“I’m lucky to be alive,” 77-year-old Herb Freeborn told WPVI-TV in the wake of a brutal, unprovoked attack he suffered just after noon Wednesday in Ridley Township, Pennsylvania, while he was riding his e-bike.

Ridley Township is just under 30 minutes southwest of Philadelphia.

‘I ain’t used to people helping me like that, you know.’

Freeborn told the station he was waiting to cross Chester Pike in the Crum Lynne section when a male approached him from behind and began punching him.

Surveillance video shows the suspect crossing through traffic and heading toward the victim before the attack, WPVI said.

“This guy came up behind me, started punching me and punching me,” Freeborn recalled to the station.

WPVI asked him if the suspect said anything during the attack, but Freeborn said, “No, didn’t say nothing, just came up to me and started hitting me.”

The station said Freeborn suffered injuries to his eye and face.

RELATED: Laughing ‘piece of s**t’ thug caught on video punching victim in face as pair pass each other in Philly crosswalk

Surveillance video shows Freeborn managing to run from the attacker, WPVI reported.

At that point, one might expect the suspect to make off with the victim’s e-bike — but he didn’t.

The station said the suspect actually threw Freeborn’s e-bike and walked away.

Surveillance video also captured a bystander — Danny Doyle — stepping in to help, WPVI noted.

Doyle told the station he saw the incident and went to assist Freeborn, grabbing the victim’s e-bike and checking on his condition.

“At first I thought he was stealing his bike; that’s why I went and grabbed it for him,” Doyle recalled to WPVI.

Freeborn told the station that Doyle’s actions meant a lot to him: “I want to thank him very, very much. I appreciate everything he done for me.”

The elderly man then added a gut-wrenching admission WPVI: “I ain’t used to people helping me like that, you know.”

Ridley Township police released surveillance photos of the suspect and announced just before 4 p.m. Wednesday that he had been taken into custody.

Police on Friday didn’t immediately respond to Blaze News’ request for more information about the arrested suspect.

“If he did it to me, why wouldn’t he do it to somebody else?” Freeborn asked the station.

Commenters under the police department’s Facebook post about the incident didn’t hold back:

“Typical coward. Prey on the elderly. Not surprised,” one user stated.”Piece of s**t,” another commenter declared. “I hope they find out what he did when he goes to jail, and those boys stomp him out for it.””Like why WTF,” another user wrote.”Always carry … end them,” another commenter suggested.

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​Surveillance video, Unprovoked attack, Ridley township, Pennsylvania, Police, Arrest, Good samaritan, Elderly man, Crime 

The results of the midterm elections are clear; their meaning is not. The blue tsunami apparently has not budged either of the dominant intellectual factions on the right. The so-called “doomers” see fresh support for their conviction that the republic is sliding more or less inexorably into ruin. The more conventional old guard, who find such talk alarming, continue to insist that “you win some, you lose some” and that Republicans will live to fight another day.

What makes the current political scene so perplexing is that both sides can point to certain undeniable facts to support their position. The United States is, for now, neither all one thing nor all the other. James Madison’s Constitution, though beaten and bruised, is still functioning, according to the conventionalists. American politics remains fundamentally “normal.”

To what degree the ruling class actually believes in or cares about the various oppressed classes it purports to champion is an open question.

In reply, the pessimistic wing accuses the “normie-cons” of naivete and complacency. The original Constitution, they argue, has by now been almost entirely pushed aside by a new, second Constitution, based on a new understanding of justice and human nature and fanatically devoted to implementing the ideological left’s agenda.

It is hard to deny that virtually all aspects of our public life have become distorted and dysfunctional in a way the founders would hardly recognize. Yet the old guard does seem to be correct to insist that elections — the most important safeguard of popular consent — are still respected by both sides, however tenuously.

Despite a few vocal outliers and occasionally heated rhetoric, both parties have grudgingly accepted the results of the last several voting cycles, if not in equal measure. (It is worth noting that during Joe Biden’s entire four-year term, no one from the allegedly extreme party of gun violence tried to assassinate him.)

