by David Farah | Sep 22, 2025 | Opinion
By David Farah |
I believe we’re entering a new era in America—one rooted in faith, honest communication, and a reckoning with the cultural shifts of the last decade. When Obama promised “change,” a lot did change. The culture wars were beginning. Under Trump, I saw clearly how far things had shifted.
Growing up during the Clinton and Bush years, I never experienced anything like what I felt today at Charlie Kirk’s memorial. The closest I can compare it to is the unity after 9/11, when President Bush rose to the occasion and brought the country together. That moment felt patriotic and spiritual, but it quickly turned into years of war, driven more by geopolitical motives than true healing.
I’ve always viewed the 1980s/90s revival era as a defining chapter in American politics. My generation saw how politicians—especially Republicans—learned to use evangelical faith as a tool. Democrats, or “the Left,” recognized their power and worked to undermine it. I believe there was a deliberate effort to expose evangelical leaders’ weaknesses—whether through moral failings, wealth, or ego. Social media amplified their downfall, turning disappointment into widespread cynicism.
As social media grew, so did the divide. When Obama ran for president, tech and media backed him heavily. California became the epicenter of progress, and Republicans fell behind. That’s when the term “RINO” started to mean something to me—they represented the failure to adapt. In a world driven by innovation, being labeled “traditional” felt like being left out.
I lived in Palo Alto during the tech boom and witnessed global change firsthand. Managing operations at the Four Seasons Silicon Valley, I served world leaders, tech giants, and political insiders. I personally took care of Hillary Clinton and her team during private meetings with Apple, Google, and Facebook—meetings the public never saw. I met John Kerry, Saudi royalty, and liberal power brokers. But I rarely saw conservative or Christian-backed leaders in those rooms. They weren’t part of the conversation.
I made friends with many of these influential people. They weren’t biased; they were simply engaged by one side. That absence made me question the relevance of the faith and political institutions I grew up with. The party I was raised in, and the church I trusted, felt ideologically broken and behind the times.
In short, I watched the leaders of my youth fall, the institutions I believed in lose influence, and the movement I once trusted become disconnected from the future. Today, I’m hopeful—but only if we’re willing to confront the past honestly and move forward with clarity, unity, and purpose.
I saw early on how tech’s influence would spread across the country. As social media began highlighting the failures of evangelical leaders, I felt increasingly isolated. The revival era of the ’80s and ’90s had let us down—our leaders fell morally, and their failures were broadcast everywhere. Those who remained, like Franklin Graham, were respected but felt distant and out of touch.
The Obama years deepened that divide. Tech firms pushed for global diversity, and their founders sparked a capitalist renaissance not seen since the days of Carnegie. The Left’s platform aligned perfectly with what tech needed: inclusion, global talent, and unchecked influence. Social media reshaped the narrative and slowly eroded the moral and spiritual foundation I grew up with.
After Trump’s first term, the attacks intensified. He was up against tech giants, RINOs who didn’t understand the fight, and Democrats who piled on. Despite his wealth and boldness, he couldn’t win. Watching him get crushed daily felt like déjà vu—we won, but somehow still lost. It was disheartening. If Trump couldn’t break through, maybe no one could. My friends and I went quiet. We didn’t abandon our values—we just felt like America had moved on without us.
The Biden years were another blow. Faith leaders were either gone or silenced. The Left dominated social media, and figures like “The Squad” rose to power. Pelosi held the reins, and the Right couldn’t keep up online. That weakness, I believe, opened the door to absurdities like social gender ideologies. Donors like Soros understood the power of revival and worked to widen the cultural divide. The trans movement, while ideologically complex, became financially lucrative for the right people. The Left controlled through chaos—Antifa, BLM riots—while tech platforms promoted the disruption.
I internalized all of it. The noise, the division, the silence from our side—they wore me down. But today changed everything.
