Veritas Rex

Fireproof was No. 3 in America - keep it going!

As readers of Veritas Rex know, Kurt has been actively promoting this film since we saw a screening of it in July.  Well Friday night we put our money where his mouth was and saw the film on opening night.  We went to the 10:15pm showing and to our great satisfaction, the theater was nearly filled to capacity.

I received an email yesterday and wanted to share the exciting news with our loyal readers. Fireproof was the No. 3 movie in America on opening night! We are up against movies that are showing in more than twice the number of theaters, so we need to continue to spread the word.  Remember, it's not too late - take your family and friends to see Fireproof today and keep the success going!  Check out theater locations at http://www.fireproofthemovie.com/theaters.

Thank You ... Thank You ... Thank GOD!

Throughout 2008, you have followed the behind-the-scenes story of FIREPROOF, an action-packed love story about a fireman, his wife ... and a marriage worth rescuing.

Friday, on opening day, you experienced the movie firsthand. With friends and family, with small groups and entire churches, you went. And laughter, tears, and cheers filled 839 theaters across the country.

Today, as movie-industry insiders look at all of the statistical data from yesterday, they are trying to figure out how in the world a movie they didn't even know about was one of the most popular movies in the country on Friday.

That's right: FIREPROOF was the No. 3 movie in America yesterday! You have thoroughly confounded Hollywood.

Will FIREPROOF stay No. 3 the rest of Opening Weekend? By industry standards, it seems extremely unlikely. The next five movies that finished behind FIREPROOF are playing on approximately 2,500 screens each.

So the key is that people like us keep showing up at movie theaters, both today and tomorrow. Let's show Hollywood that FIREPROOF is the kind of movie you will support. Let them know that this is more than a movie ... it's a movement.

As we found out with Facing the Giants two years ago and FIREPROOF last night, with God, all things are possible ... even in the movie industry. Make that especially in the movie industry.

Thank you! And thanks for continuing to support FIREPROOF on this all-important weekend.

IFI Mourns the Passing of J. Patrick Rooney

I just received an email alert with a message from Curt Smith, and feel it's appropriate to share here as well.  J. Patrick Rooney, former chairman of Golden Rule Insurance, has gone to be with the Lord.  Everyone at Veritas Rex is saddened by this loss.  Below is Curt's message.

The conservative movement in general and the Indiana Family Institute in particular lost a dear friend today with the passing of the Honorary Chairman of our Center-Right Coalition in Indiana, J. Patrick Rooney.

Pat was a policy pioneer and an advocate for the least fortunate among us. He worked tirelessly for those trapped by limited school options or wracked with few if any health care resources. He was also a keen mind and a generous supporter of conservative causes that sought to help everyone, not just the elites.

On a personal note, he was a very special friend and encourager of mine over the years.  During one particularly challenging time, he sent me a personal note and a check that -- unknown to him -- paid for a family vacation I was debating canceling due to a financial set back.  How he knew of our situation remains a confirmation to me to this moment that he was tuned in to a still quiet voice that speaks with far greater authority than any other voice we may ever hear.

While we in this realm can never know with certainty how Eternity greets anyone but ourselves at that moment of the encounter with the Divine, I won't be surprised to learn Pat Rooney heard that voice say this very day, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Mr. Rooney's work, I encourage you to look at the brief summary on Wikipedia. It describes a passionate man who was a tireless advocate for the poor. 

SCOTUS rejects the D.C. gun ban

The Supreme Court gave a historic ruling this morning to overturn Washington D.C.'s long-standing ban on gun ownership. 

From Reuters:

For the first time in U.S. history, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that individual Americans have the right to own guns for personal use, and struck down a strict gun control law in the U.S. capital.

The landmark 5-4 ruling marked the first time in nearly 70 years the country's high court has addressed whether the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects an individual right to keep and bear arms, rather than a right tied to service in a state militia.

This is the first time a gun control law has been struck down.

The Supreme Court's last review of the Second Amendment came in a five-page discussion in an opinion issued in 1939 that failed to definitively resolve the constitutional issue.