Presumably, this will still hold in two years, even if — as seems quite possible now — the Democrats not only maintain significant majorities in both chambers of Congress, but take control of the White House as well. That, oddly enough, could represent a notable return to something very traditional and normal in American politics: the “realigning election.”

Until a few decades ago, the regularity of realigning elections had been such a reliable feature of American history that political scientists had come to treat the phenomenon as almost an iron law. Beginning in 1800, the American people seemed to prefer that one party hold authoritative control of the federal government for a full generation or so, at which point they decisively switched their allegiance to the other party.

Thus, Republicans and Democrats essentially traded control over the national government every few decades: in 1828, 1860, 1896, 1932, and then, perhaps, in 1968 or ’72 — but this is where things took a turn.

In an essay titled “Political Parties, the Constitution, and the Future of American Politics,” Charles Kesler notes that realigning elections consistently allowed the American people to choose between two “well-developed interpretations” of the Constitution: “a more democratic or a more republican view.” “The former view emphasized popular sovereignty, the latter popular responsibility.”

RELATED: Trump conquered the Republican Party. What a waste of a victory.

Brendan SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images

Parties competed to prove their fidelity to the Constitution, each grudgingly conceding the legitimacy of the other(s), but insisting on its own superior credentials — and thus its right to define what was common ground, and what was forbidden, in public life.

In practice, these boundaries were set by the majority party, but the fight was always over who would get to set them — whose view of the Constitution would prevail. When the competing views became sufficiently discordant, the American people faced a critical election whose consequences might include the overturn of the existing majority party, and the establishment of a new one.

Such realigning elections are rare but revealing: They set the grounds of electoral competition for the next generation or two, and renew the nation’s dedication to the moral and political goals of republicanism proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence and incorporated in the Constitution. Thus America’s party system reflected the continuing vitality of the Constitution, and presupposed a healthy respect and even reverence for it.

Kesler notes that this regular process seems to have stalled in the 1980s. The Reagan revolution ought to have solidified Nixon’s 1972 landslide re-election and inaugurated a generation of Republican dominance. But by this point, the federal government itself had become a significant — perhaps the most significant — faction in American politics.

The will of the voters now had to contend with the will of the bureaucracy. As a result, Kesler notes, the United States has “tilted away from elective representation and party politics and towards new, non-elective and non-deliberative modes of representation.” Consent steadily yielded to the benevolent administration of scientific experts.

Picking up on this theme, the late Angelo Codevilla, another great Claremont scholar, noted in 2020 that the institutional changes wrought by the second Constitution have been driven by a potent intellectual critique that guided “the campaigns for social improvement into which Progressives have led the American people ever since the 1930s, and especially since the 1960s.”

The ruling class chided Americans for insufficient commitment to education, to well-being for the poor and disadvantaged, to a healthy natural environment, and to public health, as well as for oppressing women, and, above all, for racism. The campaigns for remedying these conditions have been based on propositions advanced by the most highly credentialed persons in America — experts certified by the U.S. government, whom the media treated as truth-telling scientists, their opponents as enemies of the people.

RELATED: The day after tomorrow: A new GOP

Tom Brenner/Getty Images

Not surprisingly, this ostensibly moral agenda coincided very nicely with the political and economic interests of the ruling class, which appointed itself the guardian of the progressive second Constitution.

To what degree the ruling class actually believes in or cares about the various oppressed classes it purports to champion is an open question. As Codevilla perceptively emphasizes, its disdain for traditional, working-class voters is evident; the desire to actually improve life for the American citizenry is less clear. If this were nothing more than hypocrisy, it would hardly matter.

But the political problem, not just for the left but for America, is that the ideological cart to which the ruling class hitched its pursuit of power — the postmodern crusades for sexual liberation, racial grievances, and the autonomy of the uninhibited self — turns out to be rather difficult to manage.

