When Americans think of patriots, they link the title, many times, to heroes of the Revolutionary War. Names like Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Franklin, and Hancock come to mind. We use the word patriot to describe men who are willing to risk their own personal freedom for the freedom of others. I am posting this article because Americans take their freedoms for granted at times and need to know about human rights violations occurring in many places in our world. The U.S. has made 250 years. Others are not so fortunate. Many other countries are in constant turmoil. Nicaragua has been one of those countries for some time now.
Rep. Shelby, Rommel Moreno, Ariel Teran, Dir. Peggy Maruthur, Bob Driggers, German Zeledon, Augusto Ayala, Francisco Valdivia
Back in September of 2009 the citizens of Hot Springs, Arkansas were privileged to visit with six such patriots. The six men were from Nicaragua. Less than one year earlier, on November 9th, 2008, elections were held throughout Nicaragua. On that day, five of our visitors were elected mayors of five of the largest cities in the Central American nation.
Within two weeks of the election, each had been told that the vote count was incorrect and that another candidate was the real winner. All of the new “winners” were candidates supported by Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega. Similar election result “corrections” occurred in 43 municipalities in Nicaragua.
The six individuals visiting Hot Springs were here to tell their stories and to learn how to handle the situation in which they found themselves. They were here on a State Department funded tour of several cities in the United States. The group met with 11 different organizations including one in Washington D.C. attempting to gain information to help their nation solve its problems. What better place to come than a nation that has overcome such obstacles in its past?
Mr. Bob Driggers, of the Garland County Good Government Group (located in Hot Springs, Arkansas), welcomed our visitors and noted several local representatives in attendance. The names of the six Nicaraguan patriots that were present at the meeting held at the Transportation Depot are (see picture above):
Mr. Augusto Ayala elected Mayor of Juigalpa
Mr. German Zeledon elected Mayor of Jinotega
Dr. Rommel Moreno elected Mayor of Corinto
Mr. Francisco Valdivia elected Mayor of Masaya
Mr. Ariel Teran elected Mayor of Leon
Mr. Anibal Rosales of Granada, a political marketing specialist who helped Mr. Teran win his election.
After introductions, Mr. Driggers allowed Mayor Mike Bush to address our visitors. Mayor Bush welcomed our guests and informed them that Hot Springs has not suffered the financial strain that much of the nation is feeling. He added that the effects of the national economy are beginning to take a toll on the area. After his remarks, Mayor Bush had to leave.
Mayor Mike Bush officially welcomes Augusto Ayala, German Zeledon, Rommel Moreno, Francisco Valdivia, Anibal Rosales, Ariel Teran, and U.S. State Department representative Ed Velam
Mr. Driggers then welcomed Dr. Gene Shelby, a Hot Springs resident and District 25 Representative to the Arkansas House of Representatives. Mr. Shelby also welcomed our guests and applauded them for the efforts they were making to help the people of Nicaragua. He mentioned the low voter turnout at recent school board elections, referring to the fact that many Americans take their freedoms for granted. He also thanked the Garland Good Government Group for its efforts to make Hot Springs a better place to live.
Representative Gene Shelby
Ms. Peggy Maruthur was the next local representative to address our new friends. Ms. Maruthur thanked Peggy and Duane Vandenberg for hosting the group. She then explained her responsibilities as a Hot Springs City Director and noted that she had been elected by the people to represent them as a whole and not only those who had more influence than others.
Director Peggy Maruthur
Before Mr. Driggers presented a short Power Point on the recent efforts of the Garland Good Government Group, he recognized the presence of Director Elaine Jones (BOD Dist. 2) Quorum Court member Bud West (J.P. Dist. 9), and Garland County Treasurer Jo West Taylor.
Following the Good Government presentation, Mr. Ariel Teran began an explanation of recent events in Nicaragua. Mr. Teran, a graduate of an American University, and spokesman for the group, presented a short video entitled, “A Democracy Becoming a Dictatorship.” The video showed attempts at peaceful demonstrations and disruptions by youths being paid $10 a day by President Ortega. One scene showed a journalist being stabbed by a man with a machete. The video also showed a statement made by the Nicaraguan Attorney General and pictures of vandalized radio stations. Included were clips taken just two weeks before this visit of protesting students being accosted by paramilitary forces.
The Good Government Power Point had been presented with Spanish Text. The video shown by Mr. Teran had English text. One of the lines read, “To be silent and not act now…would be a great irresponsibility.”
Mr. Teran described how he had been personally affected by the recent events. “This is not a left or right issue. It’s a matter of Nationality,” Mr. Teran explained. He also explained that 2010 elections would be held by the congressmen of Nicaragua to choose the Electoral College. Mr. Teran expressed the fears of many that President Ortega might attempt to bribe the congressmen into his camp. Later in the meeting it was mentioned that money was being sent to Ortega by Hugo Chavez of Venezuela.