In Thursday's opinion, the court struck down the country's strictest gun control law adopted in Washington, D.C., 32 years ago. It bans private possession of handguns and requires that any rifles or shotguns kept at home be unloaded and dissembled or bound by a trigger lock.

This decision marks the beginning of what will surely be a high-spirited debate on the extent of the ruling and how it should impact other gun control regulations.  Look for more reactions in the coming weeks as the ruling is analyzed.  Right now, though, I'm thrilled that residents of our nation's capital will be allowed to defend themselves and their families, and I'm proud to see our Constitution honored in this way.

I just might buy a gun in celebration.

Donate to Hoosier Flood Relief

I heard about this on the radio and wanted to spread the word. It's just one of the ways we can pitch in and show compassion to our neighbors who are struggling right now.

Z-99.5, 107.9 The Track, and Newstalk 1430 WXNT-AM will accept donations to benefit the Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services through Friday. 100% of all money collected during this fundraiser will go towards Hoosier Flood Relief, helping your friends and neighbors recover from this disaster.

Tomorrow's the last day!  Click here to make a secure online donation.

Blogger Dinner with Lt. Gov. Skillman

I'm terribly late in posting this, but better late than never, right?

Two weeks ago, I joined bloggers from Hoosier Access, Indy Conservative Hardball and Prosper GroupThink for an informal blogger dinner with LG Becky Skillman to discuss 2008, her plans for the future and the Daniels administration's agenda for their second term.  I am trying to directly quote the LG as much as possible below.

Two weeks ago (four weeks ago now) Skillman filed her paperwork to run again as Lt. Gov. "It's hard to believe 4 years have passed...but it's been a time of action.  I can travel to any part of this state and see signs of progress."

About jobs:
More than 60% of new jobs coming in are coming to areas with less than 25,000 in population. Since 2005, we're right at 67,000. We've had $15.6 billion in private capital investments.  We're #1 in new Foreign production jobs. 14,000 of those jobs are with international companies that chose to expand or relocate their operations here.

About the re-election campaign:
She is looking forward to the next 6 months of the campaign, which she says will remain positive.  "We won't attempt to divide Hoosiers.  We will speak the truth."

About the recent CA Supreme Court decision over-turning CA marriage law passed by referendum.
"The Governor has said that he would vote for an amendment if he had the chance."  (Note:  In Indiana, the Governor doesn't sign off on an amendment like SJR7).  "It's unconscionable for the will of the people to be overturned."

~ ~ Listen to the Governor's statement here. ~ ~

Some social conservatives are unhappy with Gov. Daniels.  Is this fair? (BTW, VR didn't ask this one)
"I've never questioned what he would do (when it comes to marriage).  (In 2004 during the search for an LG) I filled out a 17 page survey on my beliefs, and he wouldn't choose someone who didn't line up with his values and beliefs."

Will the marriage amendment be on the agenda in 2009?
"It's safe to say it's going to introduced and pursued."

Do you have a preview of what's coming in years 5-8?
"A great deal of our focus in the 2009 session will be on Education.  You will recall in 2007, we introduced the measure to franchise the Hoosier Lottery, with the proceeds going to college scholarships. That passed the Senate but not the House of Reps.  The top bid was 2.6 billion - we set a threshold of $1 billion." 

"The legislature did not include in the last budget full funding for Full Day Kindergarten as the Gov wanted." 

"We'll be looking at discipline in the classroom.  We'll have 1 or 2 bills introduced...also more instruction not construction of schools."

"One top priority is the 2nd passage of the Constitutional amendment regarding the property tax reform in 2009."

"Within the next 30 days or so we'll have more of our agenda ready for announcement. The state's economic health will continue to be the #1 priority going forward.  Indiana is the only state in the black in a sea of red in the Midwest."

What are the effects of the excited Democrat Party on the 2008 campaign?
"Hoosiers are accustomed to taking one race at a time.  They're very independent."

"Every election cycle we say it's the most important. We just have to turn our supporters out to vote."

Skillman 2012?
"I don't know. If in politics a week is a year, 5 years from now feels like an eternity. But, I'm not intimidated by it."

Indiana Government
"It's absolutely true that we are in a new era of local government restraint."

