Rocky Mountain Voice

Commentary

Minimum wage hikes sound compassionate but close the door on opportunity
Rasmussen Reports, Approved, Commentary, National

Minimum wage hikes sound compassionate but close the door on opportunity

By Brian Joondeph | Commentary, Rasmussen Reports A new Rasmussen Reports survey reveals that 40% of Americans now believe the minimum wage should be at least $15 an hour, up from 36% a year ago. That’s a strong sentiment. After all, who doesn’t want working Americans to earn more? But compassion and sound economics are two very different things. In fact, the optimal minimum wage from an economic perspective is zero. This isn't an insult to workers but a recognition that government cannot create prosperity by decree, despite campaign promises. When wages are set by law instead of supply and demand, the first casualties are often those who need an entry point, such as teenagers, part-time workers, and adults looking for a second job to supplement their income. Contrary to...
Deportations won’t stop the damage: Calls grow to rethink visas, welfare and assimilation
The Federalist, Approved, Commentary, National

Deportations won’t stop the damage: Calls grow to rethink visas, welfare and assimilation

By Breccan F. Thies | Commentary, The Federalist Importing culturally foreign, economically dependent people is destroying the American way of life. WASHINGTON, D.C. — Illegal immigration might be the single strongest issue holding the conservative movement together right now. Everyone wants illegals gone, and no one cares if the migrants have committed other crimes or not — this is about the restoration of American culture for Americans to enjoy. National Conservatism (NatCon) had its fifth annual conference in Washington, D.C., this week, where speakers addressed a variety of issues like where the right should be headed on things like gay “marriage,” what America’s relationship with Israel should look like, the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, education, and...
Prayer works: Science confirms what believers have always known
The Daily Signal, Approved, Commentary, National

Prayer works: Science confirms what believers have always known

By Andrew Fowler | Commentary, The Daily Signal The role of prayer in civil society has emerged in the wake of the Annunciation Catholic School shooting, and this may be a blessing of sorts amidst the tragedy. This is because scientific research has shown time and again that religious faith and the practice of prayer check pathologies and improve quality of life on almost every level.  However, politicians and commentators belittled “thoughts and prayers” as ineffective in preventing other mass killings. Others, from Vice President JD Vance to Bishop Robert Barron to Franciscan University, were quick to emphasize prayer’s importance in moments of anguish and darkness. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security even&nbs...
Government Isn’t God: Why Broken People Need More Faith, Not Bigger Bureaucracy
ScottKJames.com, Approved, Commentary, National

Government Isn’t God: Why Broken People Need More Faith, Not Bigger Bureaucracy

By Scott K. James | Commentary, ScottKJames.com America doesn’t need bigger government. It needs bigger faith. Romans 13 shows government is a servant – not the savior. Since the tragic shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church, I’ve watched the same battle lines get drawn. The script writes itself: “Take the guns. Prayer doesn’t work. Faith isn’t enough.” It breaks my heart – not only because of the lives shattered, but because half of America’s first instinct is to strip away our God-given rights. But the answer isn’t taking things away. The answer is realizing that people are broken, and only God – not government – can heal broken people. And if the church shooting wasn’t proof enough of how far we’ve drifted, the recent Colorado General Assembly Special Session sealed it. It...
The Sword of the Spirit: On the Offensive–Advancing with God’s Sword
Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Commentary, Devotional, Top Stories

The Sword of the Spirit: On the Offensive–Advancing with God’s Sword

By Drake Hunter | Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” ~ Ephesians 6:17 ~ As a boy, I loved playing with swords. Sometimes I’d pick up a stick and pretend to be Robin Hood, while other times I engaged in lightsaber duels reminiscent of Star Wars. Our battles were always grand—filled with heroic moves, slow-motion falls, and victory speeches nobody requested. My two triplet sisters, Faye and Barbara, along with my little brother, Todd, were my sparring partners. We weren’t a medieval army, but when we started fighting, the backyard often turned into a battlefield in more ways than one. Someone always ended up ‘injured,’ usually me, and the rules often changed mid-fight to give the girls an advantage. ...
Transgenderism, Firearms, and the Conservative Dilemma
Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Commentary, National, Top Stories

Transgenderism, Firearms, and the Conservative Dilemma

By C.J. Garbo | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice Rumors are circulating across social media that a future Trump administration might consider restricting firearm ownership for individuals who identify as transgender. These claims, unverified as of now, have sparked sharp reactions on both sides of the aisle. It is worth addressing them not just on the surface, but in depth (philosophically, constitutionally, and morally) because the core issues involved go far beyond gun rights or gender identity. They reach into what it means to be a free people governed by law, not emotion or political fear. The Conservative Tension: Rights vs. Reality Conservatives are rightfully proud defenders of the Second Amendment. We assert that the right to bear arms is a fundamental protection aga...
Reduce Taxes BY Eliminating the Government Middleman
Rocky Mountain Voice, Approved, Commentary, State, Top Stories

Reduce Taxes BY Eliminating the Government Middleman

By Russ Minary | Guest Commentary, Rocky Mountain Voice "The power to tax is the power to destroy." – U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall, 1819 In this article, I’ll explain and contrast how and why the American free market works differently and better than government (in many cases) using two free market American businesses you know: Amazon and Costco. NOTE: I am a Constitutional conservative and enthusiastic advocate of the free market wherever, whenever and in whatever ways possible. I don’t oppose all government, just that which is redundant, costly, over-regulated, complicated, unnecessary, or too oppressive and costly. Which is most of it. In the past, manufacturers, local retailers and their customers enjoyed friendly relationships. A middleman like a distribu...
The New Battle Cry: Faith, Freedom, and Resistance to Overreach
Coffee & COVID, Approved, Commentary, National

The New Battle Cry: Faith, Freedom, and Resistance to Overreach

By Jeff Childers | Commentary, Coffee & Covid Good morning, C&C, it’s Thursday! And it’s a C&C special edition. Things are moving faster than we dreamed possible. Yesterday, Florida made the historic announcement that it would end its liberal vaccine exemption program by ditching vaccine mandates altogether. You can’t believe the apocalyptic meltdown the left is having. Let’s dig in to this spectacular story. In Monday’s C&C post, headlined “Pharmapocalypse,” I discussed President Trump’s historic Truth Social post questioning the covid shots — for the first time— and considered the potentially epic implications. Well, it only took two days. Yesterday, the Washington Post ran a story headlined, “Florida plans to become first state to eliminate all childhood vacci...
A Strong America Requires Strong Factories
Commentary, Approved, National, tHE bLAZE

A Strong America Requires Strong Factories

By Riley Moore | Commentary, The Blaze America’s hollowed industrial base is our greatest vulnerability — and China’s greatest advantage. We can fix it. Our country is standing at a crossroads. Neither the world nor America’s place in it is what it was a generation ago. The unipolar moment is over. And yet, many in the Republican Party seek to claim the mantle of America First while continuing the same failed adventurism of the past. National conservatism as a movement agrees that these people and ideas must be stopped. But we have failed to check their influence in the party largely because we have not offered an alternative that both meets the real threats to American security and balances national interest, the deterrent effect, industrial capability, and political will. ...