Mr. Teran explained that the problems began in 2006 when the opposition split into two groups. This allowed Ortega to win the Presidential seat with 38% of the vote. Ortega had been defeated by Violeta Barrios de Chamorro in the 1990 presidential election, but he remained an important figure in Nicaraguan opposition politics. Ortega was an unsuccessful candidate for president in 1996 and 2001 before winning the 2006 presidential election.
Mr. Teran said, “Ortega has 34% of the people, but he doesn’t have the congressmen. With the help of God we can make a difference.”
Once the question and answer period began, the first question came from Mr. Driggers who asked about current American assistance to the opposition (of Ortega). Mr. Teran stated that the U.S. government is currently not pushing to help the opposition. “We are not seeking financial assistance,” he said. “We just want the U.S. to sit down with us and listen to what has to be done.”
The other patriots got up and spoke. An interpreter translated for the audience. “Everything is contaminated,” stated Mr. Ayala. “We want to go back to our country and be watchdogs like you,” he said.
Mr. Rosales showed proof of the corruption. Dr. Moreno shared his experience of being elected as mayor and then having his position taken from him. They expressed how they had worked hard and won elections against Ortega’s representatives who were well funded. Mr. Zeledon and Mr. Valdivia also described their experiences and thanked the residents of Hot Springs, as the others had done for the warm welcome they had received.
Tom Brown, Good Government Group member and descendent of U.S. President John Adams with Ariel Teran and Anibal Rosales
Mr. Teran showed pictures of ballots that had been found at the dump in Leon, where he had been declared the mayor. The ballots were clearly marked as votes for Mr. Teran. “We took the ballots to the police and we made the national news,” Mr. Teran said. The case was never pursued.
Mr. Driggers made a few concluding remarks and thanked Ms. Barbara Anable for set up and refreshments. At this point, the entire Nicaraguan delegation gave Ms. Anable a standing ovation.
There was a good deal of discussion after the meeting was adjourned. In an interview with Mr. Teran, he stated that his father had been the founder of the baseball team in Leon. Leon has been a city that has had a lot of media attention during the recent political upheaval.
Earlier in this same month, I was fortunate enough to attend and report on an event that included the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, one of our U.S. Senators, one of our Reps. to the U.S. House of Representatives, and two other high ranking officials. I thought this would be the biggest thing I would be attending this year. With all due respect to the public servants I listened to that day, I have to say that this event with the Nicaraguan Patriots inspired me more than any event that I have yet covered.
An audience member enlightened me about the risk that these men were taking by coming to our country. We were all well aware of the risks they had already taken in their own country. Apparent was the courtesy, kindness, integrity, and humility of our visitors from Nicaragua. They were taking a stand for the principles of freedom, just like the difficult stand that our Revolutionary War patriots took. It was a moving experience.
Chris Reimers
***
I believe I was the only journalist present for the event with the Nicaraguans. At the time I was writing a news blog with the same name as this blog and this article appeared there and can still be seen here on the ggggnews page. Scroll down if you wish to see the original article. I’ve made a few changes above for easier reading.
The Nicaraguan patriots went back to their county with the hopes of attempting to help create a more transparent and honest government. I kept track as well as I could but contact information they had left became no longer available. Of course, I had heard that Ortega and his followers were creating a mess.
Then, on August 15, 2018, This message appeared on my “about” page and is still there near the bottom:
“Hi Chris, do you remember me? I am Aníbal Rosales, from your article ‘Nicaraguan Patriots Visit Hot Springs’ in October 2009. It is very sad what Nicaragua is living now, what in 2009 seemed like a distant future has arrived. Ortega took all the powers of the state, the presidency, the supreme court of justice, the electoral power and the assembly, he completed his project of dictatorship. Now he is killing his own people, for having raised us to protest against him, since last April 18, more than 350 people have died, there are more than 500 unjustly arrested, many disappeared and many people fleeing in Costa Rica and others living hidden in safe houses, so that the government does not kill them. We have a real humanitarian crisis, there are thousands of people who need shelter, food and medicine. If you can, tell this story to our friends in Hot Springs.”
I responded to Mr. Rosales as best as I could and was surprised that he remembered me and that he had found my blog which now had a new format and a different web address. I was no longer writing as a journalist.
Since then I have checked on Nicaragua from time from time. Essentially, Ortega now has a stranglehold on his position. “In the 2021 Nicaraguan presidential election, President Daniel Ortega effectively became the only viable candidate on the ballot after his government systematically suppressed political pluralism. He eliminated his opposition by jailing seven major presidential challengers and disqualifying all other serious competition, cementing his hold on power in an election that was widely condemned by the international community.”
We Americans should be thankful for our continued freedoms when we read about a country like Nicaragua. Yes, it is in the Western Hemisphere and somehow seems to avoid the attention it should get for its human rights violations. Still, much has been written and discussed about this problem, even though it almost never hits the mainstream news.