In the midst of all this chaos, Charlie Kirk stood alone. He was the only warrior left who truly represented us—those of us who had stayed silent. Charlie was the leader Boomers had hoped for. He did everything right. He gave them hope that their revival wasn’t in vain. He visited college campuses, places often considered lost causes, and transformed Gen Z through logic, love, and courage. He faced threats and hostility, but he reignited the heart of a movement that had gone quiet.
Charlie gave Gen Z belief, gave Millennials hope, and reassured Boomers that their fight for freedom wasn’t wasted. Today, I saw thousands worship, leaders speak about faith and purpose, and an arena filled with people who were genuinely moved. I’ve been to many political events—most felt staged. This one didn’t. Everyone believed Charlie was there for them personally. And he was.
I never felt called to politics or Turning Point. My path has been business, and I believe that’s where I’m meant to be in this moment. My father has balanced both worlds with grace, and I hope to learn from him. My sister has played a key role in supporting Turning Point’s most influential figures. While I wasn’t involved, I’m grateful to them for giving me a seat at today’s event—an event that I believe will shape generations.
What I witnessed today is what my parents, aunts, and uncles described from their youth. Boomers might call it a revival. My generation and Gen X might call it a turning point. We have high hopes that this time, it’s real.
We heard the most powerful voices in America say they won’t let Charlie’s legacy die. If they mean it, and if Gen Z keeps the momentum, Boomers support it, and Millennials finally engage, we could see a transformation unlike anything this country has ever known.
Charlie was our champion. If his message multiplies, America will change. Based on what I saw today, I believe it can happen—and I truly hope it does.
David Farah, a Pepperdine grad, has a partial ownership stake in a growing business in the Phoenix Valley. His father, Barry Farah, is an early donor to Turning Point USA and had an eleven-year friendship with Charlie Kirk. David grew up in a Christian conservative home.
by Matthew Holloway | Sep 20, 2025 | News
By Matthew Holloway |
Arizona AG Kris Mayes’ Communications Director Richie Taylor deleted his X, Bluesky, and LinkedIn accounts after screenshots of his alleged posts surfaced on “groypers” and “violence on the right.”
Corey A. DeAngelis, a Senior Advisor with Americans For Fair Treatment, shared a screenshot allegedly taken from Taylor’s X account, which read, “Lots of people learning about groyper’s tonight because of violence on the right in this country.”
The post appeared to advance the unsubstantiated theory that Charlie Kirk’s assassin, Tyler Robinson, is a member of online commentator Nick Fuentes’ fan base, known as “groypers,” who have rhetorically feuded with Kirk and Turning Point USA over the years.
As reported by the Associated Press, Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray revealed Tuesday that evidence, including a text confession and a note, shows the suspect targeted Charlie Kirk, stating, “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out,” and “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it.”
The comments would seem to preclude the assassin from views that could be “on the right,” as Taylor’s alleged post suggested. Gray declined to address whether Kirk was targeted due to his views on transgenderism on Tuesday, telling reporters, “That is for a jury to decide.”
Last month, Taylor came under public scrutiny for “vicious ad hominem attacks” against Jenny Clark, founder of Love Your School, a nonprofit that advocates for parental rights, school choice, and resources for Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESA) and special education students.
Following the incident, Clark posted an update saying, “Update: the Head of Communications for @AZAGMayes, @richietaylor – has deleted posts against me which were extremely aggressive, untrue, unprovoked and vicious ad hominem attacks. I make policy arguments supported by available facts, they prefer to personally attack people.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Matthew Holloway | Jul 31, 2025 | Education, News
By Matthew Holloway |
In the aftermath of the controversial whistleblower audio released in May, the Catalina Foothills School District (CFSD) has responded by banning students from recording “a classroom teacher or administrator” without permission, according to Save CFSD.
The audio released in May included an alleged teacher criticizing the religious texts of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism on LGBTQ issues in a 9th grade health classroom.
In addition to the new prohibitions, Dan Grossenbach, a CFSD parent, resident, and contributor to Save CFSD, shared an email with AZ Free News from the district indicating that the teacher involved has faced zero disciplinary action.
