TikTok Sent Europeans' Personal Data to China, Hiding Transfers From Users, EU Regulators Say

TikTok must pay a €530 million ($600 million) fine after Irish regulators said Friday that the Chinese-owned video-sharing app illegally sent European users' data to China.

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'Misogynist' and 'moronic': Irish politicians ramp up attacks on Conor McGregor over presidential run



Members of Irish parliament threw insults and derogatory remarks at UFC legend Conor McGregor when asked if they would support a nomination of the fighter for president.

McGregor has focused on mass immigration, public safety, and over-taxation in his bid to become the president of Ireland. Since his announcement that he would seek nomination, sentiments among his government have shifted from stating that he is not eligible to he should not be nominated.

An Irish presidential candidate must be at least 35 years old, be an Irish citizen, and be nominated by at least 20 members of Irish Parliament or by at least four county councils.

'I could not think of anyone more unfit.'

Exploring the possibility of a nomination for McGregor through parliamentarians, which includes senators and Teachtaí Dála, meaning members of the lower house of Irish parliament, Sky News procured responses from 134 of Ireland's 234 parliament members.

Of the 30 senators and 104 TDs that responded, none of them said they would support McGregor's nomination, nor did any say they would "maybe" support him.

The government officials went further than that, however, with several hurling insults and mockery at the 36-year-old.

"I genuinely would struggle to think of anyone worse to hold that position," Senator Garret Ahearn of center-right party Fine Gael stated.

Another Fine Gael TD, Maeve O'Connell, said the fighter's "divisive behaviour and rhetoric would be completely unsuitable for such a role."

"I could not think of anyone more unfit for public office," added TD Duncan Smith, from the socialist Labour Party.

Malcolm Byrne, a TD from the center-right Fianna Fail party, said there was "no evidence Mr. McGregor has the necessary skillset for the role."

His party mate, TD Cathal Crowe, said there "isn't a snowball's chance" McGregor would be elected.

— (@)

Other anonymous remarks were provided; a senator called McGregor a "moronic vulgarian" while another unnamed TD referred to him as a "misogynist and a thug."

This leaves a remaining 100 members of parliament for McGregor to secure 20 nomination votes from or go the route of four county councils.

McGregor recently responded to criticisms from Ireland's Prime Minister Micheál Martin, who said McGregor does not speak for the people of Ireland.

"I am an employer of almost 300 people in the country of Ireland, he is an employer of none," the Irishman stated. "Every available metric has shown the government of Ireland, currently, has failed the people of Ireland."

The Irish government also recently revealed it was reviewing potential charges against the fighter for social media posts he made in 2023.

Ireland's equivalent to the U.S. attorney general opened a file that accused McGregor of incitement to hatred over saying Ireland was at "war" the night before riots in Dublin that followed the stabbing of five people, including three children, by a 50-year-old Algerian.

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Irish government considering charging Conor McGregor for inciting hate with 2023 social media posts



Irish government entities are considering charging former UFC champion Conor McGregor with hate speech-related violations over social media posts from November 2023.

The Irish Independent said it confirmed that specialist officers within the Irish National Bureau of Criminal Investigation conducted an inquiry and sent a file to Ireland's director of public prosecutions. The DPP conducts criminal prosecutions on behalf of the state and is comparable to the U.S. attorney general.

The file outlined a case against McGregor in relation to statements he made online in 2023. The night before riots in Dublin, McGregor reportedly posted, "Ireland, we are at war," on X, then Twitter.

The Irish Independent characterized McGregor's remarks as being in response to Ukrainians being permitted to vote in local Irish elections.

However, CNN reported the riots followed a stabbing of five people in Dublin, including three children. The attacker was later revealed to be 50-year-old Algerian Riad Bouchaker.

'May our truth never be silenced!'

McGregor has pressed hard against the Irish government over its immigration policies amid a bid to become president of Ireland.

The fighter even gave his current government a 12-day limit to create a plan surrounding "mass deportations" of criminals and illegal immigrants. If the government failed to adhere to the timeline, which concludes at the end of March, McGregor said he would be sending over his plan written on White House stationery.

McGregor later responded to the news report and said he would stand his ground.