Here are other resources if you are interested in knowing more:
I pray for the people of Nicaragua and the patriots I met from there back in 2009. Life has gotten much harder for most of the citizens there since that time. May God be with them.
Over the past ten years I have focused on problems with Child Protective Services in certain places in the world. I wouldn’t even begin to try and guess how many children have been taken from parents who did little to warrant it. Many of these children have been sent to foster homes where the caretakers don’t care for them nearly as much as their biological parents do. Some of these parents just needed a bit of assistance and they could have gotten along fine in the long run. The only assistance many needed was a bit of counseling, if anything. Instead, entire family lives have been fractured to the point of irreversible repair.
There is another side of the coin. There are times when parents or caretakers do abuse children. When it comes to cruelty, many of these cases are evil. Records for child deaths at the Wayne County Medical Examiner in Michigan show at least 52 children died due to abuse or neglect in the last 3 and 1/2 years.
“The governor’s FY2026 budget recommendation further includes $27 million to provide ‘economic and concrete supports’ with the goal of reducing or avoiding involvement with Child Protective Services.”
“The leaders of RxKids imply on their website and other materials that their cash transfers can produce a large decline in child maltreatment and reduce the need for CPS intervention.”
It seems to many that if certain parents get the appropriate help that CPS interventions and child maltreatment might decrease.
In Michigan, a study was done to “determine if unconditional cash transfers decreased contact with child welfare and substantiated reports of maltreatment early in life.” (Link to Study)
The Results of this study were interesting:
“Estimates indicate no differences in overall referrals to child protection and no differences in substantiated reports of maltreatment. Results are consistent across abuse and neglect allegations.”
“Conclusions: There is no evidence that unconditional cash transfers totaling $1,500 at mid pregnancy and $500 per month affect contact with child protection or substantiated allegations of maltreatment within the first six months of life.”
Simply, the study found the money had no positive impact.
The article says about the study findings that: “Such findings should come as little surprise when we take seriously the threats that children face. Neither drug addiction nor extreme violence seems likely to be ameliorated with short-term monthly checks.”
When it comes to protecting children, things have gotten very complex. On one hand you have CPS groups that take children for unwarranted reasons resulting in ruined family life. On the other hand, there is real abuse going on that needs intervention and it seems unclear, except for offenders getting the proper prison sentences, what is “best for the child.”
Ideally, there are loving family members who will take abused children in. A perfect example of this are relatives I know (a husband and wife) who took in a 2, a 4, and a 7-year-old after family problems arose. They raised the children, along with three of their own, until they were adults. All three became law abiding citizens. I know there are foster parents out there who really care for those they are aiding. I may be wrong but it seems that people like this are harder to find in our times or it could just be that caretaker demand is so much greater.
When I read articles like this I can’t help but think of this verse from Matthew 19:
14 But Jesus said, “Let the children alone, and do not hinder them from coming to Me; for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
After working with different ages of children over the years, I can see why Jesus loves the little children. Let’s pray for children in difficult situations. May they wind up in the hands of someone who really cares.
I have read Mia Kristensen’s account of the experiences of a family deprived of their children by Scandinavian ‘child protection services’ (CPS), in Norway called Barnevernet. I have for over 30 years now been engaged in trying to assist in some of the work for families hit in this way and I know that what Mia writes is true for so very many, and is the result of a country’s very dysfunctional ‘child protection’.
The stories are most often told by parents or grandparents. The children who are in the hands of the child protection system are usually prevented from writing or saying openly anything that goes against the official version of the story, or they are afraid to speak because if they do, they know they will be isolated even more radically or their parents will be sanctioned against. For example, the rare, allowed meetings children-parents will be cut down on or taken away altogether.
*
But in some cases we hear more about the children’s perspective. Here are two stories. I know them to be true.
The first is about a day of celebration which is something like Christmas for Norwegian children: The two children of a family were taken into foster care. In spring came the ‘seventeenth of May’. It is Norwegian Constitution Day and is often called ‘children’s day’, the celebration being concentrated around happy events for children. The CPS have a principle of preventing reunions on occasions which can make children feel emotional about their family. However, in this case the 9-year-old girl was allowed by the CPS to visit her parents. Her younger brother was not. So the day was a misery for the girl. She did not want to take part in any happy celebration or watch parades, did not want to eat anything (children’s favourite food and ice creams are usually high points for them on ‘syttende mai’). She cried helplessly all day because her brother was not allowed to be with them and because they were not allowed to show that they loved their parents.
The other case has been taken up by Wings before: Landmark Report Exposes the Realities of Norwegian Child Protection. It concerns the municipality of Samnanger in Norway, which had got a new mayor and a head administrator and several politicians who wanted radical change, standing up against what the CPS had been doing. There was quite a fight in the community, but they managed to commission a realistic and revealing report of three local CPS cases. The report and some newspaper articles let the children have a voice too. One of the cases concerned a family of father and four children, now of age.
