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We are asking for your help!

Dear Friends: We at the Gem State Patriot are a not-for-profit service for the people of Idaho. We have been serving Idahoans for nine years and we seldom, if ever, ask for donations. Unfortunately, like so many other conservative organizations, we suffer from time to time from a lack of recognition of the services we […]

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Bob's Words of Wisdom

Education is the Key to Success

Everyone seems to have their own definition of fascism, but trying to define fascism is like trying to nail jelly to a wall: Just like everyone has their own definition of Communism and Socialism, we appear to be in a name-calling contest in America, but no one has a clue as to what most of […]

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Opinions / Op-eds

The Road to Hell in Boise

They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Boise is living proof. On the surface, Mayor Lauren McLean’s gestures look noble, promoting inclusion, accountability, and progress. But the results tell a different story: taxpayer dollars wasted, civic unity fractured, and our capital city used as a political foothold for national agendas. Lawsuits […]

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Opinions / Op-eds

Governance vs. Growth Politics

Idaho is growing faster than most of us can keep up with. New subdivisions appear almost overnight. Cities expand their boundaries. State lawmakers celebrate population increases as a mark of success. Growth has become the headline. But in the middle of this boom, something deeper is being forgotten: the difference between growth politics and governance. […]

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Opinions / Op-eds

Idaho’s Federal Lands Dilemma

Why State Management May Be Inevitable as Subsidy Economics Collapse Idaho faces converging crises in energy infrastructure, forest management, and federal lands policy that illuminate fundamental questions about resource governance in Western states. Recent congressional discussions reveal not just immediate challenges but systemic problems suggesting major transitions ahead in how public lands are managed and […]

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Opinions / Op-eds

Labrador Letter: The Fight for Parental Rights in Idaho

Dear Friends, This week, I had the chance to speak about something that matters deeply to every parent and to me personally. The right of parents to make their own choices when it comes to guiding their children’s upbringing. The question is as straightforward as it gets. Should parents have the authority to make decisions […]

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Opinions / Op-eds

Op-Ed: Your Vote Matters!

When most people think of elections, they picture the noise and spectacle of presidential years—rallies, debates, and wall-to-wall news coverage. But while those contests grab the headlines, it’s the quieter local elections that often shape our daily lives the most. On November 4th, Idahoans will once again have the chance to vote—this time for city […]

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John Livingston

Mass Formation Bias and the Right of Property

I am not a psychiatrist, but I did spend last night in a Holiday Inn Express. More seriously, I spent three months in clinical psychiatry during medical school and attended a handful of lectures in “social psychology.” Whenever the word “social” is prefixed to another field—such as social economics, social justice, social planning, socialism, or […]

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Bob's Words of Wisdom

Did Governor Little violate the Constitution during Covid?

It has been 5 years since I wrote extensively about how the Covid-19 EUA vaccine was a potential danger because of the limited testing yet it was hailed as the only thing that would stop the proliferation of the Covid-19 virus. During the pandemic, it was Dr. Ryan Cole who stood alone and had his […]

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Opinions / Op-eds

Making Sense of Government Shutdown

Amid many pressing events—the Charlie Kirk shooting, the passing of President Russel M. Nelson, and the tragedy in Michigan—the ongoing government shutdown hasn’t received the attention and explanation it deserves. I want to clarify what’s really happening with the shutdown, the Big Beautiful Bill, and how appropriation works. What’s Causing the Shutdown? The federal government […]

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John Livingston

The Best of Us

This will be one of my shortest articles. Above is a picture of the Naval Academy Women’s Soccer team. First of all, these young women earn your respect—every day. Someday, they will be F-18 pilots, nuclear engineers, ship drivers, or Marine Recon officers. Today, though, they lead regimented and disciplined lives, learning to be good […]

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John Livingston

Priorities

On a recent panel on Fox Business News, Charles Payne and guests discussed how cultural decisions resulting in declining birth rates worldwide will shape future generations’ political and economic choices. For two generations, China enforced a one-child policy per couple, which led to population growth but recent stabilization at 1.4 billion people. Now that the […]

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Opinions / Op-eds

Labrador Letter: Idaho’s Fight for Women’s Sports Reaches Critical Moment

Dear Friends, After five years of litigation, Idaho’s Fairness in Women’s Sports Act has finally reached the United States Supreme Court. Now, at this crucial moment, the ACLU is trying to dismiss the case entirely, not because the issue has been resolved, but because they understand the strength of our arguments. Last week, my office […]

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