"May our truth never be silenced! The fact is, if there is 7 years of zero resistance inside [the president's office] towards government, Ireland is done for. Magnify where we are right now today, x7000!" the 36-year-old wrote. "I would prefer to sail my yachts than have to approach the soulless, colourless gombeens of [Parliament] everyday, but if I do not, I am well aware Ireland’s faith [sic]. AND I WILL NEVER LET THAT HAPPEN!! Vote McGregor! The future of our country depends on it!"

— (@)

McGregor does meet the prerequisites to become Irish president if properly nominated, despite an online sentiment that he is ineligible. An Irish presidential candidate must be at least 35 years old, be an Irish citizen, and be nominated by at least 20 members of Irish Parliament or at least four county councils.

The public then votes on the presidential candidates.

Presidential powers, which are largely ceremonial unless aggressively applied, include appointing the prime minister, members of government, and judges. The Irish president can also dissolve or summon the Parliament.

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Conor McGregor says he will run for Irish president — promises end to mass immigration and tax slavery: 'I am the only one'



Former UFC champion Conor McGregor has promised to end problems related to the mass intake of refugees if elected president of Ireland.

McGregor visited the White House on St. Patrick's Day and spoke briefly to media members about the "travesty" of the "illegal immigration racket" being perpetrated on the Irish public.

He then gave his current government a 12-day limit to create a plan surrounding "mass deportations" of criminals and illegal immigrants, as well as a way to end human trafficking in Ireland. If the government failed to adhere to the timeline, McGregor said he would be sending over his plan written on White House stationary.

'Ireland has a mass illegal migration problem.'

On Sunday, McGregor pushed the idea that he would run for Ireland's presidency in a series of posts on X that focused on immigration, refugees, and the overall quality of life for Irish citizens.

"Ireland has a mass illegal migration problem that is eradicating our communities and exacerbating our housing, homelessness, healthcare crisis, all while we are governed by those who usher it in at a rapid rate. In dead of the night at that!" McGregor wrote.

He added that the country does not have the proper infrastructure, services, or checks in place, and therefore must "stop and reverse" illegal immigration in order for the country to survive.

The 36-year-old then directed his attention to a "human trafficking racket" through refugee centers called International Protection Accommodation Services centers. IPAS is a segment of Ireland's Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration, and Youth that deals with the accommodations of asylum seekers and refugees.

"An end to our hotels, our office blocks, our nursing homes, and now even our schools being transformed into IPAS centres must come into effect immediately!" McGregor exclaimed. "We have well over 300 IPAS centres now across Ireland with many more proposed for this year alone. The destruction of our country right before our eyes is being harboured by our own government!"

— (@)

McGregor later revealed he would not vote in favor of the European Union's migration pact without a vote from the Irish people and then said Irish citizens have been slaving away while their taxes pay for "new to the parish visitors."

"[Refugees/asylum seekers] receive all benefits under the sun, and also, now exposed (it was silent) their foreign imported vehicles fixed and paid for anytime needed," McGregor claimed. "Full exemption from driving on foreign reg plates, having zero tax and insurance, and on top of that your car repaired at full cost to the state! That is what the people of Ireland should get now! Because the absolute audacity!!"

Is he eligible?

Many have argued whether or not McGregor is legally eligible to run for the president of Ireland. According to government websites, McGregor does meet the qualifications but would need to be nominated by a given number of sitting government officials.

An Irish presidential candidate must be at least 35 years old, an Irish citizen, and be nominated by at least 20 members of Irish parliament or at least four county councils.

McGregor would then need to be elected by a vote of the people.

The Irishman has floated the idea of running for president since 2024 and has the potential to wield significant powers that are typically seen as ceremonial.

The presidential powers include appointing the prime minister, members of government, and judges. As well, the president can dissolve or summon the parliament, as McGregor has claimed.

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MMA Fighter Conor McGregor Announces Run For Irish Presidency

"This is the future of Ireland with me as President"

Conor McGregor gives Irish government 12 days to create 'mass deportation' plan or face action from the White House



Former UFC champion Conor McGregor gave a stern warning to critics who shot down his claims about Ireland's immigration and human trafficking problems.

McGregor made an appearance at the White House on St. Patrick's Day, where he made public comments about an "illegal immigration racket" that has caused Irish towns to be "overrun."