One of the boys said: “I didn’t have so many friends at school. Then the CPS also took my family from me.”
The oldest was a girl who had been 17 at the time and had not been taken. But although she had been allowed to remain with her father, she too was hit hard by the destruction of their family life: The CPS took everything I had – and smashed it.
The youngest, a girl, had been only 7 years old when she was separated from her father and all her siblings. Her reaction had been to be desperately frightened, unhappy and upset. The diagnosis of the CPS was, as expected, not to face the fact that this was the result of their actions, but to put her into institutional care and through her childhood and youth have her treated with various drugs, supposedly to calm her down and lessen her ‘abnormality’. The two lawyers making the report found her, on the contrary, to be normal and to communicate very realistically about the CPS ‘care’. She told them that she had been very afraid all the years in foster home and institutions. – It should take no great imagination on our part to see that she had experienced simply a variant of what prisoners from concentration camps and other places of torture tell us.
*
The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg has found the Norwegian state guilty of over 30 violations in 24 CPS cases concentrated around Article 8: the right to private and family life. But the Norwegian authorities have not been willing to return the children even in these cases. There seem to be fewer takings into care now in 2025 than earlier, but the way the CPS practice ‘protecting’ children is of the same kind as before. Mia Kristensen’s story could be from Norway any time between 1950 (or before that) and today.
One item of ideology is to my mind a dominant factor explaining official intransigence: It is widely believed in our society – and the teaching of this in the education of social workers has not changed – that biological family is of no particular importance to children, that siblings are just playmates for the time being, and parents simply replaceable ‘caregivers’ doing a job of providing a stimulating environment for children who are with them nearly accidentally. Therefore, families who desperately want their children returned home are simply seen as self-serving and vain. How Norwegian experts came to reject biological kinship as relevant in child welfare policy There is no understanding in the social work of many Western countries, certainly not in northern Europe, of how deep the natural bonds of love are which bind close relatives together. Or, in a variant formulation: Love is taken to be only a product of success. Only perfect parents and children, who are also completely satisfied with each other and whose lives develop in every way splendidly, are thought to experience mutual love and solidarity, as satisfaction. Hence, such imperfections as poverty and illness are suspect in the eyes of these ‘experts’, cf for instance A Christmas Wish, and examples e – h here: The Child Protection Service (CPS) – unfortunately the cause of grievous harm Part 2: Content, dimensions, causes and mechanisms of CPS activities
This belief in the cause of a feeling of belonging and trust is age-old and is found in many societies. In the USA there was a wave of this ideology about 25 years ago: Hillary and Bill Clinton – zealous promoters of forced adoptions in the USA (Section 3 of the article traces it, in a very short sketch, back more than 2000 years.)
I know there have been cases where U.S. authorities have separated children from parents when arresting them as unwanted immigrants. But there have also been loud protests against it. I recently came across three videos in connection with disregard of children’s needs of their family and of the home or country they feel is their own. The videos stem from a Senate Hearing in Washington DC on 3 December of this year. The hearing concerns proposed legislation about one particular tragic action of Russia in the present war: abduction and down-right enslaving of Ukrainian children. The Hearing was bipartisan and with representatives of the House invited as well: –Breaking news: Senate holds critical hearing on Russia war crimes against Ukrainian children | AC14 –U.S. SENATE HEARING: Ukrainian Ambassador Exposes Russia’s Child Abductions | DRM News | AC1F –Lindsey Graham Asks Ukraine Ambassador If Russia Has Admitted To Abducting Children In Occupied Land What is shown in the videos is glass clear and I very much hope that this initiative in the U.S. Senate will carry over to a clearer understanding that not everything we do to the children of our own societies is in ‘the best interest of the child’ either. In Europe too the emphasis has become very clear that the return of Ukrainian children to their own country, and to their own families if they are alive, is the top priority in a peace settlement, and that the abduction of them is a very serious war crime. Norwegian society is generally more placidly subservient and admiring of our own authorities than I think Americans are, so ideology without a solid, factual basis is even more difficult to see through in Norway. I do not see what we can do but continue to try and find out about it and document it as well as we can, and continue to spread information about it – in the true best interest of the child.
****** Marianne Haslev Skånland has worked as a professor of linguistics at the University of Bergen, and is now retired. She has worked on analysis and criticism of science, both generally and in areas of linguistics, psychology and child protection, and was a member of the scientific advisory board of Stiftelsen för rättspsykologi (The Foundation for Forensic Psychology) in Stockholm. She has functioned as an expert witness in child protection cases before a District Court, an Appeal Court and a County Committee, altogether five times in Norway, and once before Länsrätten in Sweden. She is engaged in social questions concerning human rights and health, and specially interested in the question of the scientific basis of the views of social services and the justice system concerning psychology and social life. She has lectured for many years on the position and influence of behaviorism and other schools of thought in linguistics and anthropology.