"The size of state government has been decreased by 10% but we've increased worker pay, and it still costs less today than it did before."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On a personal note, we've highlighted Lt. Gov. Skillman's leaderhip in the past, but I continue to be impressed with her depth of knowledge and familiarity on a wide range of issues.  She is a classy lady, an effective Lieutenant Governor, and a wonderful role model for young girls seeking to be successful in life.  She should also be commended for her efforts to be accessible to bloggers.  We can be a tough crowd sometimes, but her willingness to provide access and submit to interviews demonstrates that she wants to involve Hoosiers of all types in her administration.

Vietnam vets given recognition they deserved

This happened last week, but it still bears mentioning.

Charles Hahn was one of the Vietnam War soldiers who returned home to war protests and criticism.

"They warned us, but I just turned 21. I don't think any of us were ready for that," said Hahn, 61, Nineveh.

For many veterans, there were no welcome-home parades or other celebrations. Hahn, instead, remembers getting off a plane in Chicago after spending two years in Vietnam and being spat upon by a woman protesting the unpopular war.

On Saturday, organizers of Indianapolis' first Welcome Home celebration for Vietnam War veterans hoped it wasn't too late to make amends.

Hahn was one of hundreds of Vietnam War veterans, their family members and other supporters who filled the auditorium of the Indiana War Memorial for the welcoming celebration -- a recognition that many veterans felt was long overdue.

Welcoming speakers included Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard and Maj. Gen. R. Martin Umbarger, adjutant general of the Indiana National Guard.

A banner outside the memorial made it clear to all: "The city of Indianapolis Welcomes Home Vietnam Veterans."

"It's been a long time coming. Too long," said Ballard, who greeted the veterans before and after the ceremony.

"I thought it was important for the city to do it, so at least one municipality is saying, 'Thanks for what you did,' " said Ballard, who served in the Marines during the first Gulf War.

God bless whoever organized this event.

The question remains:  When will John Kerry and Jane Fonda apologize for the great harm they propogated on Vietnam vets?

Dinesh D'Souza in Indianapolis

I received an alert last week from AFA of Indiana about a great event coming up with Dinesh D'Souza here in Indianapolis.  We've printed a lot of D'Souza's stuff on this blog recently.  To put it lightly, I am very excited.  I encourage everyone to attend.  D'Souza spoke at CPAC about his book, What's So Great About Christianity, and he was incredible.

I am happy to announce that AFA of Indiana is partnering with our friends at Indiana Policy Review and Crossroads Bible College to host author and scholar Dinesh D'Souza. The author of the new book, What's So Great About Christianity? answers the flood of a new aggressive atheism that has risen in recent years. Dinesh is a former policy analyst for President Ronald Reagan. He also served at the American Enterprise Institute, and the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. Dinesh has authored half a dozen books including Illiberal Education, The End of Racism and What's So Great About America?

Dinesh D'Souza will be speaking at Crossroads Bible College on the topic of his newest book What's So Great About Christianity? Mark your calendars for Monday evening March 24th at the college at 601 N. Shortridge Rd on the East side of Indianapolis. This is a free event. I will have time, room and other details next week.

VR welcomes Clark Vandeventer

As we promised last month, Veritas Rex is adding to our list of contributors.  Today, we welcome Clark Vandeventer to our fold.  Clark hails from Santa Barbara, California, where he has just finished a stint working for Young America's Foundation at the Reagan Ranch.

Several authors can vouch for Clark's passion and tenacious work to better his world.  His bio:

Clark Vandeventer is the founder and CEO of World Changers, Inc.  He is a graduate and former student body president of Indiana Wesleyan University, whose mission is to develop world changers.  As a student, he was inspired by this mission, and the lasting impression of his time there created the vision for World Changers.

World Changers aids non profit entrepreneurs and acts as philanthropic advisors to both organizations and individual donors. Providing challenging, strategic, and visionary thinking for non-profit organizations through staff recruitment and training, coaching for boards, and other specialized services, World Changers equips organizations for new levels of success.  In addition to providing training for organizations, World Changers acts as a philanthropic advisor to individuals who seek the maximum impact of their charitable gifts.  Drawing on the experience of more than 1,000 meetings with philanthropists, Vandeventer is uniquely positioned to help an organization understand the heart of a donor and help the donor identify his/her true passions. 