Since his visit, McGregor has shared news clippings about Irish police rejecting his claims and at least one politician reportedly calling his comments "outrageous" and not reflective of Ireland's positive outlook on "diversity."

According to Yahoo, Simon Harris, the second-ranking member of the Irish government, said there was a feeling of "disgust" toward McGregor in Ireland and that the fighter represents "the very worst of toxic masculinity."

'You have Twelve days.'

On Wednesday, McGregor took to his X account to address his detractors, saying the "ad hominem style attacks" against him were classic deflection tactics of Ireland's "government elite."

"What is your response / plan of action to the issues I raised? Ireland wants to know," McGregor continued.

"Don't make me keep going," McGregor warned. "Do what you’re told by the people of Ireland and we will have no issue here. Do not and it's over for you. I will publicly send my orders for you to implement and mark my words it will be made to be done."

— (@)

The 36-year-old then gave his government an ultimatum: Develop a plan to clean up illegal immigration, human trafficking, and welfare, or face word directly from the office of the president of the United States.

"You have Twelve days to present a clear plan of action, on 1. Dismantling Irelands human trafficking racket. 2. Mass deportation of dangerous, criminal, and radicalised imports, as well as all who entered illegally, as well as all who are a strain on our welfare system who have made no effort to secure employment or assimilate with Irish culture."

McGregor then called for "stringent border protection adjustments," before telling the Irish elites to "save yourselves" by saving the Irish population.

"Save Ireland, or my direct plan of action that Ireland and America wishes to see implemented will come in on White House paper attached with my signature," he added.

In 2024, McGregor flirted with running for office in Ireland, but has not mentioned it as seriously recently. Instead, he has focused on what he sees as the will of the working-class Irish.

Last September, McGregor called himself "the only logical choice" for president of Ireland and echoed his ongoing sentiments about "greedy and corrupted" politicians in his home country.

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Trump wins another golf tournament, signals it may be his last, as his courses are continually vandalized



President Donald Trump boasted about winning his club's golf championship while hinting that he would not compete in tournaments in the future.

The president announced that he won the golf club championship at his club in Palm Beach County, Florida, thanking his "wonderful Golf Staff" and the many "fantastic golfers" that participated in the event.

At the same time, however, Trump said the tournament could be his last.

"I just won the Golf Club Championship, probably my last, at Trump International Golf Club, in Palm Beach County, Florida," he wrote on Truth Social. "Such a great honor," Trump added.

The hint came as two of his European golf clubs were vandalized in the span of just one week, first in Scotland and then Ireland.

At Trump’s Turnberry golf course and hotel in southwest Scotland, activists reportedly painted "Gaza Is Not For Sale" in giant red letters.

According to the Associated Press, the crime was claimed by activist group Palestine Action, which said it "rejects Donald Trump’s treatment of Gaza as though it were his property to dispose of as he likes."

"To make that clear, we have shown him that his own property is not safe from acts of resistance," the group reportedly added in a statement.

Then, Trump International Golf Links & Hotel Ireland was infiltrated by pro-Palestine activists who caused damage to that course as well.

The Doonbeg, Ireland, property suffered "criminal damage," according to Irish police, per the BBC, including pro-Palestine graffiti.

Trump played golf at least 142 times in his first term, Newsweek reported, with at least 18 golf tournament wins to his name.

The Guardian published an article in 2018 that called Trump the "commander in cheat" over his wins and said the president had no credibility with golfers. The outlet went on to claim that Trump is only capable of winning at clubs he owns and cited an anecdote that he kicks out anyone who could beat him.

In 2024, Trump touted winning two tournaments in the same week at Trump International, including the senior championship.

"A great honor to have won both the Club Championship and the Senior Club Championship this week at Trump International," Trump wrote on Instagram.

Newsweek reported at the time that Trump owned 17 golf courses worldwide before he became president. According to a Wikipedia page on the topic, he now owns 20.

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Celebrating Saint Patrick, the slave who converted his captors



I remember when I first wanted to move to Ireland.

Oh, I’d seen beautiful photos, like this:

MyLoupe/Getty Images

And in later years I was enchanted by films that painted a charming picture of Irish village life, like "Waking Ned Devine" (highly recommend).