The radical vanguard that supplies the Democrats with energy, zeal, and fashionable cachet, what Codevilla calls the “intersectional” component of the left, believes (not without good reason) that it is in charge. This makes for an uneasy coalition. “For most ruling class notables,” Codevilla observes, “enjoying and parceling out victory’s prerogatives is the revolution’s point.”

They would prefer to suppress the deplorables while minimizing disruption of the economy and avoiding violence. For these chiefs, rubbing the deplorables’ faces in excrement is mostly an instrument of conflict. But for the intersectionals, it is the revolution’s very objective, its driving logic. For them, vengeance is electoral victory’s foremost prerogative. Determined as the chiefs may be that the intersectional tail must not wag the revolutionary dog, the fact is that each and every part of the intersectional coalition sees itself as the dog.

The crucial question in 2028 and beyond will be: Who is really the top dog in the ruling class?

A few days ago, National Review’s Dan McLaughlin — hardly a MAGA extremist — tweeted, “I understand entirely the instinct to teach the House GOP a lesson. But if you punish the Senate GOP, it will be 6 years before they can do anything about it. And we can lose the Republic before then.” If this week’s midterm elections does indeed foretell a critical realignment to the left in 2028, it will mean not six but at least 30 years of unchallenged dominance by the Democrats — with very little assurance that the neoliberal oligarchs will be able to moderate the intersectional fanatics. That might be enough to make even the most complacent “normie-con” blanch.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published in the American Mind.

​Declaration of independence, Federal government, James madison, Joe biden, Midterm elections, Public life, Republican party, United states, White house, Ruling class, Opinion & analysis, History, Politics 

An Oklahoma pastor claimed to be a part of the notorious MS-13 criminal gang in order to coerce members of his flock to work for him without pay.

Elmer Baca Flores, 41, told his church members to quit their jobs and work for him, according to a post from the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics.

‘As parents, we have to be hypervigilant about protecting them. Ninety percent of the time, children are abused by someone they know, love, and trust.’

Officers interviewed several people who said their family members had gone to church and didn’t come back home. Flores used his influence as a spiritual leader to coerce the members to leave their families.

The scheme was first reported after a family told police their daughter had been sexually abused.

“One victim told Agents that Flores gave her a test to prove her ability to resist temptation. During this test, the victim was sexually battered by Flores,” said Mark Woodward, a public information officer with the OBN.

“Flores used his influence as a pastor to spiritually coerce the victims by targeting their religious convictions,” Woodward added.

Flores was arrested in April 2025 and booked on three charges of lewd conduct with a child.

Six months later, the charges were amended to include human trafficking for labor and one count of sexual battery.

On Tuesday, he was convicted of 13 counts of human trafficking for labor as well as various child sex charges.

He was sentenced to 30 years in prison and will have to register as a sex offender. He also faces deportation.

He called his church the “Ministerio Levantando Adoradores Para Cristo Inc.,” which was based in his home. A sign of the church from a KOCO-TV report indicated that it was Pentecostal.

RELATED: Pastor allegedly tried to meet minor for sex — he ran for Congress as a Democrat and was an NAACP leader

The OBN said Flores’ conviction for human trafficking for forced labor was the first such conviction in the state of Oklahoma.

“I appreciate the amazing work by our Human Trafficking Unit and the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office in this landmark case,” OBN Director Donnie Anderson said. “And I applaud the bravery of these victims for coming forward to hold their trafficker accountable.”

Stacy McNeiland, the founder of ROAR at the Care Center, told KOCO that parents need to be vigilant against predators manipulating their children.

“As parents, we have to be hypervigilant about protecting them. Ninety percent of the time, children are abused by someone they know, love, and trust,” McNeiland said.

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​Child abuse, Sexual battery, Human trafficking, Ms-13 gang, Deportation, Church, Crime 

Did somebody cast a “Reducio” spell?

The crowd of trans activists who showed up to protest the opening of London’s new “Harry Potter” flagship store on Wednesday was vanishingly small.

