green: I have a great student from Patriot Academy who, when he talks about Virginia, it is almost as if the heavens open. He reminds me all the time of the importance of Virginia in the beginning of America. The Virginia Declaration of Rights is the foundation of our Bill of Rights. This is the place of Jefferson, Henry, and all of these great figures. Rick Green: For Virginia to be the place that enshrines these things in its Constitution is horrible. We have not even gotten into the second and third issues. The second one basically completely redefines marriage to be the opposite of what it actually means. It becomes anything and everything to everyone. You have a chance, as you said, and we have only about two weeks before the election. Byron Fox: We have already started voting. We have 45 days of voting. Rick Green: If somebody is listening to us in Virginia, or in another state where initiatives like this are happening, and they are saying, “I am not like those guys. I am not involved. I do not know all this stuff. I am not sure what it means, so I am just going to stay out of it and let other people decide,” by not acting, they are helping enshrine abortion up to birth and enshrine a definition of marriage that completely gets rid of one man and one woman. Aren’t they acting by not acting? Michael Huffman: Yes, they are. If you take no action, that is your decision. The constitutional amendment says every individual has the right to reproductive freedom, and then it lists all kinds of things. The interesting part is that it does not separate women from children or minors. It takes away parental consent. Michael Huffman: Virginia Code 1.2-40.1 says that parents have the final say in raising their children. The first thing I learned in law school is that constitutional language supersedes the code. This constitutional amendment says every individual. That is the thirteen-year-old girl who got pregnant sitting in her guidance counselor’s class. That guidance counselor could take her to Planned Parenthood to have an abortion without notifying her mother and father. Michael Huffman: It also says that any person who aids or assists in carrying out this fundamental right cannot be held criminally or civilly responsible. If something goes wrong, all of the safeguards are gone. When I was in law school, I had to read the Roe v. Wade case. Even though the three of us would disagree with its conclusion, one of the concerns it raised was safeguards. Michael Huffman: When I was in the Virginia General Assembly arguing with Senator Louise Lucas about this, she said, “We are just trying to codify Roe.” You are really not, because Roe was at least to some measure concerned about women having these abortions safely. Again, we would disagree with the overall conclusion, but it had some measure of safety. This completely takes away safety. It also takes away the conscientious objection of doctors who have a religious exception to abortion. They could be accused of violating a woman’s fundamental right and put their medical licenses in jeopardy. Rick Green: If I hear you right, Dr. Huffman, this also means you are protecting an abuser. Michael Huffman: Absolutely. An abuser who has taken advantage of a child could take that twelve-, thirteen-, or fourteen-year-old girl into an abortion clinic, get an abortion, and not be held accountable. The parents would not be notified. They would not even be told that it happened. Michael Huffman: You are literally opening the door for the kind of things we have spent decades getting legislation passed to prevent. This is going to wipe those protections away in Virginia. Sex traffickers are protected by the language of this constitutional amendment. Michael Huffman: As lawyers, we understand that words have meanings and definitions. A lot of the issue is not what it says, but what it will allow because of what it does not say. This will also hinder our statutory rape laws. Section 18.2-263 of the Code of Virginia is our statutory rape law. If everybody has a fundamental right to reproductive freedom, that also includes with whom you have relations. I know judges who would entertain an argument from a defense attorney that if you make my client a statutory rapist, you have infringed upon his partner’s right to reproductive freedom. Rick Green: Dr. Fox, Christianity, following a biblical perspective, is what has allowed for prosperity and liberty. Christianity is responsible for stopping evil. We have a duty to stand against evil. For Christians, pastors, and others to check out in Virginia and not participate, not say no, and not take a stand is almost like saying to everyone that we are not essential. Let us be essential here. Byron Fox: Absolutely. We cannot ask God to bless Virginia while we write the shedding of innocent blood into our Constitution. We cannot be silent. Byron Fox: These are very cleverly but dastardly worded amendments. It was on purpose. They did not accidentally write these things this way. This was absolutely intentional, and they must be stopped. There is good and evil, and this is evil. Byron Fox: Someone might say, “You should not be endorsing candidates.” I am not endorsing any candidate. I am pointing out evil. This is absolutely against the Word of God, the Bible that I revere and try to live my life by. Anyone with morality, or even common sense, knows that these things are wrong. This is a common-sense position. All of us are trying to take a stand against these things and stop them right now. Rick Green: Is it fair to say this is not even Republican or Democrat, left or right? This is good or evil. Michael Huffman: Yes, that is correct. It is a strong