Make no mistake, though.  Unless we all take stand against this sort of behavior — starting with young men like myself — this type of sad story is likely to repeat itself with growing frequency across America as the administration, liberal courts, and special interest groups (all of whom purportedly support “women’s reproductive health”) pursue their commitment to make contraceptives and abortion drugs more widely available to women at an increasingly young age.  The recent ruling by federal judge Edward R. Korman — ordering the availability of the powerful “emergency contraceptive” pill known as Plan B to women of all ages — will enable situations like this to occur again far too easily.  Specifically, it reduces barriers for so-called boyfriends to simply walk into a pharmacy and acquire powerful, abortion-inducing drugs to use on their girlfriends, no questions asked.

Pimps and rapists have, for many years, abused the over-abundance of contraceptives — thanks in part to groups like Planned Parenthood — to prevent the pregnancies of their prostitutes.  Consequently, pimps can keep even their youngest victims “in business” without inconvenient questions being asked.  Making powerful and potentially dangerous drugs like Plan B even more widely available will only exacerbate the problem.  As CWA’s Dr. Janice Crouse writes:

Judge Korman is a sex abuser’s dream and a victim’s nightmare. Essentially, he creates a brand new avenue for pimps, sex traffickers, and sex predators hoping to hide the evidence of their exploitation. We are removing doctors’ examinations, one of the vital tools used to detect sexual abuse. Now, a young girl afraid she might be pregnant at the hands of her abuser will not have the opportunity to see a doctor who could offer help and protection. Instead, her abuser will feed her Plan B like it is candy. In Thailand, where the morning-after pill has been freely available since 1988, men are the largest purchasers. What is wrong with this picture? It is no secret why Thailand is considered the world’s hot spot for sex trafficking of minors.

As a young guy, I would hate to see a family member or friend coerced, manipulated, or misused, and I suspect you probably feel the same way. Twenty-something guys who oppose victimizing women need to take back the sex culture and remind both society and our leaders that it is unacceptable to treat the ladies we care about like prostitutes.  We must stand up to keep them from becoming victims of the ever-growing sex industry, enablers like Planned Parenthood, and abusive boyfriends.

However much we’d like to deny it, the truth is that young men in my age bracket have far too easy of a time acquiring the tools they need to commit atrocities like the forced miscarriage of an innocent child in Tampa.  Thanks to the efforts of liberal “reproductive health” advocates, you and I need not only keep an eye out for the traffickers, pimps, and rapists — the deceptive boyfriend has now acquired the tools to victimize your daughter, little sister, or friend in the same way, to turn her into his own personal plaything.

This week topped off a trifecta of government abuse. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) targeted conservative groups seeking tax exempt status; the Department of Justice secretly led an investigation into phone records of Associated Press (AP) journalists; and the icing on the cake, which can’t be set on a back burner to cool, is the continued struggle for answers on Benghazi.

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) sums it up perfectly, “Scandals represent Americans’ worst fears about big government: government is spying on you, targeting you, and lying to you.” Ouch!  You can say that again, Senator!  You know the saying, “The truth hurts.”  I hope the truths of these sandals are enough to activate the American people, because ultimately, they are the ones being abused by their government.  Let’s remember, targeting those who are criticizing our government is not just an issue of concern to conservatives, but one that should be of concern to anyone who might want to question the government.

These scandals show what happens when those in power overlook the purpose of government and, instead, see only a chance for political indoctrination.

For the head of our government to tell the American people he “found out” about the IRS overreach of power at the same time they did, when it was leaked, is simply inexcusable — especially since that same sentiment seems to have become a favorite last line of defense: “I don’t know.”  Eric Holder, who has been caught with his hands in the proverbial cookie jars of multiple scandals, recently told elected officials during Congressional hearings that he doesn’t know the specifics within his own department regarding the AP phone grab. Hillary Clinton said the same when she was asked questions about the State Department’s involvement in Benghazi, and President Obama can’t say whether the White House had any involvement in this trio of scandals.

This is not about partisan issues; the buck stops with the person in charge. The fact of the matter is, unfortunately, that this administration cannot run its offices with integrity. It’s time for those who have been entrusted with authority to take responsibility for the positions they’ve chosen to accept; and with that responsibility comes accountability.  An answer like, “I don’t know,” is simply unacceptable and cannot be tolerated. They’re not figureheads; it’s part of their job to know.

