Trump's State of the Union Address: A message of hope, strength, and confidence

President Donald Trump gave his first State of the Union address to the people of the United States tonight, January 30, at the U.S. Capital Building. 

Some of the highlights from Trump's address resonate with everyday Americans. He touched on what we believe as individuals and as a people, the things we hold dear to us. 

Trump states how American industry has grown under his presidency. Not only does our country have an increase in jobs, but we are also exporting energy as well. 

Instead of being dependent on other countries for power and energy, we are becoming more self-reliant on our energy and increasing our infrastructure. 

In order to rebuild American infrastructure, Trump encouraged Congress to create a bill to add $1.5 trillion into the industry. He also wants them to fully fund our United States Military and defense. 

Trump also reaffirms that everyday Americans love their country. We respect our brave men and women serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is why we stand for the National Anthem, with our hands over our hearts. 

Trump also brought forth the four pillars of his immigration plan during his speech: 1) A path to citizenship for 1.8 million “dreamers,” illegal immigrants who came to the United States as children; 2) Fully securing the southern border of the United States, including building the border wall and hiring more Border Patrol agents; 3) ending the Visa Lottery system in favor of a merit-based system of immigration; 4) ending chain migration in order to protect the “nuclear” family (immediate family members).

More importantly, Trump continues to push forward the hope and confidence Americans should have in themselves, in their country and in their own lives. Not just those who live on the West and East Coasts or in the Midwest, North or South, but all Americans. 

"No matter where you have been, or where you come from, this is your time," Trump said to audiences at home, as reported by Fox News. "This is our new American moment,” the President continued. “There has never been a better time to start living the American dream.

“As long as the U.S. has confidence in itself, our ‘values, faith, and trust’ will not fail,” Trump added.

Yes, we love America, and we are proud to call ourselves Americans. We can say that with our heads held high. Having strength and confidence in ourselves, both as individuals and as a people, is a great thing. It is good to be confident and be strong. It is how a person grows in his or her everyday life. We can and should take pride in our country and ourselves because this is who we truly are. All of us can have hope for our future, for the future of our families, and for the future of our nation. 

We live in the present moment and look to the future. 

We continue to pursue greatness because that is who we are called to be: good men and women with excelling greatness. It doesn't matter what our standing is; we all can choose to be great. 

Every day, we are making ourselves and America great again. 

We will continue to restore and renew our confidence and strength at home and in our everyday lives. 

Eight movies and actors that actually deserve Oscar wins in 2018

This article was originally published on November 5, 2017.

2018 is here, and in that time we've seen amazing performances by actors and great movies in 2017. But which ones will take home a golden Academy Award?

The Academy of Motion Pictures released the nominations earlier today. Just by scrolling through the lists, you can see that most of the films and performers on this list got snubbed.

Regardless of what you think of the Oscars, there’s a difference between what audiences believe are good films and Hollywood’s standards. We all know Hollywood falls into “La La Land” territory when it comes to selecting Oscars and getting them wrong.

Taking an outsider approach to the Academy Awards, and since all of us have better things to do besides watching a Hollywood awards show, here are eight movies and actors that actually deserve Oscar wins at the 2018 Academy Awards.

1) Hugh Jackman in "Logan (2017)" - Best Actor

Despite the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and it's great actors and storytelling, Hollywood as a whole is biased against superhero movies when it comes to Oscar nominations. When was the last time you saw an actor win Best Actor for starring in a superhero movie, aside from Heath Ledger as the Joker? If any actor deserves to win an Oscar for playing a superhero, it's Hugh Jackman. The man has played Logan/Wolverine for over 15 years and told Fox News that this film is very personal to him. Jackman’s commitment to staying in shape to play Wolverine should give him an Oscar win.