assessment, but it is accurate. I have had pro-choice people look at me after we discussed this amendment and say, “Doctor, help me. I am still pro-choice, but I am against this amendment because this goes too far.” Michael Huffman: When you take away parental consent, protect sex traffickers, take away safeguards, remove conscience protections, and reduce the requirement in the third trimester from three doctors to one, you have a serious problem. It would take only one doctor to say that a woman’s physical or mental health is at risk because of the pregnancy, and she could have an abortion on that child’s birthday. That one doctor could be the abortion doctor who stands to benefit from the procedure. Michael Huffman: This message has to get out. People have to understand what is actually going on. As I said, I have pro-choice people telling me, “Doctor, help me. This is way too far.” Rick Green: Let us talk about whether this can be defeated. People sometimes say, “We cannot win this one.” If the churches show up, if Christians show up, and if we get our team on the field, we absolutely can defeat this evil. We can win this. Do you agree? Byron Fox: Yes, one hundred percent. There is a core group, a growing core group, in Virginia of conservative, spiritually minded voters who have become engaged. Our voter turnout rate is 99 percent. Rick Green: Can you imagine having a group that votes at that high a percentage? Byron Fox: There is already a core group standing strongly opposed to this. However, all of us in that category have to find three people who did not vote last time and who share some of our values, and get them to the polls, even if we have to pick them up in our cars and take them there. It is that important. This comes down to voter turnout. Rick Green: We do not always realize that it is not just our vote. We can multiply and force-multiply by letting people know, posting online, telling them about this, and getting them to show up. On Election Day or during early voting, go pick them up and say, “Let us do this together as a church activity, Sunday school class, or whatever it might be.” If you are a grandparent, make sure your children and grandchildren who are old enough to vote are going and voting. Rick Green: You have links for people who are wondering where to go and where to vote. Go to vaib.org, the Virginia Association of Independent Baptists. Check out the flyer because it breaks down each of these three ballot initiatives. There is deeper information there, and there is also a link to find your polling place. Rick Green: Dr. Huffman, do not just be one vote out there. Be a force multiplier and get ten other people to vote on this. Michael Huffman: You are exactly right. As Dr. Fox said, get in the car and take people with you. On the VAIB website, there is also a link and QR code. If you are not registered to vote, the QR code will take you directly to the Virginia registrar’s website, where you can register online. Michael Huffman: There are videos about the abortion amendment and the marriage amendment, as well as articles about all three amendments. All three must be defeated. Again, that is vaib.org. Check out all the information. It will be very helpful. Rick Green: Thank you for leading the charge. If you had not stepped up and let people know about this, if you had not put this information together and made it easy for people to vote and share the information, evil would continue to march and win. This is how we stop it. This is how good can stand up. Rick Green: The old expression says that all it takes for evil to succeed is for good men to do nothing. Here is a chance for good people to do something. Everybody can do something here in Virginia, and across the country as well. There are other issues going on in other places. We will talk about those in a moment. Rick Green: Dr. Michael Huffman, Dr. Byron Fox, God bless you. Thank you for being willing to stand, for being willing to be part of the solution, and for putting these tools out there. Rick Green: Next up is Jordan Lawrence from First Liberty. It is always good to have the folks from First Liberty with us. Jordan, thanks for joining us today. Jordan Lawrence: It is great to be here, Rick. Rick Green: Some people who have not been paying attention may think our topic sounds strange. We have joked about this in the past, but it looks like we literally have a choice between Republicans and communists. These people really do want to get rid of the Constitution. What are your thoughts on how bold the Democrats and socialists are becoming? Jordan Lawrence: Our founder, Kelly Shackleford, recently wrote about this, and I wholeheartedly agree. The way to think about it is to understand the beauty of the Constitution as designed by the Framers. It is built on checks and balances, federalism, and separation of powers. Jordan Lawrence: That may sound too abstract, but Justice Scalia said our freedom is found in the fact that we have checks and balances. What the Democratic Socialists of America want to do is obliterate all of them. They want to go from a House and a Senate to just a House. They want to make the president not a coequal branch but subservient to the House of Representatives. They want the Supreme Court not to be a separate branch but subservient to the wishes of the majority. Jordan Lawrence: The Framers understood that if we have blanket majority rule, minority rights will be crushed. That is why we have limited government and checks and balances. The president can veto what Congress does, and Congress has to approve who is on the Supreme Court, but Congress does not choose who that person is. The president does. Jordan