As many readers of this blog are aware, for quite some time I have been concerned about government organizations that are supposed to be in the business of helping parents raise their families. In many cases the exact opposite happens; children are taken from their parents for no good reason whatsoever. This happens in many places in our world but I have focused on Norway because of the particularly egregious cases there that I began learning about in 2016. I am keeping informed of the situation there and, as far as I can tell, things are as bad as they’ve ever been. Besides excellent articles I read coming out of Norway, I have also kept track of several social media sources where parents affected by the strange philosophies of these “helpful” government organizations share their stories. At the end of this year I am sharing one social media statement to illustrate an example of what I am referring to. This mother lives in Denmark which has a “Child Welfare System” very much like Norway’s. She follows and engages with Norwegian parents who are in the same situation. I chose her statement because Mia’s English is very good and I think she expresses feelings that many of the affected parents experience.
And now December begins. For many it is a month filled with joy, warmth, coziness and anticipation. A month where families come together and find peace in each other.
But for those of us affected by the system, December feels different.
Why would one decorate for Christmas when the family is torn apart?
How do you find the Christmas spirit when you are reminded every day of what you have lost?
We live in a society where we are expected to carry on as if nothing happened. The fact that we “wear it nicely”. That we just have to function.
But the truth is that many families have been divided because of:
– liars
– misunderstandings
– bad stomach feelings
– lack of professionalism
– lack of resources and support
None of us were perfect.
But no humans are perfect.
Everyone can learn. Anyone can grow.
The system should also be able to.
We talk so much about self-insight and mentalization – but the truth is that neither municipalities nor politicians live up to those concepts.
Instead, many families face a cold system, where help never comes, and where the consequence is the hardest: to lose their child.
December should be the time for families.
Instead, far too many are sitting alone, separated from the ones they love, without the opportunity to celebrate Christmas like everyone else.
This post is not about pity.
It’s all about fairness.
And to remind the community that there are families who do not celebrate anything this year – not because they don’t want to, but because their family has been taken from them.
For those of you who are not affected:
You are lucky to be able to celebrate Christmas with your children and family.
Just think for a moment about those who are not allowed.
A little understanding. A little bit of spaciousness. A little bit of humanity.
I’ve been watching Nigeria for years now and have posted about this problem more than once before. Recently, many small news sources complained that this horrific situation was receiving no mainstream news media coverage. It is now hitting the mainstream and many of you who are reading this may know about the persecution of Christians there. A few years ago, in one year, over 4,000 Christians were killed and, as far as we know, no other country came close to these numbers. This year is not over yet and I’m hearing that up to 7,500 Christians have been killed there this year. A Nigerian leader has said that 7,500 is way too high and that the number is more likely to be in the hundreds. With Nigeria’s past record, I think the number is much more likely to be in the thousands. People at the highest level of our government know of this situation and are concerned. It is good to see men in our government discussing this topic. My goal here is to ask for prayers for our brothers and sisters in Nigeria. Please pray that God would give the Nigerian people strength through the persecution they are experiencing.
A servant of God is now with the Lord. I appreciate this man and what he did to help my understanding of our great God. Here is just one of his many hopeful sermons:
Once again, I’m publishing the best video of 2024 that I could find regarding Origin of Life research. And once again, the well known chemist, Dr. James Tour is it’s creator. I’ve watched the entire thing twice now and appreciate all of it but if you want to cut it short a bit start at 22:00 minutes.
In a news article out of Vatican City yesterday, this was printed:
“On Thursday, women theologians, experts and leaders met for a one-day discussion on female leadership, asking the tough questions facing the Catholic Church on the issue. In her presentation, ordained missionary and theologian Maeve Louise Heaney questioned Catholic theology that attempts to ‘essentialize’ women. ‘They speak of complementarity and name the contribution of women as essentially different to that of men,’ she explained, ‘pitching love, spirituality and nurturing against authority, leadership and intellect.’
Heaney challenged Catholics to reconsider their idea of God and the Holy Spirit as neither male nor female, quoting her ‘yoga-loving’ niece who prays to ‘the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. And the Mother, the Daughter and the Holy Spirit.’”
I know I normally focus on the questionable things going on in Protestantism, but this is an example of Catholic theology gone awry. It seems to me that many Protestants and Catholics are getting away from obvious Biblical teachings that have been central to Christianity for two millennia.
There are these verses:
Ephesians 4:4-6 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
and this verse:
Matthew 3:16,17 16 After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, 17 and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”
and this verse among many others:
Matthew 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit . . .”
No where in scripture do we see the Father described as the mother or Jesus described as the daughter.