In his email, Grossenbach explained, “In public statements, CFSD administration implied to State48 and the AZ Daily Star editorial page that they fired the teacher, but the district has confirmed to me by email that there was no discipline.”
According to Grossenbach, the board launched its efforts to prevent students from creating any further classroom recordings in an unscheduled meeting on Tuesday.
“They held an unplanned/emergency meeting on Tuesday to pass a policy they claimed was based on a new law banning cell phones,” Grossenbach said. “However, they added a line about banning classroom recordings, electronic recorders, or posting any audio publicly. They added that teachers have the right to search and seize all personal items and threatened student expulsion.”
Grossenbach further said that the district has not made its sex-education curriculum publicly available as required under Arizona Revised Statutes § 15-711.
Save CFSD shared a lengthy thread to X, outlining the new policies enacted by the district.
According to screenshots provided by the group, the district made two major changes to its existing policies:
1. Restricting student access to social media platforms except as allowed by the student’s teacher for educational purposes; and
2. Limiting the use of wireless communication devices by students during the school day, exceptions include allowing student use of wireless communication devices for medical needs, educational purposes as directed by the student’s teacher, or during an emergency.
However, included in these policies are a few key points. The use of a “PD” or personal electronic device, including, but not limited to “cellular telephones, digital audio players, digital cameras, laptop computers, tablet computers, pagers, portable game players, smartwatches, smart glasses, and any new technology developed with similar capabilities,” now falls under the district’s policy for “Electronic Information Services” and under those terms:
“Each user of the District’s EIS, including a user of a PD shall:
- Obtain permission to record, transmit, or post photos or a video of a person with any electronic device.
- Obtain permission from a classroom teacher or administrator before making publicly available any images, video, or audio files recorded at school.”
Essentially, the new policy presents a de facto ban on any student recording a teacher or administrator without their permission, rendering future whistleblowing impossible without risking potential expulsion. Finally, the policy empowers school officials to “search and/or seize student property, if there are reasonable grounds that the search and seizure will reveal evidence that the student has violated or is violating the law or a District Policy procedure or school rule.”
The policy also states explicitly: “This authority extends to student-owned electronic/technology devices and electronic storage.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
by Dr. Thomas Patterson | May 26, 2025 | Opinion
By Dr. Thomas Patterson |
A German politician arguing the question of whether to admit yet more Afghan nationals cited official government statistics regarding the crime rates, especially rape, committed by these migrants. Under German censorship laws, she has now been found guilty of illegal hate speech twice, fined thousands of euros, and been given a criminal record, simply for stating government-produced facts.
The United Kingdom, once a bastion of free speech, is now moving toward ever more strict speech restrictions. Meanwhile prosecutors, reluctant to anger Islamists, ignore grooming gangs preying on young women.
In the U.S., pro-Palestinian protesters broke into a graduation dinner at the home of the Berkeley law dean, screaming and chanting. No disciplinary measures were taken against the perpetrators, but the dean’s wife was accused of racism and Islamophobia. A civil rights investigation was launched against her.
Although most Americans are not fully aware, Islamist influences in our culture have become much more pronounced in the last few years. Islamists are still committed to the transformation of Western society into a universal Muslim caliphate. Such is Allah’s will. “Submission” (to Allah) is a translation of “Islam.” Time is not of the essence, but success is considered inevitable.
In the past, the never-ending effort to convert or kill unbelievers was carried out mainly through acts of terrorism. Islamists physically attacked crowds, beheaded civilians, and flew planes into buildings hoping to intimidate the infidels.
Western democracies responded with measures sacrificing personal liberties for security, which worked to stymie the high-profile attacks. In the 2016 election, terrorism was the second rated concern for Americans, slightly lagging behind the economy. By 2024, Islamic atrocities didn’t register in the polls.
But as Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a former Muslim and prominent advocate for international women’s rights, pointed out in the Hoover Digest, it would be a mistake to conclude that we defeated or even made any progress against Islamist jihadism. Instead, elements within Islam who argued for more gradual methods of subversion from within prevailed over those favoring frontal assaults.