Serve something Irish, and I don’t mean a shamrock-shaped Domino’s pizza. I’m pretty sure there’s a law that you must eat potatoes to truly celebrate Ireland.

But the real reason, held tightly in my elementary school heart, was that I read a story of how Saint Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland.

And man, do I hate snakes.

Of course I eventually realized that was a myth, which may have been an allegory for driving pagans out of the Emerald Isle, or something along those lines.

But I still may have to move to Ireland, because — here’s a cool thing — apparently the fossil record shows there never really were any snakes there. That’s my idea of heaven!

In reality, though, it turns out that the coolest thing about all this was Patrick himself. (And I’m going to refer to him as Patrick, because all of us who have been saved by faith in Christ are now saints in Him. Here’s a good explanation of that truth.)

The real Patrick

Patrick was British, born into a Christian family around the fifth century. He wasn’t really a believer himself, apparently, but things changed at age 16 after he was captured by Irish raiders who forced him into slavery in Ireland. The hardships he endured drove him back to God, and his faith deepened.

Six long years later, he managed to escape back to his family in Britain — but after a dream in which he understood God to tell him to return to Ireland, to convert the pagans to faith in the one true God, he did exactly that.

Patrick did not drive out all the pagans (or snakes), but he is reported to have planted churches and made thousands of converts. Perhaps due to his Christian family, which included a deacon and possibly other learned individuals, he also had quite a grasp of Scripture, as theologian and pastor Kevin DeYoung notes:

In his "Confessio" Patrick writes movingly about his burden to evangelize the Irish. He explicitly links his vocation to the commands of Scripture. Biblical allusions like "the nations will come to you from the ends of the earth" and "I have put you as a light among the nations" and "I shall make you fishers of men" flow from his pen. Seeing his life’s work through the lens of Matthew 28 and Acts 1, Patrick prayed that God would "never allow me to be separated from His people whom He has won in the end of the earth." For Patrick, the end of the earth was Ireland.

But what I find most inspiring about Patrick is that he may well have been the first person in Christian history to take those scriptures literally — to understand that bringing Christ to “all nations” meant, as DeYoung notes, “teaching even barbarians who lived beyond the border of the frontiers of the Roman Empire.” And this after being enslaved to them!

What an amazing legacy. If you want the whole story, DeYoung recommends "The Barbarian Conversion: From Paganism to Christianity," which explains how Christianity swept (slowly) across Europe.

So by all means, celebrate Patrick, on March 17 or any other day. Getting drunk (the traditional adult celebratory activity) doesn’t seem a proper tribute to the man, of course, so here are some better and more family-friendly suggestions.

Celebrating Patrick: History

Celebrating Ireland — just for fun

Fighting Irish: Trump, With Ireland’s Leader in Tow, Takes Aim at EU, Russia, and the Education Department

Most heads of state don’t enjoy an annual invitation to the Oval Office, but Ireland’s does. When prime minister Micheál Martin arrived for this year’s St. Patrick’s Day visit, he was warned about the Donald Trump-sized trap he was walking into. Martin faced a "diplomatic balancing act" in talks with Trump, according to Reuters. Politico was more dire, writing that the meeting, normally a "diplomatic dream," was this year "dangerous for Ireland’s America-fueled economy." Martin, the outlet wrote, would be happy to merely "survive a brush with Trump."

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The wild and tragic life of Audie Murphy, the war hero who became a movie star



About a year before Audie Murphy died, he told his life story to a reporter from San Antonio. The interview became a profile titled “A Different Kind of Hell.

Murphy was in rough shape. Heavyset and bloated. Sad, with bursts of hope that bordered on mania. Washed up and broke, recently divorced, he spilled his guts to the interviewer. He spared no one, least of all himself.

Later in life, Murphy admitted, 'The only thing I’ve ever found I was any good at was war, which is a terrible thing.'

“I had one hang-up as an actor,” said Murphy. “I had no talent. I didn’t hide that. I told directors that. They knew. I didn’t have to tell them. They protected me. I made the same movie 20 times. It was easy. But it wasn’t any good. I never got to be any good. No one helped me. No one cared if I got any good or not. They used me until I was used up.”