This type of thing reminds me of 2 Timothy 4:3 which states:
“For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires…”
Many Protestants and Catholics need to get back to the basics found in the scriptures alone. It is by grace alone, through faith alone, and in Christ alone that we are saved.
Pushing back against the Biden administration’s radical identity politics, 19 state attorneys general and numerous conservative and religious organizations last week stood up for religious liberty and for long-standing, effective child adoption services. Good. The Biden proposal at issue is pernicious.
As succinctly put by Advancing American Freedom, a think tank founded by former Vice President Mike Pence, the proposal “would violate the religious freedom of foster care families and ultimately make the shortage of families working within the foster care system worse.”
Nov. 27 was the deadline for comments about the “Safe and Appropriate Foster Care Placement Requirements,” a rule proposed by President Joe Biden’s Administration for Children and Families, which is part of the Department of Health and Human Services. It is yet another manifestation of the Left’s obsession with sexual behaviors and “identities.” It would prevent states from using child adoption agencies, most of them faith-based, that do not accept leftist dogma about clothing choices and “pronouns” for “children in foster care who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, as well as children who are non-binary, or have non-conforming gender identity or expression.”
The regulation would put children in charge: No matter the child’s biology or anatomy, his or her “self-identified sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression” would rule the day. Adoption and foster care organizations that do not agree to be “trained” — that is, refuse to be indoctrinated — to comply with the “name and pronouns that align with [children’s] gender identity,” no matter how fleeting or ill-considered, will be banned from providing services to homeless children labeled “LGBTQI+.” If readers cross-refer supporting documents cited for the proposed, it is clear that the required “support” presumes a bias in favor of chemical and surgical transitioning procedures.
Most faith-based adoption agencies reject the transgender assault on chromosomal and anatomical reality, which often does lasting harm. Yet they make up 40% of government-contracted child placement agencies. In some states, either most, in the case of New Mexico, all, private placement agencies are Christian. Observant Christians are three times more likely than the general population to consider fostering children. The attorneys general draw the unavoidable conclusion: “Without faith-based organizations and foster homes, the foster care system would face a critical lack of placement options.”
As the attorneys general also write, the religious-liberty implications of the proposed rule are profound: “This proposed rule seeks to accomplish indirectly what the Supreme Court found unconstitutional just two years ago: remove faith-based providers from the foster care system if they will not conform their religious beliefs on sexual orientation and gender identity.” And: “The proposed rule is unconstitutional because it discriminates against individuals and organizations of faith who want to serve children in the foster care system. The proposed rule also unconstitutionally forces [so-called gender-affirming] speech on foster providers.”
For good measure, say the top state legal officers, the proposal also would violate the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
Harm is done not only to would-be adoptive families and agencies that place children but also to children themselves. By eliminating so many providers and families from consideration, “the proposed rule will harm LGBTQI+ foster children by limiting their family setting options.” Instead of being placed in families that might provide a nurturing atmosphere, they would probably be placed in “congregate settings” that would not give them individual attention or familial love.
Isn’t finding a loving surrogate family the main point of adoption and foster care?
Willingness to love a child, not subscription to misconceived leftist gender ideology, is what makes a good adoptive or foster family. For the government to force out faith-based institutions and families would create a dystopian world in which sexuality crowds out what is fully human.
I read this article today and feel this is very important news. Anyone who has followed this blog long enough knows how I feel about corrupt Child Protection Services. I started covering the Barnevernet in Norway in 2016.
I agree with former Vice President Mike Pence that Biden’s rule “would violate the religious freedom of foster care families and ultimately make the shortage of families working within the foster care system worse.”
I hope you are able to watch what transpired today in our nation’s capitol. In our times, when antisemitism seems to be widespread, it is nice to see an event like this one. I am praying for the peace of Jerusalem. I support Israel’s right to exist as God’s covenant with Abraham is clear in Genesis 15:
15 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying, “Do not fear, Abram, I am a shield to you; Your reward shall be very great.” 2 Abram said, “O Lord God, what will You give me, since I am childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “Since You have given no offspring to me, one born in my house is my heir.” 4 Then behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This man will not be your heir; but one who will come forth from your own body, he shall be your heir.” 5 And He took him outside and said, “Now look toward the heavens, and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” And He said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” 6 Then he believed in the Lord; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness. 7 “
The covenant between Abraham and God consisted of three separate parts: 1) the promised land. 2) the promise of the descendants. 3) the promise of blessing and redemption.
I don’t agree with the politics of some of the speakers at this event, but I appreciate their willingness to speak out in support of Israel.
It says something that this event had so much security. How did this happen in America? I hope all Christians get back to reading their Bibles. As I’ve asked so many times on this blog: “How can God bless a people who turn their backs on Him?”
May God bless Israel, and may God bless the United States of America.
Chris Reimers
Approximately 290,000 attended this event. The largest event of its kind ever.
At last count approximately 516,000 people have watched this video.
