This Week's Top Five Stories

Your weekly update of the most popular content from The Federalist. Be lovers of freedom and anxious for the fray [View this email in your browser]( 1. It’s Not Just West Point. U.S. Military Academies Have Become Disneyland For Politicians By Bruce Fleming The service academies are now the vanity projects of the military brass, not viable contributions to U.S. defense. --------------------------------------------------------------- The military world and military academies—I’m a tenured civilian professor of English at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis—were rocked by an October 11 “open letter” exposing the rotten underbelly of our sister academy at West Point, the U.S. Military Academy. The letter was penned by Robert Heffington, an Army officer and West Point graduate who taught there for several years before retiring. Only his retirement made it possible for him to publish the letter, since officers in uniform cannot publicly disagree with superiors. Within 24 hours, West Point Superintendent Lt. Gen. Robert L. Caslan Jr., head of the administration Heffington holds responsible for its deficiencies, responded by evoking the “thousands of graduates who sacrifice and serve honorably every day.” [Full Article]( 2. If Not Even The Boy Scouts Can Celebrate Boys, They’re In Serious Trouble By Lori Moylan In a world where masculinity is too often thought of as toxic and men disappear from the labor force and marriage, scouting was a place boys could be taught as boys, by men. --------------------------------------------------------------- Every other Monday evening, a chaotic scene erupts at our local Presbyterian church. Young boys of all ages dart around, happily calling to each other across the room, alternating between sprints, tackles, and boisterous discussion of the latest update from Minecraft or their favorite YouTube star. Eventually, a man in a tan shirt steps to the front, his hand held high in “the quiet sign.” A few minutes later, with the boys settled down, the ritual begins. It starts with the pledge, and is followed by the sacred words: “On my honor, I will do my best, to do my duty, to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.” [Full Article]( 3. Anti-History Fury Hits Virginia Civil War Re-Enactment With Threats, Pipe Bombs By Jayme Metzgar After this weekend’s events, reenactors—and the spectators and communities who love them—increasingly worry that living history will become the next casualty of America’s culture war. --------------------------------------------------------------- On October 19, 1864, tiny Middletown, Virginia, was filled with the sound and fury of war. Union Gen. Philip Sheridan had been wreaking havoc in the Shenandoah Valley for months, in an effort to devastate the farming region and dry up the South’s supplies. When Jubal Early’s Confederates attacked that morning, the Union recoiled at first, then struck back, finally routing the rebels. Not only did the decisive Union victory spell the end of Southern resistance in the valley, it also helped propel Abraham Lincoln to victory in the 1864 election. The conflict—which produced more than 8,000 casualties—became known as the Battle of Cedar Creek. [Full Article]( 4. Colin Kaepernick’s Worst Enemy Isn’t NFL Owners Or President Trump, It’s Himself By Britt McHenry Colin Kaepernick has filed a grievance arguing NFL owners colluded among themselves and with President Trump to keep him unemployed. --------------------------------------------------------------- Colin Kaepernick is arguably the most talked-about quarterback in the NFL despite being removed from it since last season. Now that the free agent has filed a collective bargaining grievance against the NFL, arguing team owners colluded among themselves and with President Trump to keep him unemployed, Kaepernick’s relevance to the game won’t fade any time soon. Kaepernick became a household name outside of football when, as a San Francisco 49er, he began kneeling for the national anthem in August 2016. When first asked about it, Kaepernick said, “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.” [Full Article]( 5. Weinstein Sex Scandal Dunks Celebrity Trump Critics In Shame By David Marcus The same people who rightfully were shocked and alarmed at Donald Trump’s ‘grab the p-ssy’ comments knew full well this was de rigeur for men in power. --------------------------------------------------------------- This article contains mildly explicit language. Just about a week ago CNN ran a breathless article about the latest Hollywood celebrity to assume the brave mantle of social justice champion. The piece, titled, “How Jimmy Kimmel Became America’s Conscience,” lauded the talk show host for bravely flying in the face of American conservatives on health care and gun control. Like Lena Dunham, Meryl Streep, Robert DeNiro, and countless other unsung celebrity heroes, he was ready to speak truth to power! [Full Article]( Copyright © 2015 The Federalist, All rights reserved. You are receiving this e-mail because you opted in to receive e-mail updates from TheFederalist.com. Our mailing address is: The Federalist 8647 Richmond Highway Suite 618 Alexandria, VA 22309 [Add us to your address book]( This email was sent to {EMAIL} [why did I get this?]( [unsubscribe from this list]( [update subscription preferences]( The Federalist · 8647 Richmond Highway · Suite 618 · Alexandria, VA 22309 · USA