Courage under fire

Audie Murphy began life with nothing.

His childhood was bleak, as one of 11 children on a dirt farm in Texas. His father abandoned them; then his mother died when he was 16. He only achieved a fifth-grade education.

Then Pearl Harbor was attacked, plunging America into World War 2. Murphy was short and scrawny and only 16, but he managed to sneak his way into the U.S. Army.

Coincidentally, Murphy was first sent to Casablanca, the setting and title of one of the greatest films ever made.

His battles spanned from North Africa, where he puked in the mud out of fear, to the beach invasions of France and Italy, then into Hitler’s shrinking stronghold. He said that his rifle was “beautiful as a flower and more trustworthy than your best friend.”

He fought in scorching heat and lifeless cold, killing men with his bare hands.

Once, he leaped into an abandoned tank, manned the machine gun, and fended off 250 Nazi soldiers and six tanks. Over the course of his combat, he killed at least 100 enemy soldiers, captured 100, and wounded 500, though he never wanted to know those numbers.

His bravery earned him 24 military honors, more than any other WWII soldier. He remains one of the most decorated soldiers in American history.

"I never liked being called the 'most decorated' soldier,” Murphy later said. “There were so many guys who should have gotten medals and never did — guys who were killed.”

Youth and ignorance

Murphy witnessed unimaginable horrors. "You never forget these things," he later said. "They etch themselves in your brain, and you keep seeing them. You try to put them aside, but they’re always there.

He fought until May 1945. He kept getting wounded, only to bounce back and return to the battlefield.

He often reflected that being a good foot soldier required youth and ignorance — qualities he had in abundance. At first, he believed he was doing the right thing and saw himself as a noble killer. But by the end of the war, he was hounded by doubt. When news of peace came, he stopped killing, even though the fighting continued. His aim faltered; his heart was no longer in it: “The desire was gone.”

It was all over before he turned 21. Returning home to a hero’s welcome, he told his story in a memoir, “To Hell and Back” (1949). James Cagney discovered it and invited Murphy to Hollywood. Murphy played himself in the film adaptation, and from there he became a Hollywood fixture.

Co-starring with Jimmy Stewart

Audie Murphy starred in 40 films, but I want to focus on “Night Passage” (1957) — one of his rare villain roles. “Night Passage” ranks among my top 10 Westerns — maybe higher. Critics hated it. Audiences didn’t care. Even with Jimmy Stewart and Murphy sharing top billing, the film faded into obscurity.

It’s mostly known for the drama behind the scenes. Murphy allegedly punched a horse in the face. Anthony Mann, the original director, hated the script’s stale brother rivalry and thought casting Murphy and Stewart as siblings was absurd. When Stewart insisted on playing his accordion, Mann quit, ending his creative partnership with Stewart — a collaboration that had shaped the Western genre.

But I think it’s a heck of a film. The story is simple: Grant McLaine (Stewart), a drifter with an accordion, returns to his railroad job to stop payroll robberies.

The film opens with whiplash credits, Stewart guiding his horse Pie through the Colorado mountains as Dimitri Tiomkin’s “Follow the River” plays. It’s a gem of an opening, followed by a massive, hilarious brawl.

Chaos builds until Murphy’s Utica Kid enters, revealing the two men as brothers — a Cain-and-Abel dynamic echoing “Winchester ’73” (1950). Dan Duryea, with his sharp laugh and perfect villainy, brightens every scene, especially his exchanges with the nonchalant Utica Kid: “You’re a funny man. You’ve always gotta be laughing inside. Well, go ahead, laugh. But get this, kid — I’m a better gun than you. Or would you like to try?”

My favorite scene is 11 minutes in, when McLaine (Stewart) guides his horse through a mountain tunnel. The light glides through darkness as he pauses, leaning over his horse, before riding into the Silverton woods.

Filmed in Technorama widescreen, it’s an unnecessary 40-second shot — but it’s enormous. It sets the pace, as any good Western should, embracing the underrated act of lingering. In that stillness, beauty emerges — raw, fleeting, unforgettable.

It’s a perfect representation of the goodness hiding in the Utica Kid, stealing moments in his quiet, calculating way. Villain or hero, Murphy holds the screen like few others could. Even in a flawed film, his presence lingers, much like the Western itself: full of contradictions, rugged charm, and something timeless that refuses to fade, even when flying headfirst into a mountain.