President Donald Trump allowed not only for the midterm elections to proceed, but for his party to take a whupping as a result. Heck of a way to organize a fascist takeover.

Just 16 people.

The protesters were there to denounce “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling, who earned the enmity of the left in 2020 by saying she didn’t align with every element of the trans movement’s agenda.

She’s been under fire ever since and has even received death threats. But while her enemies are unusually loud, they didn’t make much of an impression on the crowds lining up to enter the store.

Variety has the sads over that detail:

The queue — which wrapped around a nearby alleyway — slowly filed into the store, mostly ignoring the protest.

Someone should have whipped out the Palestinian flag. That would have drawn a crowd in London …

‘Sleepy’ Sidney

Here comes another “reimagining” or, in unofficial Hollywood-speak, a new way to wring blood out of an old IP.

Sydney Sweeney is set to star in a retelling of the “Sleepy Hollow” yarn. This time, the story will be told through her character’s lens — she plays Katrina Van Tassel. Now, it’s just called “Hollow.” The film is based on an upcoming feminist novel, and the director is the book’s author — Lindsey Anderson Beer.

Let’s hope Sweeney doesn’t bare any skin during the promotional push for the film …

NBC fetches ‘Files’

Who you gonna call? Ghostbu — Jim Rockford!

There’s a new “Rockford Files” coming our way Jan. 2, as if the previous item wasn’t enough of a warning about Hollywood’s IP addiction. The ’70s detective saga was a keeper, and it boasted one of the best TV theme songs ever (with apologies to “Barney Miller”).

The magic, of course, came from star James Garner. His rugged presence and everyman appeal made the show special. Huge shoes to fill, and it’s up to David Boreanaz to do the honors.

One factor in the “Angel” alum’s favor? He has the blessing of Gigi Garner, the late star’s daughter.

To hype the upcoming show, NBC shelled out big bucks for billboards asking us to call the fictional character. It’s (760) JIM-ROCK, for anyone with a fake case to solve …

Fascism fail

He’s still the worst dictator ever.

President Donald Trump allowed not only for the midterm elections to proceed, but for his party to take a whupping as a result. Heck of a way to organize a fascist takeover.

Nonetheless, the left is still using its pre-election talking points.

All together now … he’s a dictator! That’s how “The Daily Show” guest Harvard Kennedy School Prof. Erica Chenoweth referred to Trump this week. Imagine paying all that tuition money to expose your young adults to that warped thinking …

RELATED: BASS-ACKWARD: Los Angeles may dump its mayor and move farther left

Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg/Getty Images

Sly praise

That’s a relief!

“I Play Rocky,” opening in select cities this weekend but nationwide Nov. 20, recalls how Sylvester Stallone battled the odds to star in “Rocky.” Stallone wrote the script, one that the studio in question loved. It wanted a “star” in the title role, though, not a nobody with a speech impediment.

Stallone refused to give up the script unless he got the lead role. “I play Rocky,” he says repeatedly in the new film. Get it?

But the real Stallone wasn’t necessarily eager to see his life on the big screen. He didn’t have a role in the film’s production, although he did give director Peter Farrelly his permission to go forward with the movie.

That said, he has finally seen “I Play Rocky.” He and wife Jennifer Flavin screened it at home.

And? They loved it. Flavin cried. It’s the best news possible for a film that’s generating a huge response from festival audiences.

Will it go the distance in the Oscar race? It’s got a puncher’s chance …

Hollywood ending?

“Say goodbye to Hollywood … say goodbye, my baby,” Billy Joel sang back in 1976. The tune comes to mind following the recent L.A. mayoral race. The city traded out its inept progressive Mayor Karen Bass for democratic socialist Nithya Raman.

She has no executive experience and bows to the altar of DSA Nation. That didn’t stop Hollywood stars like Tina Fey, Colin Jost, Mindy Kaling, and director Nicholas Stoller from supporting Raman’s campaign.

That means a town on the edge of collapse — Hollywood — just voted to get it gooder and harder.

Maybe the next rebooted IP should be “Escape from L.A.” It might end up as a documentary.

