Some Christmas wishes – Washington Times

OPINION:

Here are my Christmas wishes for 2022: 

End poverty. 

Here in the United States, the best way to do that is to help people get the education and skills they need to obtain a career that allows them to provide for themselves and their families. True freedom and prosperity do not come from the clumsy hand of the government. They come from empowering people to live their own lives and pursue their dreams through the dignity of hard work. Stop paying people not to work. 

Good health.

Help people find quality and affordable options to improve their health by providing a clear understanding of what is available and the true costs. Making decisions about our health should be just as easy as using a cell phone.

Restore safety.

Administer swift and certain justice to serve as a deterrent for future crimes. Keep violent offenders in prison and safely removed from the public. Support and defend law enforcement officers who are doing their job to protect communities. Nationally, secure the border to stop the illegal flow of drugs, firearms, and humans throughout the country. 

Return energy independence.

Americans could be keeping more of their hard-earned money if gas prices and other prices associated with the transportation of goods and services were not so high. Instead of being so dependent on foreign sources of energy, return to a time when we relied on domestic oil, natural gas, and other sources of energy.  

Quality education.

Educators should help students learn how to think critically, instead of engaging in radical indoctrination. Give them objective facts about reading, math, language, science, and history. Parents and families should be encouraged to be involved in the education of their children, and schools should provide transparency about the curriculum used in the classroom and the backgrounds of their teachers. Administrators should be able to staff based on merit and pay based on performance without prohibition from unelected union bosses. Staff should be free to work without being forced to be in a union. 

End abortion.

More than just changing or improving laws, my wish is that we could help people appreciate the sanctity of each and every life—born and unborn. 

Free speech.
Too many young people feel under attack on college campuses and even at schools across America today. The right to speak out is guaranteed by the Constitution. It should be revered at our colleges and universities today. Sadly, it seems to be the most at risk on campus. We must restore free speech on campus. 

End oppression.

The recent images from China and Iran are vivid reminders of why we must continue to fight to protect our fundamental rights given to us by God, not the government. 

In 1981, after the Communist Party leaders in Poland declared martial law, President Ronald Reagan asked the American people to show their solidarity with the people of Poland by putting a candle in their window on Christmas Eve. Millions did. 

President Reagan said, “Let the light of millions of candles in American homes give notice that the light of freedom is not going to be extinguished. We are blessed with freedom and abundance denied to so many. Let those candles remind us that these blessings bring with them a solid obligation, an obligation to the God who guides us, an obligation to the heritage of liberty and dignity handed down to us by our forefathers and an obligation to the children of the world, whose future will be shaped by the way we live our lives today.”

The dissolution of the Soviet Union came a decade later, on December 26, 1991. The light of freedom won. We pray that it will happen again in places like China and Iran. 

Renewal of faith.

My biggest concern for the next generation is not the political divide but the decline in attendance at places of worship. As someone who celebrates the birth of Christ this week, I believe that Jesus was God’s one and only son who came to earth not to condemn us but to save us. In my opinion, following God’s will is the key to life. 

Along with my own faith, data clearly shows that those who put their faith in God over the government are more likely to live in free and just societies. In contrast, oppressive countries tend to restrict the practice of religion. 

News reports suggest that the Chinese Communist Party is pushing to take over the church. They are working on a new translation of the Bible that promotes their ideas, removing images of Jesus in churches and replacing them with pictures of Chinese President Xi Jinping, and substituting Communist party anthems for Christian hymns.

There is no substitute for God. As the saying goes: No Jesus, No peace. Know Jesus, Know Peace. This Christmas, I pray for the latter.

• Scott Walker is president of Young America’s Foundation and served as the 45th governor of Wisconsin from 2011 to 2019.