The ravages of PTSD

The 1950s were Murphy’s era. He played the soft-spoken hero, reactive, small, and almost frail; handsome, with a boyish face. But then you remember his war stories.

Later in life, Murphy admitted, "The only thing I’ve ever found I was any good at was war, which is a terrible thing."

For years, he couldn’t sleep, tormented by PTSD. He always kept a pistol under his pillow. His doctor prescribed Placidyl, a powerful and, it turns out, highly addictive sleeping pill.

In an Audie Murphy biography, a close friend described the damage: "Some people who saw him on Placidyl presumed he’d been drinking. The drug had the same outward effect as alcohol. Audie never drank." Murphy eventually locked himself in a hotel room to break free from the drug's grip.

He was terrible with money and fond of betting on horses.

'Washed up'

Everything changed for Murphy in the 1960s. His brand of hero had been replaced by the anti-Western antihero rebelling against conventions, apathetic to the great wars. The acting jobs vanished. Friends abandoned him.

“When word gets around you’re washed up, no one will touch you with a 10‐foot pole,” he said in the interview.

You take a little tumble, and suddenly they can pass you in the street without seeing you. When you call, they’re never in, and they never return your calls. They’re afraid you’ll ask them for a job. Even the hangers‐on move on. People who used to invite you to parties stop inviting you. The good tables in the swank restaurants go to others. Soon you’re lucky if you’re eating.

At 45, he was living in a furnished garage attached to his former home, $1 million in debt, and reeling from his second divorce. All of his miracles had disappeared. So he jumped at an opportunity in Virginia to be an ambassador for a company that sold pre-constructed houses.

Then, in May 1971, he and five others from the firm flew from Atlanta on a twin engine Aero Commander to Martinsville, Virginia. They got caught in a thunderstorm. Their plane crashed into a mountain in a wooded valley near Roanoke, Virginia.

All six died.

Murphy’s Hollywood friends didn’t show up for the funeral. He had been expelled.

"Life in Hollywood is not my idea of living, but it’s the only life I know," he once said. "Sometimes I think it might have been easier if I’d died on one of those battlefields. I wouldn’t have been unique. Lots of good boys died back there. I’m no better than they were. Who knows what they might have come to? A lot of 'em might have come to a lot more than me."

For one Irish fan, a glimpse of America

My dad grew up in Thurles, a small town in County Tipperary, Ireland, in a family unimaginably poor. One winter, they tore steps from their stairway to feed the fire. Movies, especially Westerns, were his escape. Like countless kids around the world, he found a hero in Audie Murphy.

Every time Murphy emerged on the screen, my dad and his friends would cheer and shout, “The boy!” (The boy was always the good guy.)

“There was no one else like him,” he’d say as we watched Westerns together when I was a kid.

It wasn’t just the movies; it was the posters that always caught his eye — towering images of Murphy hanging on the walls of Delahunty’s Cinema, the one everyone called “the one below.” The Capitol, “the one above,” was fine, but “the one below” was magic.

Even now, when he sees Murphy on the screen, something in him glows — a young boy, believing in heroes. Those Sunday matinees feel closer somehow, as if the years don’t matter.

For him, Murphy wasn’t just a movie star; he was the glory of America — the country my dad fell in love with through the silver screen.

Freedom, for him, wasn’t an abstraction. It was Murphy riding across the screen, six-shooter in hand, standing for something unshakable. It was America: distant, mythical, yet somehow close enough to touch.

Murphy’s story — the poor boy who became a war hero, a movie star, a symbol of American grit — spoke to him. It’s part of what drove him to move to America, part of the reason I’m here today.

And it was not an act: Audie Murphy described himself as a “super patriot.”

In the book “Audie Murphy: American Soldier,” Murphy talked about a visit to a French schoolyard at the end of World War II. He heard children singing and felt something bigger than the moment. It reminded him of his home.

“The true meaning of America, you ask? It’s in a Texas rodeo, in a policeman’s badge, in the sound of laughing children, in a political rally, in a newspaper. In all these things, you’ll find America. In all these things, you’ll find freedom.”