Agents of radicalization have built up large networks of operators in the U.S. and other democracies. They identify and radicalize subjects vulnerable to Islamist messaging. Their emphasis now is to concentrate on converting one person at a time. One institution, one professor, one community are influenced to reject all thoughts of assimilation and instead join an exciting international movement to change the world.
The Islamists are seeing much greater success with their new strategy. Social media, including TikTok, is especially effective at spreading such messages among the uninformed, often using the language of our historic civil rights movement. Few of the new converts to Islamist wokeness can offer any information on the Gaza “genocide” they protest.
The Internet is being diverted from its former free-speech ideals into a regime of surveillance and censorship. Islamists have successfully infiltrated not only mosques, but universities, political organizations, and immigrant groups. Unassimilated immigrants and young males particularly make ready targets for conversion to Islamism.
The shifts in public opinion resulting from this propaganda campaign are becoming felt. The pervasive rise of virulent antisemitism among the young, especially on college campuses, and the tendency to attribute all social wrongs to Western influence should ring alarm bells. It’s not just the kids either. Teamsters Union members were recently videotaped at their Chicago headquarters learning to chant “death to Israel” and “death to America” —in Farsi, no less.
Islamists have also been able to use our beloved legal protections, unknown in their jurisdictions, against us. The meaning of “Islamophobia” has been changed from an irrational dislike of Muslims to virtually any unfavorable fact or opinion, no matter how justified. Thus Islamists, even as they despise and condemn us, have an all-purpose shield defending them from any criticism, including of their trademark terrorism.
Islamists seem to possess the mindset that their time may have come. The West is weak and vulnerable, with many no longer believing their ideals are worth defending. Western Europe is trending to Islamist-inspired policymaking with regard to speech and law-enforcement.
In the U.S., these threats are more distant, but the trends are ominous. Islamists are content to play the long game. For now, they are gaining ground.
Dr. Thomas Patterson, former Chairman of the Goldwater Institute, is a retired emergency physician. He served as an Arizona State senator for 10 years in the 1990s, and as Majority Leader from 93-96. He is the author of Arizona’s original charter schools bill.
by Daniel Stefanski | Feb 17, 2025 | Education, News
By Daniel Stefanski |
A bill to help improve students’ focus at schools around Arizona passed a legislative committee.
Last week, the Arizona House Committee on Science & Technology passed HB 2484 “to require school districts and charter schools to adopt policies that regulate student access to the internet and limit the use of wireless communication devices during the school day.” State Representative Beverly Pingerelli is the sponsor of the legislation.
In a statement that accompanied the announcement of the bill’s progress, Representative Pingerelli said, “The excessive use of cell phones in schools is a growing crisis that is harming our children’s education and well-being. It’s time to restore order in the classroom. My bill ensures that schools establish common-sense policies to keep students focused on learning rather than scrolling through social media and texting during class. The goal is simple: devices should be ‘away for the day’ so kids can engage in their education, free from constant digital distractions.”
Pingerelli added, “Education should be about equipping our children with knowledge and skills, not competing with TikTok and Snapchat for their attention. This bill restores a learning environment where teachers can teach, and students can succeed.”
Additional information about the bill revealed that it would “require school districts and charter schools to adopt policies that restrict student access to social media on school-provided internet and limit personal device use during instructional time, allow teachers to grant access to social media only when necessary for educational purposes, [and] ensure that students can use their devices in emergencies or when directed by a teacher for academic work.”
On the Arizona Legislature’s Request to Speak system, representatives from Stand for Children, AZ School Administrators, and Arizona School Boards Association signed in to support the proposal; while a representative from the Arizona Education Association signed in as neutral.
State Representatives Biasiucci, Gress, Hendrix, and Márquez joined as co-sponsors of the bill.
In committee, all nine members of the panel voted to send the bill to the full House, giving this proposal an overwhelmingly bipartisan win ahead of its next step in the legislative journey.
Daniel Stefanski is a reporter for AZ Free News. You can send him news tips using this link.