2) “Logan (2017)” – Best Picture

The third film in the “Wolverine Trilogy” of 20th Century Fox’s “X-Men” franchise should be a finalist for the Best Picture. It sets a different tone than previous superhero films and has Hugh Jackman play an older and battle-scarred Wolverine. Instead of focusing solely on action or mindless explosions, the characters are at the center of this film. “Logan” had a good chance to become the first live-action superhero feature film to receive a Best Picture win.

3) Christopher Nolan, "Dunkirk (2017)" – Best Director

An acclaimed filmmaker, Christopher Nolan proves himself to be a master of cinema with his latest outing. He sought to recreate the historical event of WWII where Allied soldiers struggled desperately trying to get to England in order to escape the Nazis (long before America got involved in the war). Unless Hollywood listens to historically-inaccurate critics who condemned Nolan’s film for not using minorities and more women in the movie, Nolan should be a strong contender for Best Director.

4) Matt Reeves and Mark Bomback, "War for the Planet of the Apes (2017)" - Best Adapted Screenplay

Like superhero movies, science fiction films fall under the ire of Hollywood but resonate with viewers. This latest film in the “Planet of the Apes” reboot series continues to add heart and a good story for audiences. Thanks to a screenplay by Matt Reeves and Mark Bomback, the film manages to portray the apes as sympathetic characters and not portray all humans (including the soldiers) as evil. It therefore earns a shot at an Oscar win.

5) "Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi (2017)" - Best Special Effects

Even before the new Star Wars film has come out, the trailers showcase advanced CGI effects. These effects continue the intense atmosphere in the Star Wars Galaxy established in "The Force Awakens" and "Rogue One," creating more intense dogfights and shootouts than in the previous "Star Wars" films. Except for that whole Ghost Yoda scene, of course. And the Porgs. The production crew behind "The Last Jedi" merit an Oscar win for their use of practical and special effects in the movie and the new "Star Wars" trilogy overall.

6) Gal Gadot, "Wonder Woman (2017)" -- Best Actress

Gal Gadot's portrayal of the most recognized D.C. Comics heroine has received praise from both critics and fans alike. She gave the DCEU a hero who inspired ordinary men and women to rise above themselves and do the right thing. Wonder Woman's success on the big screen helped keep the DCEU franchise alive, but that wouldn't have been possible without Gadot's solid performance. She deserves to take home Oscar gold.

7) "The Lego Batman Movie (2017)" - Best Animated Feature Film

Seriously, there weren’t a lot of good quality animated films in 2017. One exception is "The Lego Batman Movie." This film follows the storyline of "The Lego Movie" and focuses on the Caped Crusader's life fighting crime in Gotham. It managed to keep the spirit of "The Lego Movie" without falling flat on its feet, and anyone who's a fan of the Lego building blocks or Batman would like this film. So in a year where most people in Hollywood decided to make animated cash-grabs instead of animated films with good character and plot development , Batman deserves to win Oscar gold.

8) Harrison Ford, "Blade Runner 2049 (2017)" - Best Supporting Actor

While I haven't seen the new "Blade Runner" film, I believe Harrison Ford gave a performance worth of Oscar gold. He reprises his role from the original film, and he offers Ryan Gosling's character (and moviegoers in general) an answer to whether his character is human or a robot. Director Ridley Scott and Ford have argued about Deckard's (Ford) humanity, with Ford saying he believes his character is a human man. It's interesting to see if Ford can take home an Academy Award in a year where his only competition is Patrick Stewart in "Logan," and Robert Downey, Jr. in "Spider-Man: Homecoming."

Life and Persecution: Some so-called Catholics that should be excommunicated

The Roman Catholic Church has seen its share of good and bad times. Yet the Catholic Church has survived for over 2,000 years, from the persecution by the Roman Empire to the rise and fall of Communism. 

Yesterday, January 19, young Catholic men and women across the United States joined tens of thousands of other young adults in the 45th March for Life. Even those who were unable to march continue to support the pro-life cause and live their Catholic faith everyday of their lives.

All of these men and women—Catholics, Christians, and non-Christians alike—showed our country that there are plenty of Millennials stand up for the unborn and want to end legalized abortion in the United States.

