Veterans Day and the Greatest Sacrifice: Honoring Those Who Gave All

On the eve of Veterans Day, the Friday, November 10, 2023 broadcast honors America’s military veterans through powerful discussions with Discovery Institute Senior Fellow Scott Powell on the meaning of sacrifice, Colorado State Representative Richard Holtorf on his congressional campaign, and Children’s Health Defense Director Pam Long on medical freedom. The Origins and Meaning of Veterans Day Start listening at 34:31 – Hour 1 Scott Powell, Senior Fellow at the Discovery Institute and author of Rediscovering America: How the National Holidays Tell an Amazing Story About Who We Are, explains why Veterans Day holds unique significance among American holidays. Unlike other federal holidays that Congress moved to Mondays through the 1968 Uniform Holidays Act, veterans across America successfully fought to keep November 11th as a fixed date, honoring the moment when hostilities ceased in World War I at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. Powell describes the “greatest love” as the willingness to give one’s life for others, citing the soldier who jumps on a grenade to save his comrades. He warns that America faces unprecedented internal challenges, with the nation’s founders and heroic figures coming under siege. “Our enemies take solace when Americans engage in self-destruction,” Powell observes, emphasizing why holidays that honor sacrifice remain essential for national unity. Kim shares her transformative experience accompanying D-Day veterans to Normandy in 2016, recounting how standing with these men in their 90s as they looked out at the channel changed her understanding of duty. One veteran remarked to another, “Do you remember the first day the water was red? It wasn’t until the third day the water was pink.” “We’re passing through a time of unprecedented challenges, where division has been heightened to a level not really seen since the Civil War.” Scott Powell, Senior Fellow, Discovery Institute Exposing Vaccine Misinformation in County Health Departments Start listening at 76:00 – Hour 2 Pam Long, a West Point graduate, former Army Captain in the Medical Service Corps, and Director of Children’s Health Defense’s new military chapter, exposes what she calls taxpayer-funded drug advertisements masquerading as public health announcements. After seeing Douglas County Health Department posters encouraging COVID and flu vaccines for older adults, Long filed a FOIA request asking for scientific references supporting the claims. Douglas County responded that they had no documents to support references for the information. Long argues the published scientific literature does not support claims that COVID boosters and flu vaccines prevent severe illness and death in older adults. She cites research from the journal Vaccine showing that influenza vaccination actually increases risk of other respiratory illnesses, and notes that between 2014 and 2018, the flu vaccine demonstrated a 65 percent failure rate. Long advocates for vitamin D as the most critical intervention for reducing severe respiratory illness during winter months, particularly for elderly populations spending more time indoors. She emphasizes that doctors have conflicts of interest, with quotas for vaccines tied to insurance network benefits and accreditation. “Doctors aren’t going home after a long day and reading all the research like I am. They have this inherent conflict of interest where they want to sell you a drug, and they have quotas for vaccines to receive benefits through insurance networks.” Pam L...