Over the weekend, we learned that Jay Jones, the Democrats’ candidate for Virginia attorney general, had been fantasizing about killing his political opponents. Jones not only told colleagues he would shoot Republicans before shooting Hitler or Pol Pot but also expressed a desire to watch children die in their conservative parents’ arms.

These comments would be disqualifying in any sane political culture. But after the assassination of Charlie Kirk last month and the wave of anti-ICE violence that has followed, Democrats had a chance to show they could police their own rhetoric. Instead, terrified of losing a critical statewide race, they have rallied behind Jones. In just weeks, the left has gone from calls to “turn down the temperature” to endorsing a candidate who openly dreams of killing children.

For progressives, power is everything. No behavior is too vile if it helps them win.

Game theory offers a useful way to understand what’s happening. One of its key concepts is “tit for tat,” a strategy in which the first player opens by cooperating and then mirrors the other’s behavior — cooperation for cooperation, defection for defection. The system stabilizes only when both sides know defection carries a cost. Any other strategy invites chaos.

After Kirk’s assassination, many of us warned that serious action was needed before the left’s spiral of violence spun out of control. The Trump administration had to use lawful force to dismantle leftist terror networks — but conservatives also needed a mental shift. If the right allowed progressives to “defect” by celebrating an assassination without paying a price, the lesson would be clear: Violence works.

Predictably, the left denounced the call to enforce accountability as “political retribution.” Libertarians and establishment conservatives joined the chorus. The left’s objection was insincere — it never wants to pay a price for bad behavior. But libertarians, paralyzed by theory, condemned the idea anyway. And the weak-kneed right, terrified of being called hypocritical, repeated the same tired warning: If Republicans act decisively now, Democrats will retaliate when they’re back in power.

It’s an absurd fear in 2025. Progressives have already jailed administration officials, arrested a former president, removed him from ballots, imprisoned protesters and meme-makers, and assassinated a conservative activist. What more are these so-called principled conservatives afraid of? Allowing the left to defect without penalty has been a disaster — just as game theory predicts. Something must change.

When Kirk was shot, a handful of liberals managed the obligatory denunciations. But the “both sides” rhetoric made clear that they took no responsibility. Others reveled in the death of a husband and father, mocking his faith and legacy online. Some were fired, and Jimmy Kimmel was briefly suspended for lying about the alleged shooter — but both Kimmel and the culture that spawned him returned unchanged. Democrats like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Ilhan Omar quickly resumed their attacks on Kirk’s character.

The left paid no price for its rhetoric, and predictably, the violence resumed.

Now, Democrats are standing behind a radical candidate who gleefully fantasized about killing Republicans and their children. A few colleagues tut-tutted his words, but none demanded that he step down. Once again, no consequences. For progressives, power is everything. No behavior is too vile if it helps them win.

RELATED: Democrat’s vile texts wish death on GOP lawmaker

Photo by Craig Hudson for the Washington Post via Getty Images

Democracy depends on the ability to transfer power peacefully. Disagreements can be sharp — but they cannot be life-or-death. Yet progressives have made politics exactly that. Conservatives who still insist on “principles” over consequences are sleepwalking through history. Ignoring this escalation has failed. Political assassination has now become an accepted weapon in the left’s arsenal.

When Charlie Kirk was killed, the left dropped even the pretense of civility. They danced, sang, and laughed over his death. And now, with Democrats refusing to remove Jay Jones from the Virginia attorney general’s race, one suspects his murderous fantasies don’t shock them because they’ve also shared them privately.

The left’s immunity from consequence has bred a monster — a political culture that delights in destruction. If conservatives continue to shrink from imposing real costs, that monster will devour the last shreds of America’s social fabric.

​Opinion & analysis, Opinion, Jay jones, Jay jones texts, Democrat violence, Left wing violence, Charlie kirk assassination, Charlie kirk, Charlie kirk assassin, Lawfare, Weaponization of government, Political violence, Democrats, Incitement, Game theory, Accountability, Law and order 

I should be dead. Buried in an unmarked grave in Romania. But God had other plans.

As a young attorney living under Nicolae Ceaușescu’s brutal communist regime in the 1980s, I spent my life searching for truth in a regime of lies. I found it in the Bible — forbidden in my country. I answered the divine call to defend fellow Christians facing persecution in an ungodly land.

If the United Nations is to mean anything again, it must rediscover the courage that once gave refuge to dissidents like me.

For that “crime,” I was kidnapped, interrogated, beaten, and tortured. I spent months under house arrest and came within seconds of execution when a government assassin pointed a gun at me. I survived and fled to the United States as a political refugee.

The UN once stood for something

In his recent address to the 80th session of the U.N. General Assembly, President Donald Trump said the organization “has tremendous potential — but it’s not even close to living up to that potential.” He’s right.

When the United Nations was founded in 1945, its mission was noble: to promote peace, security, and human rights worldwide. It was meant to be a platform for honest dialogue, a beacon for humanitarian action, and a voice for the voiceless.