​David boreanaz, Democratic socialists, Harry potter, I play rocky, Jk rowling, Karen bass, Midterm elections, Nithya raman, Peter farrelly, Rockford files, Sleepy hollow, Sydney sweeney, Sylvester stallone, Tina fey, Trans movement, Entertainment, Hollywood, Movies, Culture, Toto recall 

Conservatives get smeared as anti-immigrant, but the truth is simple: They want people who come here legally, respect the process, and actually want to become Americans. Miguel Rojas is exactly that immigrant.

BlazeTV host Pat Gray played a clip of the newly retired Dodgers infielder and two-time World Series champion explaining how he approached the U.S. citizenship test he passed last month.

When asked by reporters if he was nervous about the test, Rojas didn’t flinch: “No, I wasn’t nervous because I was prepared.”

“I felt like I was ready for it. I didn’t know what to expect because it’s kind of like my first time going into a conference room with an official … but at the end of the day, I knew all the 100 questions, and I knew the answers,” he added confidently.

Rojas then expressed pride in becoming an American.

“It makes me feel really special, really proud because of my family, because of my kids, because of what I’ve been doing the last 21 years in this country. This country opened their doors to me to be a professional baseball player, and kind of I took that opportunity as a life opportunity as well, and I don’t take it for granted,” he said.

He also noted that he was glad that the person who administered his citizenship test didn’t recognize him because he did not want to be shown any “preference.”

“Because this process has nothing to do with baseball. I felt like as a citizen, as a human being, I always wanted to be a good person off the field and not let my performance influence anything because we all know how hard this game can be and how high you can be and how low you can be one day,” Rojas explained. “So I don’t want to be kind of like judged by my performance on the field. I want to be judged by the person who I am and my preparation.”

Pat is delighted by Rojas’ response.

“That’s what you like to see is an immigrant who’s doing it the right way, came here legally … appreciates his opportunities here, appreciates the country, loves the country, wants to be a part of it,” he raves.

“Doesn’t need an interpreter,” adds co-host Jeffy, highlighting Rojas’ excellent English.

“People like that, you welcome with open arms. … It’s great to have you here,” says Pat.

To see the clip of Rojas and hear more of Pat and the panel’s commentary, watch the episode above.

Want more from Pat Gray?

To enjoy more of Pat’s biting analysis and signature wit as he restores common sense to a senseless world, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​American identity, Legal immigration, Pat gray, Blazetv show 

The Department of Homeland Security said a Venezuelan man was arrested after an investigation into his suspicious behavior near the White House in Washington, D.C.

The man allegedly told U.S. Secret Service officers that he heard voices in his head telling him to assassinate President Donald Trump.

‘Thanks to our brave Secret Service officers, this illegal alien with three firearms in his vehicle was arrested near the White House before he could harm anyone.’

On Thursday evening, the officers approached the man, who was found to be in a stolen car on Constitution Avenue.

After an investigation, they found numerous firearms that included two handguns, an AR-15-style rifle, and dozens of rounds of ammunition.

He was identified as Ronny Yordrix Guanipa Chrinos.

Chrinos was released at the Texas border in March 2024 under the “catch and release policy of the Biden administration,” DHS said to the Daily Mail.

Catch and release was rescinded under President Donald Trump.

DHS Sec. Markwayne Mullin released a statement to Fox News about the arrest.

“Thanks to our brave Secret Service officers, this illegal alien with three firearms in his vehicle was arrested near the White House before he could harm anyone,” Mullin said.

RELATED: LGBTQIA+ activist called for Trump to be assassinated and for harassment of his attorney, feds say

“On top of threatening President Trump, he is an illegal alien from Venezuela who had no business being in our country in the first place,” he added. “This is just an example of the incredible work done by the men and women of the Secret Service every single day.”

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has lodged a detainer for Chrinos with the U.S. Marshals Service.

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​Department of homeland security, White house, Donald trump, Death threats, Illegal aliens, Politics