World Changers is also dedicated to the development of kingdom building businesses.  Vandeventer and his wife Monica are intimately involved in the prototype for this concept,  Finestra Cafe. Located in downtown Santa Barbara, Finestra is uniquely positioned where business meets lifestyle and provides a connection to things bigger and more lasting than this world.  The purpose of kingdom building businesses is to move the ministry out of the church and into every day life--it is taking common things and making them sacred.

Additionally, World Changers provides representation for New York Times best-selling author Dinesh D’Souza (Illiberal Education, What’s So Great About America, What’s So Great About Christianity, etc.) through the One Man Movement Project.  The One Man Movement Project provides institutional momentum to world changing individuals.

Formerly, Vandeventer served Young America’s Foundation, the nations leading Conservative Movement youth outreach organization as Deputy Director of the Reagan Ranch.  He devoted nearly a decade of his life to Young America’s Foundation and the preservation of the Reagan Ranch, first as one of the Foundation’s top campus activists, then as an entry level staffer, then director of development and supporter relations before being appointed deputy director.  He played a key key role in the campaign to open the $20 million Reagan Ranch Center in downtown Santa Barbara and establishing the Reagan Ranch brand and the “Reagan Ranch Experience”.  During his tenure at Young America’s Foundation, the Foundation’s annual budget and fundraising revenue nearly doubled--moving from just more than $10 million to just short of $20 million.  He hosted more than 500 tours of President Reagan’s home and Western White House, including visits with United States Senators and Congressmen, Governors, and leaders as diverse as actors Charlton Heston and Joseph Phillips, to Judge Ken Starr, 75th Attorney General Ed Meese, and James Dobson.

He is the chairman of the President’s Advisory Council for Excellence at Indiana Wesleyan University where he works closely with both President Henry Smith on special projects. He and his wife Monica are active in their church, Calvary Chapel Santa Barbara, and reside in Goleta, California with their son Jackson.

Woman at the Well

This video was recommended to me by Erin Tobias, an invaluable employee of IFI.  She is clearly much more hip than I am.  The video is a spoken word piece on the woman at the well, found in John 4.  Take a minute to listen to this impactful performance.

FYI - This is about Jesus, not Barack Obama. :)  See here.

At CPAC

Kurt and I are at CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) today.  It doesn't begin officially until tomorrow, but we were able to attend a special event for those of us who helped fund the event.

Some observations:

This year will be the largest CPAC ever, according to Chairman David Keene.

President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Senator John McCain, Mitt Romney, and Mike Huckabee will all be addressing the event.

Most discussed:  Whether or not the Conservatives will accept John McCain as nominee for the Republican Party.  Will he be booed tomorrow when he speaks? 

There has also been some disussion of the Human Events article by Jed Babbin that mentioned McCain's possible plans for his introduction.

One source told me last night that McCain is planning an all-out push at CPAC.  At 3 pm tomorrow, McCain is scheduled to address the crowd expected to number over 6,000 activists.  And McCain plans a very special introduction. 

According to my source, McCain has prepared a video featuring President Ronald Reagan to make the introduction. If McCain uses this video, it is very likely to backfire badly.  This is the group before which Ronald Reagan said in 1975 that, “A political party cannot be all things to all people. It must represent certain fundamental beliefs which must not be compromised to political expediency or simply to swell its numbers.” 

Very few of the 2008 CPAC crowd will see McCain as the successor to Reagan and Reagan’s principles.  McCain has sacrificed conservatives’ fundamental beliefs throughout his Senate career.  If McCain uses this introduction, the boos will be very loud.

McCain faces a real quandary.  If he fails at CPAC -- and doesn’t win the CPAC straw poll (he finished dead last in 2007) -- the word will be out that the conservatives are off his team this year.  The results of the poll will be announced at about 2 pm Saturday.  McCain can do a few things at CPAC that could help.

We'll fill you in as events take place.  Tomorrow's AM big event is VP Cheney.