And if everyone is on the same page, uttering the same “I don’t know/it wasn’t me/mistakes were made” mantra, then it stands to reason that they’re not just protecting themselves; there must be someone else, higher up, pulling the strings … someone else, higher up, who will ultimately be damaged by these scandals … someone else, higher up, who doesn’t want to be seen … someone else, higher up, who doesn’t have the moral fiber or requisite integrity to take responsibility for his brazen and foolish actions.

So it’s “Deflect, deflect, deflect.”  Pay no attention to the little tyrant behind the curtain.

Our Heavenly Father,

With humble heart we thank you for our country, for our Constitution based on the blueprints provided to us in your Scriptures, for our strong military, and for our political representatives.

Too often, Lord, we elect our leaders and then we neglect them. But You call on us to pray for our national leaders. For Paul, inspired by You, in I Timothy 2:1-4, tells us, “I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of truth.”

Our national leaders need prayer. Because no matter what side of the political aisle they might align themselves, our representatives alone are incapable of settling conflict on a world stage, preventing the deterioration of the family, saving the lives of the innocent unborn, turning around a downturned economy, providing jobs for the unemployed, being a comforter to the grieving who have lost loved ones in recent national atrocities and tragedies. Lord, only with Your help can those in authority accomplish these things. May they never forget that.

The presidency of the United States is one of the most difficult and important jobs on earth. So we take time to pray specifically for President Barack Obama. Please give President Obama the wisdom he needs to confront the complex daily challenges within domestic and foreign political affairs. Please grant him endurance to manage the daily pressures within his executive duties. But above all, we pray that President Obama may know You in an intimate way. And in every responsibility, we pray that he will make decisions that are pleasing in the eyes of You, and not the eyes of men.

We pray for the first family. We pray that the physical demands of long hours and extensive travel do not put a strain on his family, but instead strengthen the Obamas’ love, commitment, and support of one another. Bless each member of his household. For the president’s wife, first lady Michelle Obama, we pray that You would build a wall of protection around their marriage. May their strong marriage help them to recognize the sacredness of marriage as You defined it. We ask that You bless the president and first lady’s family. Please give them wisdom and guidance as they raise their two young daughters, Malia and Sasha, and protect the Obama family from hostile threats.

We pray also that you would surround President Obama with Godly counsel. So also for each of President Obama’s cabinet. Lord, for each one of these cabinet members, we ask that you strengthen them through Your Word and grant them the wisdom to cast down every law, policy, and personal example which weakens marriage, families, the sanctity of human life, and Your moral code.

As our nine Supreme Court Justices make complex decisions on laws that impact the entire nation, we pray that You give them wisdom and courage to uphold our Constitution, which establishes a republic based on Your absolute laws and not a nation based on the changing opinions of man’s own reasoning. For Isaiah reminds us that, “The Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; it is he who will save us.”  May they realize that all authority comes from You and understand that one day they will stand before You to give an account of the authority You have given to them.

For our local and state leaders, God, we ask that you grant them wisdom, discernment, and hearts that are open to Your leading.

We lift up leaders in the United States House of Representatives, in the Senate, and in the military. We know you have chosen these leaders for such a time as this. We pray that our government houses profess your authority and acknowledge Your will, so that every citizen, every leader, and every country knows that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Not only do we pray for our national leaders in authority, but we pray for those Christ followers who work on staff in the Obama Administration. Please embolden every Christian working in the White House, clerking in the Supreme Court, or providing staff support to every government agency and member of Congress. Please provide them opportunities on a daily basis to act as a witness for Your Truths. Lift the veils on every non-believer around them, so that they might recognize their need for Your goodness, mercy, and saving grace. Please do not let the devil get a foothold in these men and women’s lives. Prune every believer of everything that does not align with Your absolute truths. As they represent You, may they be blessed with favor from their superiors, dignity, courage, and strength.

Father, may You continue to be glorified in the our Capitol, 50 states, and world throughout the ages. In the name and authority of our Lord Jesus Christ we pray.

Amen.

CWA’s Alison Howard speaks at the House Triangle before the coalition delivers hundreds of thousands of petitions to the Chinese Embassy.