Lawrence: Justice Scalia said before he died that what protects our constitutional rights, including the free exercise of religion, is not only that they are written in the Bill of Rights. It is also that we have checks and balances to restrain the majority from violating those rights. Jordan Lawrence: The Democratic Socialists want to get rid of all of that. I would add the Electoral College to the list. What their platform advocates is a recipe for utter disaster. Rick Green: There are so many things we could talk about, but the court issue makes me chuckle. It has to be a little comical, especially for you, having argued before the Supreme Court for years. The left used to worship the court. That was where they got most of their policy changes. Now they want to make it subservient because they do not like the way it is ruling. Jordan Lawrence: We want Americans to have an independent judiciary. In the 1960s, with the Warren Court, the court was going off the rails with living constitutionalism. But the checks and balances are for the people to elect a president and a Senate that will support candidates who interpret the Constitution correctly. Jordan Lawrence: We have had that with President Trump. President Trump has won some cases and lost some cases. That is the classic example of an independent judiciary. That is exactly what we want. Jordan Lawrence: If we end up like Venezuela, where the Supreme Court is subservient to elected officials, the justices become rubber stamps. They are not an independent judiciary, and people lose respect for the court. Jordan Lawrence: Even people who are Democratic Socialists do not all agree on the right result in every case. That is why we need checks and balances. It is reckless to suggest otherwise. They do not understand what they are talking about, and what they are proposing would be detrimental to our republic and even to their own agenda. If they can simply replace people they do not like, who is going to respect the court? Rick Green: Do you think they are throwing out the craziest ideas they can to energize their base and rile people up? Sometimes when you watch their interviews, it does not seem as though they have thought these things through. People throw the ideas back at them, and they look like they are caught in the headlights. Or do they genuinely want these things? Jordan Lawrence: This is just my impression, and I could be wrong, but I think they generally want these things and do not realize how foolish they are. The Book of Proverbs says that he who rolls a stone will have a stone roll back on him, and he who digs a pit will fall into it. Jordan Lawrence: I do not think they realize that the Supreme Court will not be respected if it is viewed as a political hack simply doing the will of elected officials. When elected officials are doing something wrong, it will not be a check and balance. The court will either rubber-stamp whatever the legislative body does, or the legislative body will replace justices who oppose it with yes-men and yes-women. Jordan Lawrence: That is unconscionable. They are very selective. They say they do not like that the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade, or that the president, who happens to be President Trump right now, has all this executive power. But they have forgotten that President Trump has lost on tariffs and birthright citizenship. Whatever you think about those issues, it demonstrates the vitality of an independent judiciary. Jordan Lawrence: That is exactly what we want under our Constitution. If we do not like it, we can change Congress and the president to get the Supreme Court we want. Rick Green: Speaking of Congress, when you hear them say they want to abolish the Senate, it is radical. They are talking about remaking what is the best example of a constitutional republic the world has ever known. Jordan Lawrence: They need to realize that the beauty and wisdom of the Constitution was to put anti-majoritarian checks and balances in place. That includes the Electoral College and the fact that every state has equal representation in the United States Senate. That keeps one dominating regional interest from dictating who is president and what laws Congress passes. Jordan Lawrence: If a president only had to run in New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago, we would get a very different president. If we had a unicameral system based on simple majority rule, those urban, blue areas would dictate everything for the whole nation. That is why we have these restraints. Jordan Lawrence: The ten smallest states in the union currently have equal numbers of Democratic and Republican senators. Vermont, Wyoming, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and the other small states are balanced. The system is working. For them to say that we are going to throw all of that out is crazy. Rick Green: A lot of this has gone viral, and many people are hearing about it. Do you think it moves the needle in the elections? Jordan Lawrence: I hope it does. The crucial turning point will be how educated average American voters are about these issues. When the Federalist and Anti-Federalist papers were written, they were written like newspaper opinion pieces for ordinary people to read and understand. They explained the importance of checks and balances. Jordan Lawrence: Instead, people now say, “That pesky Senate and Electoral College are unfair. The Supreme Court does not do whatever we want. We want yes-men in all those positions and want to eliminate all the restraints.” Jordan Lawrence: I hope enough people vote against the senators and members of Congress who advocate this craziness. If