It once lived up to that promise. During the Cold War, the U.N. amplified the voices of dissidents behind the Iron Curtain and gave cover to lawyers like me defending Christians in communist courts. Its support for human rights cases in Romania helped expose Ceaușescu’s tyranny to the world.

That international pressure saved my life and countless others.

Bureaucracy replaced moral courage

Today’s U.N. bears little resemblance to that courageous institution. It has become paralyzed by bureaucracy and corrupted by politics. Instead of defending the oppressed, it often defends the powerful — or looks away altogether.

In Nigeria, Syria, and Yemen, millions suffer while the U.N. Security Council stalls over procedural votes. Permanent members protect their allies, veto resolutions, and block humanitarian intervention. Political calculations routinely outweigh moral imperatives.

When the institution created to prevent genocide can’t even condemn it, the crisis isn’t merely diplomatic — it’s spiritual.

Reform begins with courage

President Trump has proposed bold changes to restore the U.N.’s relevance. He called for adding permanent Security Council members — emerging powers such as India, Brazil, Japan, and Germany — to reflect modern realities and make the council more decisive.

He urged the U.N. to prioritize global security and counterterrorism while aligning its agenda with the legitimate interests of free nations. First lady Melania Trump, addressing the same assembly, launched Fostering the Future Together, a coalition promoting education, innovation, and children’s welfare.

These initiatives could help revive the U.N.’s moral voice and refocus it on its founding purpose: defending the oppressed and restraining the oppressors.

RELATED: Trump strongly defends Christianity at UN: ‘The most persecuted religion on the planet today’

Photo by seechung via Getty Images

Faith and courage still matter

My own survival came down to faith. When Ceaușescu sent an assassin to kill me, he pulled a gun and said, “You have ignored all of our warnings. I am here to kill you.”

In that moment of terror, I prayed: “Come quickly to help me, my Lord and my Savior.” Peace replaced panic. I began sharing the gospel.

That armed killer, confronted with God’s word, lowered his weapon, turned, and walked away. Today, he is a pastor — serving the same faith he once tried to destroy.

The lesson is simple: Hearts can change. Institutions can too. But it takes conviction.

If the United Nations is to mean anything again, it must rediscover the courage that once gave refuge to dissidents like me. It must speak for the enslaved, the persecuted, and the forgotten — not for dictators and bureaucrats.

God spared my life so I could keep fighting for truth. The U.N. was part of that story once. It can be again — if it remembers why it was born.

​Opinion & analysis, Opinion, Un, United nations, United nations corruption, Un general assembly, Un general assembly donald trump, Dissidents, Tyranny, Bureaucracy, Donald trump, Melania trump, Romania, India, Brazil, Japan, Germany, Un security council, Cold war, Oppression 

On September 16, 1571, the 212 ships of the Holy League set out from Messina, Sicily. The ships carried 40,000 sailors, 35,000 soldiers, and the hopes of Christian Europe. Led by Don John of Austria, they headed for the Gulf of Patras in Southern Greece.

Their target? The 278 war galleys and 67,000 men composing the war fleet of the Ottoman Empire under the command of Muezzinzade Ali Pasha. On October 7, the two armadas met in the largest naval engagement since the Battle of Salamis in 480 B.C. The result changed the course of history.

The wind was against the Christians, leaving them scrambling to form a line of battle before the Ottoman galleys closed in.

The Battle of Lepanto stands as a decisive point in a thousand-year conflict between Christian Europe and the Islamic empires of the east.

Rise of the Ottoman Empire

Islam began its expansion in 622. Only a hundred years later, it had conquered all of the Middle East and North Africa. The Christian cities of Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, Hippo, Tunis, and Carthage had fallen, as well as all of Spain.

The Crusades managed to slow and even push back some Islamic advances but were ultimately a failure. By 1291, the last Christian stronghold in the Holy Land had fallen. The next 200 years saw the rise of the Ottoman Empire and the continued advance of Islam, culminating in the fall of Constantinople in 1453 and the capture of the Balkans by 1475. The only bright spot was the Spanish Reconquista, returning the country to Christianity by 1492.

The 16th century started with more Christian defeats. Rhodes fell in 1522, and the Christian forces suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Preveza in 1538, ceding control of the Eastern Mediterranean to the Ottomans.

Famagusta falls

In 1565, something changed. Against all odds, the Knights Hospitaller held out during the Siege of Malta and handed the Ottomans their first real defeat in the Mediterranean. Then came the fateful year: 1571.

It did not start out well. Early in the year, Ottoman ships raided the Adriatic coast, venturing closer to Italy. In August, the fortress of Famagusta — the last Venetian stronghold on the island of Cypress — fell after a 10-month siege. After initially promising safe passage, the Ottomans slaughtered the remaining Venetian soldiers and subjected their leader, Marcantonio Bragadin, to brutal public torture and execution.