What if I told you there were millions of girls who were never given a chance to “lean in”? … Left out of the conversation. … Not invited to the table.  What if I told you they were systematically being eliminated not only from the workforce but from life itself?

I didn’t believe it either, until a friend pointed me to a movie that sounds about as “girly” as one can get.  “It’s a Girl.”  Those are words usually met with joyous applause, right?  Wrong.  It’s a Girl is a film documenting how, in many parts of our world, those three words are a death sentence.

Concerned Women for America is made up of over 500,000 members, many of whom were shocked to hear — like you will be — that there are over 160 million missing girls in this world, missing just because they were born female.  It is a sad reality, but in India, China, and many other parts of the world, girls are killed, aborted, and abandoned simply because they are girls.  The United Nations estimates that as many as 200 million girls are missing in the world today because of “gendercide,” the deliberate extermination of girls in favor of boys.  This is the true “war on women” — a long war, rooted in centuries-old tradition and sustained by cultural and government policies that value little boys over little girls.

But thanks to the efforts of a coalition against gendercide, especially that of the newly released It’s a Girl movie and movement, we are no longer uninformed and unaware.

Did you know that India and China kill more females every year than the number of girls born in the U.S in a year?  China also has the highest female suicide rate in the world, with over 500 women ending their lives every day in China according to the World Health Organization.  We have a real human rights problem and are seeing the systematic elimination of women and girls. Concerned Women for America has and will call discrimination out when we see it.  And if we do not join hands on this devastating issue and condemn the sex-selective practices in this world, we will fail future generations of mothers, sisters, teachers, doctors, and leaders.

It is because of this gendercide that we see, in countries like China and India, an unnatural ratio of men to women.  There are 37 million more men than women in each of these countries today, leading to devastating societal consequences.

You can easily see how a rising population of frustrated single men spells trouble.  We’ve seen an increase in the horrors of sex trafficking, forced marriages, and the kidnapping of women.  This is all very, very real for women across those countries.

This is not a Left or Right issue; this is common ground.  Even Hillary Clinton lamented the practice of sex selection in China and India.  All of the talk of reaching across  the aisle for positive change in this world can start right here on this issue.  On Tuesday, April 23, members of Congress, led by Reps. Chris Smith (R-New Jersey) and Jim McDermott (D-Washington) joined with the Coalition Against Gendercide to highlight this tragedy by screening It’s a Girl.

On April 24, I had the honor of speaking at the House Triangle before the coalition delivered hundreds of thousands of petitions addressed to China to the front door of the Chinese Embassy (petitions which the Chinese Embassy refused to receive, by the way).

So how can a girl “lean in” if she can’t even get out?  Protecting a girl in the womb and at birth is the first chance at giving her a fighting chance in this world.  Today, I challenge you to be a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves.  The film, It’s a Girl, is a great tool to help people understand why those are the three deadliest words to hear in many places today.

Encourage everyone you know to see it, and then take action to end this horrific practice.

Remember the Family Research Council (FRC) shooting last year? Floyd Lee Corkins, a disturbed 28-year-old man dressed as an intern walked into the FRC headquarters and shot FRC security guard Leo Johnson. Corkins has stated, “I wanted to kill the people in the building and then smear a Chick-Fil-A sandwich in their face … to kill as many people as I could.” Thanks to the heroic efforts of Johnson, Corkin’s deadly plot failed.

In the FBI video, an investigator asks, “How did you [come to] this building, this organization. Did you, how did you find it earlier?  Did you like look it up online?”  Corkins then admits, “It was a uh, Southern Poverty Law, lists, uh anti-gay groups.  I found them online.”

The FRC atrocity hits close to home for those of us at Concerned Women for America (CWA). FRC staff members are not only our allies in the pro-family battle, they are our close friends. These men and women are honest citizens with compassionate hearts and a career calling to uphold Christian values in public policy.  But these admirable qualities were conveniently overlooked by the SPLC when it deemed FRC a “hate group” on the basis that the organization respects the institution of marriage.