they come to power and vote for it, people will regret it. Those who roll a stone will have a stone roll back on them. It will not be nirvana or utopia if they eliminate all those restraints. Rick Green: Amen. Jordan Lawrence, we appreciate you and everyone at First Liberty. People can sign up for your emails and support the organization at firstliberty.org. Rick Green: What I am trying to do today is push you to vote. You have to realize how bad the Democratic Socialists of America are. You cannot say it is just a handful of Democrats. They are taking over the party. It is unbelievable how many people are supporting this outrageous agenda. Rick Green: You are hearing how radical it is and how far these people want to go to destroy the nation. This is no time to sit out. I have talked about this on previous programs. The complaints and excuses people use not to vote are no good this year. Rick Green: You cannot say there is no difference. There is such a stark difference. The idea that Democrats will literally change the makeup of the nation, that these Democratic Socialists want to get rid of some of the greatest institutions that make our system work, and that they support a radical transgender agenda and abortion up to birth is as bad as it gets. Rick Green: We have not even talked today about the Islamic invasion or the support these people are giving to illegal aliens who come into our country and do not want to assimilate. If you have watched what is going on in France and across Europe, you know it is not as violent everywhere, but France is the canary in the coal mine. Rick Green: France did exactly what we have been doing by bringing people into the country and allowing people to come in who do not love the country or want what it offers. They want to conquer the country and change it into something completely different. Rick Green: Any group that wants to undermine the Constitution, impose Sharia law, or impose socialism is incompatible with Western civilization. These systems do not work in our system. These people are not here to assimilate or be part of the American dream. What you are seeing in France can and will happen in the United States if we continue on that path. Rick Green: It is not enough to do what President Trump has already done, which is secure the border. You have to do remigration. You have to get out of the country the people who are trying to destroy it. We have a long way to go. Rick Green: If you give power to the Democratic Party, you enable the people who want to destroy our country. If you give power to the Republican Party, you at least have a chance. That does not mean it will happen because they are politicians too, and there are battles within the Republican Party. But at least you have a chance to give President Trump the power he needs to do remigration, not just secure the border but remove the people who are trying to destroy the country. Rick Green: We had another deportation this week of a major Islamic figure for threatening to undermine the country and being a threat to national security. That is the path this is going to take. If you put the Democrats in charge, there is no way that is going to happen. Rick Green: The contrast is huge. The excuse that your vote does not make a difference is no good. Look at all the close races across the country. The polling is neck and neck up and down the ballot across the nation. It is absolutely necessary for you to get out and vote. Vote early and get it done. Rick Green: Another excuse is that all the candidates are bad. People say they do not like either the Republican or the Democrat, or that both candidates are sinners. They have both done bad things. That is all of us. There is none righteous, no, not one. Rick Green: My friend Chad Connelly from Faith Wins said on our WallBuilders program the other day that people who say this are like people who do not like Diet Coke and therefore decide to drink Liquid Drano. That is how big the difference is. They are literally going to destroy the country because they did not want to drink Diet Coke. Rick Green: All of these excuses are ridiculous. Even if everything people use as an excuse were true, it would not change their duty. You still have this gift of freedom. The servant who buried his talent was called wicked and slothful. Even with all of those factors, you still have a duty to vote. Rick Green: Our last guest of the day is Doug Napier. I like ending the show with this because it is different and interesting. One complaint we have had for a long time is that corporate America has gone woke and is using our dollars to change the culture in the wrong direction. Rick Green: We buy goods and services from these companies, and then they promote incredible policies or use their advertising to promote cultural changes that are not good. Doug has started something called the 1792 Exchange. It is the opposite of that. It is a way to positively influence corporations, encourage them to do things that are pro-America, and reward them for doing so. Rick Green: It is somewhat similar to what Tim Wildmon has done for years with the Naughty and Nice List, monitoring what companies are doing around Christmas and rewarding the ones that do a good job while calling attention to the ones that do not. The 1792 Exchange looks at what companies are doing on many different issues and goes much deeper. Rick Green: Doug Napier is the CEO of the organization. This is not corporate responsibility in name only, which often means indoctrination, as the left has done with companies for the last fifty years. This is actual stewardship and responsibility. Doug, thanks for joining us. Doug Napier: Thanks