Catholics should be proud of their heritage as Catholics and to call themselves Catholic. They are part of the majority of lay people who really do their best to live and practice their Catholic faith.

But some Catholics go against everything that the Catholic Church stands for, such as the right to life and upholding traditional marriage. They use their positions of power to attack conservative Catholics and use their so-called “Catholic” to promote heresies in today’s society and among Catholics, including abortion, injustice and the demonization of Catholics who are conservative.

These people deserve nothing less than excommunication from the Catholic Church. The 1983 Code of Canon Law states that a person who willing embrace a heresy, knowing that it violates the Catholic faith, should be excommunicated (c. 1364.2).

Most of these people are on this list because of their continued stances against the Church's teaching on human life and marriage, as well as their demonization of conservatives, including Catholics who are conservative. They are anti-life pro-choice advocates who think life doesn't begins at the moment of conception and think all conservatives are evil.

That’s their heresy.

With that in mind, here are some so-called "Catholics" that should be excommunicated from the Catholic Church. 

1) Joe Biden, former Vice President  

Joe Biden became the first Catholic vice-president when President Obama was elected in 2008. But his politics show he doesn't care about his faith. That's because Biden is pro-choice and uses his faith to justify killing unborn children. He supported ObamaCare which attacks the religious liberty of Americans by saying they have to pay for contraceptives and abortions.

During the 2012 Vice-Presidential Debate against Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI), Biden claimed Catholic organizations didn't have to provide contraceptives. But as we know from the case of the Little Sisters of the Poor, a Catholic order of nuns, that's a lie. He therefore deserves to be kicked out of the Church for his role in promoting abortion rights and a system aimed at attacking lay Catholics and their businesses.

2) Kathleen Sebelius 

There's a saying: "You can't be Catholic and pro-choice at the same time." 

That's the case for Kathleen Sebelius, the former Kansas governor and former U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary. 

Throughout her political career, Sebelius has worked to promote abortion in the United States, both as Kansas Governor and HHS Secretary. Her biggest controversy came under the Obama Administration. As HHS Secretary, Sebelius pushed forward the Affordable Care Act (aka "ObamaCare") and its "Contraceptive Mandate," which forced businesses to provide health insurance for employees wanting contraceptives and abortions even if it was against that company's (or employee's) beliefs. 

The Contraceptive Mandate was targeted directly at Catholic and Christian businesses and organizations that oppose abortion (in order to force religious groups to comply with ObamaCare). The Christian family-owned for-profit business Hobby Lobby went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court in order to be exempted from the Mandate. Hobby Lobby won its case on June 30, 2016.

As a reminder of Sebelius' strong anti-life stance, Archbishop Joseph Naumann of the Archdiocese of Kansas City-Kansas in 2009 asked her not to receive communion when she was nominated as the HHS secretary. This order followed Sebelius to Washington, D.C., when she became the HHS Secretary.

In contrast to Sebelius. Kansas Governor Sam Brownback has actually worked to protect unborn children from abortion (Brownback is also a Roman Catholic and pro-life). 

Because of Sebelius's strong role in persecuting the religious beliefs of Catholic business owners and employees who would be forced to provide health care coverage for contraceptive devices aimed at killing unborn children, Sebelius should once and for all be excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church. 

And what better time than now when the Trump Administration has overturned the Contraceptive Mandate? 

3) Liam Neeson 

The Irish Catholic actor who played Aslan in Disney’s “The Chronicles of Narnia” film franchise revealed himself to be an anti-Catholic, anti-Irish, and anti-life liberal by attacking Ireland, one of the most traditionally Catholic countries in Western Europe. This news came when Neeson narrated an anti-Catholic propaganda video for the liberal group Amnesty International against the Republic of Ireland's pro-life law, the 8th Amendment of Ireland’s Constitution.

The fact that Neeson supports this group's agenda against a traditionally Catholic people and nation shows he's fallen from whatever faith he had and should be removed from the Church's fold once and for all. 

4) Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic congresswoman from California and House Minority Leader, uses her “Catholic” faith to promote abortion and attack conservatives in the United States. 

Throughout her political career, Pelosi has used her leadership role to push forward her party’s pro-choice and anti-American agenda against everyday Americans. 

Pelosi spoke before the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus on Oct. 26, 2017 in an effort to reinstate the HHS Individual Mandate, which was overturned by President Donald Trump and effectively repealed when the U.S. Congress passed the tax reform bill on Dec. 20, 2017.

As I said earlier, the HHS Mandate targeted Catholic organizations in order to force them to provide coverage for abortion and contraceptives, which goes against the Catholic faith.

The Catholic League, a Catholic organization aimed at defending the Church against attacks, condemned Pelosi on March 20, 2017, when the House Minority Leader claimed supporting legalized abortion is consistent with Catholic teaching.

The Catholic League also reported on Dec. 18, 2015, that Pelosi also fought against Republican efforts to defund Planned Parenthood after Pope Francis’ visit to the United States in September 2015.

Pelosi is also a strong opponent against the Catholic Church’s position and traditional marriage. Deacon Keith Fournier, editor-in-chief for Catholic Online, reported on July 17, 2016, that he believes Pelosi is a heretic because she repeatedly made claims that abortion and gay “marriage” are consistent with Catholic teaching.

And back in June 2014, Cheryl K. Chumley of The Washington Times wrote that Bill Donohue, President of the Catholic League, condemned Pelosi in a letter after San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone planned to particispate in a rally for traditional marriage. Donohue believed that Pelosi was offended that her archbishop was making a “public defense of the Church’s teaching on marriage,” as reported by Chumley in the article.

Despite her claims, Pelosi’s pro-choice, anti-life stance goes against Catholic Church teaching and what it really means to be a Catholic. The Catholic Church clearly states that life begins at the moment of conception and that marriage is a union between one man and one woman. In truth, “Heresy Nancy” cares nothing about human life or upholding the Catholic faith.

Pelosi takes great pride in misusing the Catholic faith to advance abortion rights and block any legislative action that protects American citizens, both born and unborn alike. The Catholic Church therefore must take action and excommunicate “Heresy Nancy.”

5) Sen. Tim Kaine

Unless you are from Virginia, you probably never heard of Senator Tim Kaine before he was nominated as Hillary Clinton’s vice presidential candidate in the 2016 Presidential Election.

Kaine soon established himself as a promoter of legalized abortion and attacking conservative Catholics who are pro-life. Claire Chretien of LifeSiteNews reported on Oct. 17, 2016, that Archbishop Joseph Naumann of the Kansas City-Kansas (KCK) Archdiocese condemned Kaine for his public positions against the Church’s teachings. Naumann had previously stated in The Leaven, the diocesan newspaper for the KCK Archdiocese, that Kaine was committed to keeping abortion legal despite Kaine’s personal opposition to it.

Kaine continued the trend of Left-wing Catholic Democrats in Washington who think that Catholics and conservatives are evil men and women. During the 2016 Presidential Election, WikiLeaks released emails that revealed high-level officials in Clinton's campaign team, Clinton Communications Director Jennifer Palmieri and Clinton Campaign Chairman John Podesta, made anti-Catholics remarks back in 2011 with John Halpin of the Center for American Progress. Palmieri, Podesta and Halpin attacked conservative Catholics and Evangelicals in the email exchange, calling Catholics a “bastardization of the faith.” Kaine and Clinton never condemned her staff’s actions after Cardinal Timothy Dolan demanded an apology to him and Catholics on Oct. 19, 2017, just before the annual Al Smith Dinner in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Pope Francis and the Catholic Church should excommunicate Kaine because he continues his party's tactics against Catholics who have conservative beliefs and being complacent in promoting abortion in the United States. He should made an example that the Church condemns anyone who says American Catholics are evil, racist or stupid.