If any non-profit, business, or individual stands for the purity of marriage, the sanctity of unborn life, or the constitutional protection of religious freedom, then they are counted among SPLC’s “hate groups.”  In fact, the SPLC has named CWA as one of “a dozen major groups [that] help drive the Religious Right’s anti-gay crusade.”  Skeptical?  Then go to SPLC’s website and click on their “hate map.”

Even Bill Maher, the liberal HBO host known for his anti-conservative rants, doesn’t buy the notion that Christians are as “dangerous” as liberal society is attempting to paint us.  Maher invited Brian Levin, the director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, on his show to discuss hate and violence as a result of religious institutions.  When Levin tried to argue that Jews and Christians commit terrorist acts, Maher retorted:

“Um that’s liberal bull****. … Talk to Salman Rushdie after the show about Christian versus Islam. … So, you know, I’m just saying, let’s keep it real.”

One can only hope that those who profit from this type of misinformation would “keep it real.”  But they are not interested in truth.  The SPLC knows Christians are not “hateful,” but they know they can exploit the sentiments of a significant part of the population for their obscene profit with minimal work.  By simply labeling them “hateful,” they hope to intimidate Christians into silence, whatever the unintended consequences.  The FRC incident actually helps the SPLC’s cause.

But Christians, including those of us at CWA, will not be intimidated.  And we will never tiptoe around certain Biblical principles or cherry-pick our moral values.  No amount of harassment, demeaning messages, or preposterous labeling will ever cause us to renounce our faith and forgo the Christian principles that laid the foundation for our nation and its success. Ever.  

When the 13- and 14-year-olds told their parents about the activities, parents were outraged.  Not only were the young students taught that sexual activity was normal and encouraged (in spite of the wealth of social science data showing the harmful effects of early sexual activity), but both the girls’ session and the boys’ session included offensive, immoral teaching and activities.  The students were taught when to use words like “pansexual” and “genderqueer.”  Christian News reported that parents complained about the school “overstepping its bounds in not notifying parents first and giving us the choice.”  Parents complained about the session being “inappropriate,” with such instruction “best left up to the parents.”

In the girls’ session, two girls were picked to stand at the front of the class and pretend that they were dating lesbians.  Others were required to ask another girl for a kiss.  In the boys’ session, the students were advised to “keep a condom in their pocket at all times.”  They were also taught (ironically in this age, where the use of the word “slut” can get someone in hot water very quickly), “how to identify a woman who is a ‘slut.’”

In the face of overwhelming parental objections, both the school principal and the district superintendent defended the workshops and told parents that more of such workshops will be scheduled in the future.

A news report in The Poughkeepsie Journal quoted Superintendent Paul Finch as saying that the presentation was “focused on improving culture, relationships, communication and self-perceptions.”  He noted that they “might be required” to notify parents in the future, but that the “Dignity for All Students Act” means that schools are required to hold sessions like the one drawing criticism.

The school superintendent also admitted that school guidance counselors and the school principal worked with the college students in planning the workshops.  Further, the school officials claimed that the sessions were designed to teach the students about “respect and safety.”

The Red Hook parents remain justifiably irate and livid over the sessions and the disregard for their parental rights.  Parents in the rest of the nation need to be just as irate and livid because these types of indoctrination programs — without parental knowledge or consent — are headed to all our schools under the guise of anti-bullying efforts.

Knowing the public comment time is usually limited to 20 minutes with only two minutes allowed for each speaker, an audible gasp was heard when we learned 78 people had signed up to speak!  The Board promptly voted to extend the public comment period to 60 minutes which allowed 30 individuals to speak.  Would any of our members make the cut?  Yes!  God was faithful, and there was time for Wendy, Sandi, Shirley and Janet to share!

Various issues were passionately discussed regarding the need for safety regulations.  Sandi, who works in the healthcare industry, stressed the importance of abortion clinics being required to maintain the same safety and health standards as any other medical clinic doing invasive procedures. Shirley shared her experience of having had an illegal abortion in 1965.  Contrary to the images of back-alley abortions, her abortion had been performed in a very clean and sterile environment.  Shirley then contrasted this with the numerous infractions recently documented at numerous Virginia abortion clinics.