for having me. It is great to be with you. Rick Green: What was the genesis of this? What caused its creation, and what are you excited about it doing in the long run? Doug Napier: There are a couple of factors. The 1792 Exchange is the leading provider of actionable data on corporate bias. We have been tracking companies for several years. We have a database of more than 4,600 companies that we have profiled, and we look at about thirty criteria. Doug Napier: We look at key things such as whether they respect constitutional rights, free speech, free exercise, freedom of conscience, and free enterprise. We have been doing that for quite a while. Doug Napier: As we have turned the corner into the 250th birthday of our nation, we have started looking back at what has made this nation great, especially in the marketplace. You focus on key areas of influence in the public square, such as government and the church. We focus on the marketplace because it is a key influencer. Doug Napier: We asked what makes an American company a great American company, one that is patriotic and shares the values that have made this nation great. We decided to put it together and analyze it. We have created this charter, and we are now taking nominations for people to nominate companies that fit this profile so we can celebrate American companies that are doing great things the right way. Rick Green: I am excited about this because the left has waged battle for the heart and soul of America for decades. Those who love America have enjoyed the benefits and blessings, but we have not always been in the fight, especially in areas like this. Rick Green: Franklin said the free market is the means under God of establishing the freedom of our country entire and handing it down complete to posterity. Without a free market, without thriving companies that are moving in the same direction for the greatness of America, it falls apart. It is too important a leg of the stool. Rick Green: The American Family Association has done the Naughty or Nice List, calling out companies that were anti-American or anti-Christian. But what you are talking about goes much deeper. How do we rate companies and weigh in on the job they are doing so that people can make informed decisions about which companies are truly pro-American and create a pro-American environment for their employees? Doug Napier: Exactly. There are good companies out there, and we are starting to receive nominations. Anybody can nominate a company. Employees can nominate their own companies because they see what happens from the inside. Doug Napier: People can go to 1792exchange.com. They will see the American Company link, where they can nominate companies. We are starting to get some good nominations, and we know there are great companies out there that have understood these things for a long time. Doug Napier: Go back to World War II and look at the great companies that stepped forward on behalf of our nation. Our American freedoms were at risk, and they stepped up. Nobody questioned it. Ford built a factory in less than a year to produce B-24 bombers, producing them at the rate of one per hour so that we could defend our liberties. Doug Napier: It is time for us to look back at history and look forward to the next 250 years of American history. If we are going to stay great and be great, we need companies and all the institutions of the United States to act in ways that support American values. That is what this project does. Rick Green: We say around here that if we are going to make America great again, we have to know what made it great in the first place. We talk about religious liberty, the role of the church, and all those things, but we also talk about the economic engine and the great companies that created the environment. Rick Green: Even advertising campaigns can have a civic or patriotic quality that makes you proud to be an American instead of tearing us apart. Some of the most patriotic commercials were from beer companies. Budweiser would have the Clydesdales, and you would get goosebumps during the Super Bowl ads. Rick Green: It seems like we are coming back to that. The 250th anniversary obviously has a lot to do with it, but what you are doing goes much deeper to try to drive that for decades to come. Doug Napier: We want to remind companies that it is not just about putting an American flag in their commercials. That is somewhat patriotic, but it goes deeper. It is how they practice inside the walls of the company and how they treat their employees. It is also who they listen to. Doug Napier: A lot of companies have been pulled into ideological swamps by activist groups trying to get companies to do their bidding. Most of it is not good for our country. We work with many companies directly and tell them that we are here to help them get out of that, get back to business, and get back to neutral on ideological issues. Doug Napier: Patriotic issues are common values. They are not even issues. They are things we embrace. Gallup did a poll last June tracking American adults who consider themselves extremely proud to be American. That number dropped from 2001 to 2026 by about 55 percent, down to 33 percent. Doug Napier: That is a twenty-two-point drop. We are heading in the wrong direction in terms of that polling. It is time to turn it around. We have many reasons to be proud as Americans and proud of what we have done as a country. America is one of the greatest countries in the world. We have helped raise everyone’s standard of living and protected the world from evil empires. Doug Napier: It starts here at home. We need to preserve those values, recognize them, and exercise