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Posted by Chris 
Wings of the Wind 
Nicaragua 2009 – 2026
July 7, 2026When Americans think of patriots, they link the title, many times, to heroes of the Revolutionary War. Names like Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Franklin, and Hancock come to mind. We use the word patriot to describe men who are willing to risk their own personal freedom for the freedom of others. I am posting this article because Americans take their freedoms for granted at times and need to know about human rights violations occurring in many places in our world. The U.S. has made 250 years. Others are not so fortunate. Many other countries are in constant turmoil. Nicaragua has been one of those countries for some time now.
Back in September of 2009 the citizens of Hot Springs, Arkansas were privileged to visit with six such patriots. The six men were from Nicaragua. Less than one year earlier, on November 9th, 2008, elections were held throughout Nicaragua. On that day, five of our visitors were elected mayors of five of the largest cities in the Central American nation.
Within two weeks of the election, each had been told that the vote count was incorrect and that another candidate was the real winner. All of the new “winners” were candidates supported by Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega. Similar election result “corrections” occurred in 43 municipalities in Nicaragua.
The six individuals visiting Hot Springs were here to tell their stories and to learn how to handle the situation in which they found themselves. They were here on a State Department funded tour of several cities in the United States. The group met with 11 different organizations including one in Washington D.C. attempting to gain information to help their nation solve its problems. What better place to come than a nation that has overcome such obstacles in its past?
Mr. Bob Driggers, of the Garland County Good Government Group (located in Hot Springs, Arkansas), welcomed our visitors and noted several local representatives in attendance. The names of the six Nicaraguan patriots that were present at the meeting held at the Transportation Depot are (see picture above):
Mr. Augusto Ayala elected Mayor of Juigalpa
Mr. German Zeledon elected Mayor of Jinotega
Dr. Rommel Moreno elected Mayor of Corinto
Mr. Francisco Valdivia elected Mayor of Masaya
Mr. Ariel Teran elected Mayor of Leon
Mr. Anibal Rosales of Granada, a political marketing specialist who helped Mr. Teran win his election.
After introductions, Mr. Driggers allowed Mayor Mike Bush to address our visitors. Mayor Bush welcomed our guests and informed them that Hot Springs has not suffered the financial strain that much of the nation is feeling. He added that the effects of the national economy are beginning to take a toll on the area. After his remarks, Mayor Bush had to leave.
Mr. Driggers then welcomed Dr. Gene Shelby, a Hot Springs resident and District 25 Representative to the Arkansas House of Representatives. Mr. Shelby also welcomed our guests and applauded them for the efforts they were making to help the people of Nicaragua. He mentioned the low voter turnout at recent school board elections, referring to the fact that many Americans take their freedoms for granted. He also thanked the Garland Good Government Group for its efforts to make Hot Springs a better place to live.
Ms. Peggy Maruthur was the next local representative to address our new friends. Ms. Maruthur thanked Peggy and Duane Vandenberg for hosting the group. She then explained her responsibilities as a Hot Springs City Director and noted that she had been elected by the people to represent them as a whole and not only those who had more influence than others.
Before Mr. Driggers presented a short Power Point on the recent efforts of the Garland Good Government Group, he recognized the presence of Director Elaine Jones (BOD Dist. 2) Quorum Court member Bud West (J.P. Dist. 9), and Garland County Treasurer Jo West Taylor.
Following the Good Government presentation, Mr. Ariel Teran began an explanation of recent events in Nicaragua. Mr. Teran, a graduate of an American University, and spokesman for the group, presented a short video entitled, “A Democracy Becoming a Dictatorship.” The video showed attempts at peaceful demonstrations and disruptions by youths being paid $10 a day by President Ortega. One scene showed a journalist being stabbed by a man with a machete. The video also showed a statement made by the Nicaraguan Attorney General and pictures of vandalized radio stations. Included were clips taken just two weeks before this visit of protesting students being accosted by paramilitary forces.
The Good Government Power Point had been presented with Spanish Text. The video shown by Mr. Teran had English text. One of the lines read, “To be silent and not act now…would be a great irresponsibility.”
Mr. Teran described how he had been personally affected by the recent events. “This is not a left or right issue. It’s a matter of Nationality,” Mr. Teran explained. He also explained that 2010 elections would be held by the congressmen of Nicaragua to choose the Electoral College. Mr. Teran expressed the fears of many that President Ortega might attempt to bribe the congressmen into his camp. Later in the meeting it was mentioned that money was being sent to Ortega by Hugo Chavez of Venezuela.
Mr. Teran explained that the problems began in 2006 when the opposition split into two groups. This allowed Ortega to win the Presidential seat with 38% of the vote. Ortega had been defeated by Violeta Barrios de Chamorro in the 1990 presidential election, but he remained an important figure in Nicaraguan opposition politics. Ortega was an unsuccessful candidate for president in 1996 and 2001 before winning the 2006 presidential election.