Wendy spoke of being a tax payer and our tax money being used for these clinics and that Planned Parenthood’s profits should be used to upgrade their clinics.  She also questioned how pro-women they actually are if they don’t provide proper facilities.  Lastly, Janet referenced the left’s recent diatribe concerning this culture’s supposed “war on women.”  However, the real “war on women” IS being waged in such states as Virginia where women undergo abortions every day without clinic oversight or accountability!  Regulations would importantly curtail unsafe and unclean clinics where such medical procedures are endured by all races of women to the profit of Planned Parenthood and others. Dr. Kermit Gosnell’s recent trial in Pennsylvania has highlighted the need for such oversight and accountability.  Janet concluded her testimony asking that the board vote to fully implement the abortion clinic regulations as written.  All women need to be protected from any “Kermit Gosnell” practicing in Virginia.

Those opposed to state regulations far outnumbered those supporting the proposed safety regulations.  Contrasts between activists were observed not only from their Board room speeches but also from attitudes, behaviors and dress, inside and outside the hearing room.  Board Member, Amy Vest, recounted her desire to observe an abortion clinic firsthand; she made an appointment to visit a clinic in her area and was shocked by what she observed: a creaky staircase to the second floor (likely unable to support the weight of emergency technicians needing to gain entrance), a sink which would make it difficult for a doctor to properly scrub up, and a hallway too narrow to allow a gurney to pass if medical emergencies were to ensue.   She spoke of her own experience 20 years ago of having a D&C after a miscarriage and being transported from the treatment room to recovery on a gurney; the women at this clinic had been required to walk from the abortion table to the recovery room where four recliners were available.

Two Board members requesting that the final vote on permanent clinic regulations be postponed were informed by lawyers representing the Attorney General office that to do so would create significant difficulties; the temporary regulations would expire, and the state General Assembly had already mandated these regulations be completed before then.  A vote to postpone was overridden, 11-2.  The same two board members then attempted an amendment which also failed!  Finally, the moment of truth arrived!  The official vote FOR abortion clinic regulations was recorded, 11-2 in favor!  As pro-lifers respectfully clapped their approval, many of the opposition immediately rose with fake blood on their hands, chanting “The blood is on YOUR hands” and “Shame on YOU”!  These actions necessitated police removal of EVERYONE from the board room!  When we were escorted out the building’s back door, we were also met by a string of tactical police!

The State Board of Health Commissioners had nonetheless stood their ground valiantly, and CWA appreciates very much their MANY hours of work and sustained efforts over the last 24 months!  As unfortunate as the post-vote situation became, WE are so thankful to God for:

(1) the vote result, (2) CWA’s statewide supporters for their many prayers on our behalf, as well as (3) the actions of our wonderful volunteers!  We could not make an impact without EACH of you!

Today’s guest blogger is Janet Robey, Virginia State Director for Concerned Women for America.

No screaming matches or harassing phone calls or e-mails transpired when Stutzman declined to service Ingersoll and Freed’s event. Reportedly, Stutzman recalled, “He (Ingersoll) said he decided to get married, and before he got through, I grabbed his hand and said, ‘I am sorry. I can’t do your wedding because of my relationship with Jesus Christ.’ We hugged each other and he left, and I assumed it was the end of the story.”

Peace, love, and civility, as it should be. Live and let live, as it should be. In the example of Starbucks CEO Howard Shultz, “It’s a free country.” What’s the problem? You can buy flowers somewhere else, right? But the options — or opinions — of the Looney Left aren’t available to conservatives, apparently.

Ironically, the same liberal thinkers who infused my college experience with the important lesson of small business owners unquestionably rallied behind Starbucks, a multi-billion dollar “greedy” corporation, when its CEO implemented a company policy based on his ultraliberal worldview. But I guarantee they will not support this small business woman for simply choosing to respect the sanctity of marriage. Nor have they supported Oregon’s Sweet Cakes owners, a young couple with three small children who declined to fill a wedding cake order for a homosexual wedding. In retaliation, these “progressives” marched with hostile picket signs in front of this bakery every Saturday to picket and harass the owners, their customers, and their partnering businesses.

And it is not just small businesses. Remember when Chick-fil-A CEO Dan Cathy merely mentioned his personal — not corporate — policy on same-sex “marriage?” Goodness knows we had city mayors threatening to ban Chick-fil-A stores from Chicago and Boston. (And we all know how successful that plan was.)