them in the marketplace so they can spread broadly into the culture. Rick Green: A twenty-two-point drop is huge, and it explains a lot. I think one thing your project will help do is keep great companies from making the mistakes we have seen in the last few years, when woke boards or CEOs led companies such as Harley-Davidson, John Deere, Tractor Supply, and Cracker Barrel to do crazy things. Rick Green: They did things that were a slap in the face to their core customers and employees. What you are doing will help them understand their own audience better by giving that audience a voice. How do people participate? Doug Napier: The easiest way is to go to 1792exchange.com and read the charter about what makes an American company an American company. They can see the indicators and criteria. Doug Napier: These are not shocking criteria. They are things people recognize, such as constitutional stewardship, civic identity, and economic patriotism. Are companies thinking about America first? Are they thinking about how they can invest here? Doug Napier: People can go there, see the criteria, and promote them. If they recognize a company that is doing these things well, they can nominate that company. We are going to give several recognitions in July of next year, and we will probably give a grand-prize recognition to one company that exemplifies the profile of an American company. Rick Green: I am glad to hear you say the 250th anniversary ends next year. David Barton has said that for a while. We are not done. We have until July 4, 2027, to celebrate the 250th anniversary. I am glad you recognize that and are encouraging people toward it. When will you give the awards? Doug Napier: It will be during that month. We have not set the date. July 4 would certainly be appropriate, but we want to make it a good day when we can bring the company together and celebrate. Doug Napier: These are big things. We point out what companies should be doing to improve, especially regarding religious liberty, cancel culture, and some of the woke attitudes they have carried forward. We also want to point out companies that are doing it well, reward them, and recognize them. Doug Napier: We will probably start in November with a monthly recognition of a company that was nominated and met the criteria. Then we will recognize the major profile company sometime in late June or early July. Rick Green: I love it. 1792exchange.com. I just signed up for the email. It was very easy. Get on their newsletter list. They have great reports on corporate bias, charitable giving, and company policies. Rick Green: Last question, Doug. Why 1792? Doug Napier: That is a great question. In 1792, a group of men met on Wall Street in New York City and signed what was called the Buttonwood Agreement. The agreement was intended to restore integrity and trust to the stock trading taking place in New York City. Doug Napier: This was the foundation of the New York Stock Exchange. The name is purposeful because it is the basis of the New York Stock Exchange, and we profile 4,600 companies, most of which are on the New York Stock Exchange. Doug Napier: It is a time for companies to remember that we need to continue protecting that trust and integrity and restore it where it has been lost. Our corporate bias ratings help companies see where they need to strengthen their practices. That is where 1792 came from. Rick Green: I love it. We learned some good history today. Doug, thank you so much. I appreciate you coming on. It is a very interesting name. Rick Green: One of the thrills I get from doing this program is learning from our guests. I also learn from the WallBuilders program with David and Tim Barton every day. We get great questions and cover great topics. I had no idea that this happened in 1792. Rick Green: The take-home message today is vote, vote, vote. Make sure you get out and vote. Go ahead and vote early. I am a fan of a one-day election. I think that is the way it should be. Most people would treat it as more of a civic duty. People would get time off work. I think that is the way we should go. Rick Green: That is not the system we have, so we can complain about opportunities for cheating and work to stop them. We should reduce mail-in voting or get rid of it completely unless there is an extreme situation. I also think we should reduce early voting. Rick Green: But if you have the opportunity to vote early, and it is the law right now, go vote and get it done. You never know what is going to happen on Election Day. You could get busy or have an accident. You do not know, so get it done now. Rick Green: Tell your friends and family. Sound the alarm. This is the time, folks. The heart and soul of America is on the line. That is literally what is on the ballot. Thanks so much for listening today.
Rick Green examines three proposed Virginia constitutional amendments with Dr. Byron Fox and Dr. Michael Huffman focusing on the reproductive-freedom amendment and what they say it could mean for parental consent, medical safeguards, conscience protections, and child safety. They urge Christians to recognize voting as a stewardship responsibility and to oppose what they describe as dangerously broad language.
Jordan Lorence of First Liberty explains how proposals from the Democratic Socialists of America could weaken constitutional checks and balances, the Senate, the Electoral College, and an independent judiciary.
Doug Napier, CEO of the 1792 Exchange, introduces a framework for evaluating corporate bias and recognizing companies that support constitutional rights, free enterprise, and American civic values.
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