White Bastion, old town walls, Famagusta, North Cyprus. Heritage Images/Getty Images

The Holy League

Meanwhile, Pope Pius V had called together the Holy League — an alliance of Christian forces, including the Spanish Empire, the Republic of Venice, the Holy Roman Empire, and the Papal States. Led by Don John of Austria, the League assembled its armada at Messina. The night before they set out, Don John ordered the celebration of holy Mass and the hearing of confessions throughout the fleet. Pius V granted a plenary indulgence to all who took part in the campaign and gave a consecrated papal standard to Don John, who flew it from his flagship, the Real.

RELATED: What’s so great about ‘separation of church and state’?

Pictures from History/Getty Images

The soldiers and sailors of the Holy League had no doubts about the nature of their mission. Every ship in the fleet had a crucifix prominently displayed aboard, as well as images of the Virgin Mary and other religious items.

Legend has it that a copy of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a gift from the Archbishop of Mexico, was carried aboard a Spanish galley. Bolstered by faith and incensed by the news of the Ottoman brutality at Cypress, the Holy League set out from Messina and reached the Gulf of Patras on October 6.

Preparing for battle

The next day, the two armadas slowly moved toward one another, creeping across the waters of the narrow strait between the Gulfs of Patras and Corinth. Hundreds upon hundreds of ships were arrayed in lines, stretching for miles, as the two fleets closed in. Banners fluttered as the rowers moved the galleys forward. Prayers were uttered as the thousands of soldiers, gunners, and sailors prepared for battle. The wind was against the Christians, leaving them scrambling to form a line of battle before the Ottoman galleys closed in.

Illustration depicting a type of Venetian galley used in the Battle of Lepanto. Photo: 12/Getty Images

Meanwhile, back in Rome, Pius V prayed without ceasing. He had called upon all of Europe to join him in praying the rosary, imploring the Blessed Mother to aid the Christian forces in battle. On October 7, he led a procession through the streets of Rome, praying the rosary with the people of the city.

At Lepanto, the two fleets drew closer and the wind shifted in favor of the Christians, allowing them to take their positions before reaching the enemy. As the two fleets clashed, the Christian strategy paid off immediately. The Venetians, experienced sailors filled with rage at the treatment of their compatriots at Famagusta, shattered the Ottoman line and threw the fleet into disarray. In the center, the six galleasses — newer, large ships with heavy armaments — dealt crushing damage to the more vulnerable Ottoman galleys, breaking up their formations and allowing the Christian galleys to ram and board them.

Our Lady of Victory

In four hours, it was all over. The fury of the Venetian attack decimated the left wing, and the center collapsed under the relentless fire from the galleasses and the ferocity of the soldiers disgorged from the Christian galleys. The climax of the battle came when the Ottoman flagship Sultana rammed the Real and fierce hand-to-hand fighting broke out. The Real was in danger of falling when the papal commander, Marcantonio Colonna, brought his galley alongside and mounted a counterattack. Ali Pasha was killed, and the papal standard was hoisted over the captured Sultana.

New of the victory reached Pius V as he was praying the rosary in the Church of San Sabina, according to his biographer. He is said to have wept with joy and pronounced, “There was a man sent from God whose name was John” in reference to John 1:6. The pope ordered immediate celebrations, Masses in thanksgiving, the ringing of bells across the city, and the singing of the Te Deum.

Crediting the intercession of the Virgin Mary for the victory, Pius V established October 7 as the Feast of Our Lady of Victory. Today, it is celebrated as the Feast of the Most Holy Rosary.

The defeat was crushing for the Ottomans: 187 ships destroyed or captured, over 20,000 men dead. Although they rebuilt their fleet, they never managed to pose another serious threat to the Western Mediterranean.

Painting depicting the victory of John III Sobieski (1629-1696), king of Poland, against the Turks at the Battle of Vienna. Universal History Archive/Getty Images

The struggle between Christian Europe and the Ottoman Empire was far from over. It would be another 112 years before the land-battle equivalent of Lepanto — the Battle of Vienna — would signal the end of Ottoman expansion. Lepanto, however, served as a critical turning point, showing that Europe, when united under its Christian faith, could drive back a seemingly invincible foe.

Zeal for Christ

The lessons of the Battle of Lepanto are simple yet profound: Remember our heroes, honor their accomplishments, and never forget the source of their strength and zeal.

The heroes of Christendom were bold men who achieved the impossible against overwhelming odds. From Charles Martel’s ragged band turning back the Islamic conquest of Spain and beginning the 781-year Reconquista to King John Sobieski III’s thunderous cavalry charge that broke the siege of Vienna, these were leaders of courage and conviction.

Yet more important than the men themselves was the source of their victories: their Christian faith. Constantine’s soldiers bore the cross of Christ on their shields; centuries later, the sailors at Lepanto displayed the same cross on their ships. It was that faith that gave them strength to fight and to win — and it is that same faith that can give us strength to face and triumph over our own battles today, great or small.

​Battle of lepanto, Catholicism, Reconquista, Christianity, Culture, History, Pope pius v, Islam, Faith, Abide, History of christendom