So, once again, let us all put our money where our mouths are. Buy your values. This time for the sake and sustainability of small business owners.

A Senate resolution to honor Lady Margaret Thatcher was supposed to be passed Wednesday night. Nevertheless, per a Senate source, the resolution fell subject to partisan politics. It’s no secret in Washington, D.C., that both sides hold different measures to antagonize the other side. But it’s petty and disgraceful to use a measure like this for political gain. Not only did Margaret Thatcher make the history books for being appointed prime minister of Great Britain, she also helped the United States wipe out communism.

We aren’t talking about some one-trick pony like Sandra Fluke. We’re talking about a foreign leader who held one of the most powerful offices in the world — a leader who conquered overwhelming odds.

Despite one’s political leanings, you can’t dispute the accomplishments of Margaret Thatcher. In only highlighting one of her accomplishments — being the first and only female prime minister of Britain to this day — those of others seem dismal by comparison. So why, then, do Senate Democrats seek to degrade her by blocking a resolution honoring her achievements (achievements, I might add, that have done more for women’s rights then any left-leaning feminist)?

Where’s the cry of “foul”? Where are the Senate’s progressive women, and why are they not standing up for such a remarkable female who made feminine history?  Oh, that’s right; she was conservative, so they’re silent. Talk about pushing women’s rights back!

A woman such as Lady Thatcher deserves respect and honor for her great achievements. Instead, her legacy is mocked and blocked by hypocritical sycophants. I leave you with Lady Thatcher’s own words “If they attack one personally, it means they have not a single political argument left.”

As a 20-year-veteran of the political arena in Washington, D.C., I have seen several generations of college graduates come to the nation’s capital, where bright and intelligent men and women are overworked and underpaid to pursue their dream of making a mark on the world.  Invariably, they are steeped in the current myths about “establishing their careers” and “becoming financially stable” before even thinking about marriage. When they finally — and belatedly — get around to pursuing a life-time partner, many find, however, a dearth of desirable potential husbands or wives (i.e., eligible in terms of equal/superior intelligence and education with compatible values and good prospects as a friend, mate, and parent). As each year passes, chasing professional advancement, the odds worsen for women of finding Mr. Right, even in this era of supposed gender equity.  The cold hard facts are that men who’ve become established in their professions can usually much more easily than women find a pool of potential mates (usually younger) from which to choose.

Mark Regnerus pointed out in, Premarital Sex in America, there is a two-fold problem for women: First, the young men who chose not to sleep around tend to find a mate early; those who are left carry a lot of baggage from years of promiscuous sex with numerous other girls. Second, it is mainly the guys pushing “casual” sex, but it is the women who pay the larger price in terms of emotional costs, STDs, and the results of increased numbers of partners.

Successful marriages are based on mutual respect and common interests and values. Being “unequally yoked” (whether in intellect, education, faith, status, potential, or prospects) often makes for shaky, dysfunctional, and/or doomed relationships. Nobody wants to go back to the days where women went to college solely for the “Mrs.” degree, but it is foolish for women to ignore the fact that after college they likely will never again be surrounded by as many guys who meet their criteria for marriage.  Nor is it wise for young men to ignore the fact that they will never again have the opportunity to evaluate the characteristics of so many young women and choose one to cherish and grant the privilege of carrying their name, bearing their children, and sharing the ups and downs of life together.

In today’s “hook-up” culture, young men and women have to buck not only the anti-marriage biases of their generation, they also have to buck the “sex without consequences” myths that short-circuits their ability to bond and creates emotional (and often physical) “baggage” that hurts their chances for the happy, fulfilling, life-time marriage that the majority ultimately want.

Here is a personal assessment by my husband of 50-plus years: “I don’t get the controversy today.  In college, I pursued — with great persistence — the girl I wanted to be my wife.  Smartest thing I ever did.  We were both 22-year-old virgins and flat broke when we married fresh out of college; all we had was the $100 my dad gave me as a wedding gift plus $300 my older brother loaned me.  Persevering through the ups and downs, we built a wonderful and meaningful life that has been full of challenges and equally full of passion, joy, and the satisfaction of walking side-by-side, pursuing our career ambitions together, raising two great kids, and now enjoying our seven terrific grandchildren.”