Mr. Teran said, “Ortega has 34% of the people, but he doesn’t have the congressmen. With the help of God we can make a difference.”
Once the question and answer period began, the first question came from Mr. Driggers who asked about current American assistance to the opposition (of Ortega). Mr. Teran stated that the U.S. government is currently not pushing to help the opposition. “We are not seeking financial assistance,” he said. “We just want the U.S. to sit down with us and listen to what has to be done.”
The other patriots got up and spoke. An interpreter translated for the audience. “Everything is contaminated,” stated Mr. Ayala. “We want to go back to our country and be watchdogs like you,” he said.
Mr. Rosales showed proof of the corruption. Dr. Moreno shared his experience of being elected as mayor and then having his position taken from him. They expressed how they had worked hard and won elections against Ortega’s representatives who were well funded. Mr. Zeledon and Mr. Valdivia also described their experiences and thanked the residents of Hot Springs, as the others had done for the warm welcome they had received.
Mr. Teran showed pictures of ballots that had been found at the dump in Leon, where he had been declared the mayor. The ballots were clearly marked as votes for Mr. Teran. “We took the ballots to the police and we made the national news,” Mr. Teran said. The case was never pursued.
Mr. Driggers made a few concluding remarks and thanked Ms. Barbara Anable for set up and refreshments. At this point, the entire Nicaraguan delegation gave Ms. Anable a standing ovation.
There was a good deal of discussion after the meeting was adjourned. In an interview with Mr. Teran, he stated that his father had been the founder of the baseball team in Leon. Leon has been a city that has had a lot of media attention during the recent political upheaval.
Earlier in this same month, I was fortunate enough to attend and report on an event that included the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, one of our U.S. Senators, one of our Reps. to the U.S. House of Representatives, and two other high ranking officials. I thought this would be the biggest thing I would be attending this year. With all due respect to the public servants I listened to that day, I have to say that this event with the Nicaraguan Patriots inspired me more than any event that I have yet covered.
An audience member enlightened me about the risk that these men were taking by coming to our country. We were all well aware of the risks they had already taken in their own country. Apparent was the courtesy, kindness, integrity, and humility of our visitors from Nicaragua. They were taking a stand for the principles of freedom, just like the difficult stand that our Revolutionary War patriots took. It was a moving experience.
Chris Reimers
***
I believe I was the only journalist present for the event with the Nicaraguans. At the time I was writing a news blog with the same name as this blog and this article appeared there and can still be seen here on the ggggnews page. Scroll down if you wish to see the original article. I’ve made a few changes above for easier reading.
The Nicaraguan patriots went back to their county with the hopes of attempting to help create a more transparent and honest government. I kept track as well as I could but contact information they had left became no longer available. Of course, I had heard that Ortega and his followers were creating a mess.
Then, on August 15, 2018, This message appeared on my “about” page and is still there near the bottom:
“Hi Chris, do you remember me? I am Aníbal Rosales, from your article ‘Nicaraguan Patriots Visit Hot Springs’ in October 2009. It is very sad what Nicaragua is living now, what in 2009 seemed like a distant future has arrived. Ortega took all the powers of the state, the presidency, the supreme court of justice, the electoral power and the assembly, he completed his project of dictatorship. Now he is killing his own people, for having raised us to protest against him, since last April 18, more than 350 people have died, there are more than 500 unjustly arrested, many disappeared and many people fleeing in Costa Rica and others living hidden in safe houses, so that the government does not kill them. We have a real humanitarian crisis, there are thousands of people who need shelter, food and medicine. If you can, tell this story to our friends in Hot Springs.”
I responded to Mr. Rosales as best as I could and was surprised that he remembered me and that he had found my blog which now had a new format and a different web address. I was no longer writing as a journalist.
Since then I have checked on Nicaragua from time from time. Essentially, Ortega now has a stranglehold on his position. “In the 2021 Nicaraguan presidential election, President Daniel Ortega effectively became the only viable candidate on the ballot after his government systematically suppressed political pluralism. He eliminated his opposition by jailing seven major presidential challengers and disqualifying all other serious competition, cementing his hold on power in an election that was widely condemned by the international community.”
We Americans should be thankful for our continued freedoms when we read about a country like Nicaragua. Yes, it is in the Western Hemisphere and somehow seems to avoid the attention it should get for its human rights violations. Still, much has been written and discussed about this problem, even though it almost never hits the mainstream news.
Here are other resources if you are interested in knowing more:
Nicaragua’s Unrelenting Campaign to Eliminate Religious Freedom May 2026
New report finds increased restrictions on religious leaders March 2026
Nicaragua Travel Advisory
I pray for the people of Nicaragua and the patriots I met from there back in 2009. Life has gotten much harder for most of the citizens there since that time. May God be with them.
Chris Reimers
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