Rex Smith
@upstateamerican.bsky.social
Journalist, musician, progressive patriot. Check www.UpstateAmerican.com
They've got to be carefully taught
open.substack.com/pub/upstatea...
I was reminded at the post office last week of how we are divided: by politics and prejudice. Here's last weekend's column — and another edition of The Upstate American will publish on Saturday.
open.substack.com/pub/upstatea...
I was reminded at the post office last week of how we are divided: by politics and prejudice. Here's last weekend's column — and another edition of The Upstate American will publish on Saturday.
They've got to be carefully taught
Lessons to learn from Muhammad Ali and the tragedy in Minneapolis
open.substack.com
February 2, 2026 at 6:53 PM
They've got to be carefully taught
open.substack.com/pub/upstatea...
I was reminded at the post office last week of how we are divided: by politics and prejudice. Here's last weekend's column — and another edition of The Upstate American will publish on Saturday.
open.substack.com/pub/upstatea...
I was reminded at the post office last week of how we are divided: by politics and prejudice. Here's last weekend's column — and another edition of The Upstate American will publish on Saturday.
The storm bears down on our democracy
open.substack.com/pub/upstatea...
Are we prepared for the storms we face, both meteorological and political? Here's last weekend's column, in case you missed it. Another edition of The Upstate American will publish on Saturday.
open.substack.com/pub/upstatea...
Are we prepared for the storms we face, both meteorological and political? Here's last weekend's column, in case you missed it. Another edition of The Upstate American will publish on Saturday.
The storm bears down on our democracy
Lessons learned in a blizzard are instructive in the time of Trump
open.substack.com
January 27, 2026 at 2:45 PM
The storm bears down on our democracy
open.substack.com/pub/upstatea...
Are we prepared for the storms we face, both meteorological and political? Here's last weekend's column, in case you missed it. Another edition of The Upstate American will publish on Saturday.
open.substack.com/pub/upstatea...
Are we prepared for the storms we face, both meteorological and political? Here's last weekend's column, in case you missed it. Another edition of The Upstate American will publish on Saturday.
Subaru could teach Trump about accountability
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When my car needed a fix last week, it struck me that the accountability we demand from mechanics is more than we get from America's leaders. Here's last weekend's column; see The Upstate American again on Saturday.
open.substack.com/pub/upstatea...
When my car needed a fix last week, it struck me that the accountability we demand from mechanics is more than we get from America's leaders. Here's last weekend's column; see The Upstate American again on Saturday.
Subaru could teach Trump about accountability
Why do we expect more of car repair than we do of government leadership?
open.substack.com
January 19, 2026 at 5:19 PM
Subaru could teach Trump about accountability
open.substack.com/pub/upstatea...
When my car needed a fix last week, it struck me that the accountability we demand from mechanics is more than we get from America's leaders. Here's last weekend's column; see The Upstate American again on Saturday.
open.substack.com/pub/upstatea...
When my car needed a fix last week, it struck me that the accountability we demand from mechanics is more than we get from America's leaders. Here's last weekend's column; see The Upstate American again on Saturday.
Seeing the reality of the tragedy in Minnesota
open.substack.com/pub/upstatea...
There's something a red hawk on a branch taught me about what we're witnessing in Minnesota and elsewhere. Here's last weekend's column, if you missed it. Another edition of The Upstate American will publish Saturday.
open.substack.com/pub/upstatea...
There's something a red hawk on a branch taught me about what we're witnessing in Minnesota and elsewhere. Here's last weekend's column, if you missed it. Another edition of The Upstate American will publish Saturday.
Seeing the reality of the tragedy in Minnesota
Influenced by perception bias, the president and his supporters miss the truth
open.substack.com
January 13, 2026 at 5:46 PM
Seeing the reality of the tragedy in Minnesota
open.substack.com/pub/upstatea...
There's something a red hawk on a branch taught me about what we're witnessing in Minnesota and elsewhere. Here's last weekend's column, if you missed it. Another edition of The Upstate American will publish Saturday.
open.substack.com/pub/upstatea...
There's something a red hawk on a branch taught me about what we're witnessing in Minnesota and elsewhere. Here's last weekend's column, if you missed it. Another edition of The Upstate American will publish Saturday.
How Costco reveals Trumpism's vulnerability
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open.substack.com/pub/upstatea...
How Costco reveals Trumpism's vulnerability
Being true to your values might be what voters are looking for in 2026
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January 5, 2026 at 3:36 PM
How Costco reveals Trumpism's vulnerability
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open.substack.com/pub/upstatea...
Where to find comfort from official torment
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Last weekend's column, in case you missed it, with hope that you'll find comfort in the joys of this season. (To avoid interfering with the Boxing Day celebration, we will not publish The Upstate American this weekend.)
open.substack.com/pub/upstatea...
Last weekend's column, in case you missed it, with hope that you'll find comfort in the joys of this season. (To avoid interfering with the Boxing Day celebration, we will not publish The Upstate American this weekend.)
Where to find comfort from official torment
Our president offers no solace when the nation is in pain. Where do we turn?
open.substack.com
December 24, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Where to find comfort from official torment
open.substack.com/pub/upstatea...
Last weekend's column, in case you missed it, with hope that you'll find comfort in the joys of this season. (To avoid interfering with the Boxing Day celebration, we will not publish The Upstate American this weekend.)
open.substack.com/pub/upstatea...
Last weekend's column, in case you missed it, with hope that you'll find comfort in the joys of this season. (To avoid interfering with the Boxing Day celebration, we will not publish The Upstate American this weekend.)
Rural America needs better leaders
open.substack.com/pub/upstatea...
Tough times for folks in the U.S. agriculture sector, as last weekend's column noted, might offer an opportunity for change. Check it out here if you missed it -- and watch for another edition of The Upstate American on Saturday.
open.substack.com/pub/upstatea...
Tough times for folks in the U.S. agriculture sector, as last weekend's column noted, might offer an opportunity for change. Check it out here if you missed it -- and watch for another edition of The Upstate American on Saturday.
Rural America needs better leaders
Trump's multi-billion-dollar farm bailout is a stopgap forced by his own failed policies. Farmers and ranchers deserve a respectable alternative.
open.substack.com
December 16, 2025 at 2:20 PM
Rural America needs better leaders
open.substack.com/pub/upstatea...
Tough times for folks in the U.S. agriculture sector, as last weekend's column noted, might offer an opportunity for change. Check it out here if you missed it -- and watch for another edition of The Upstate American on Saturday.
open.substack.com/pub/upstatea...
Tough times for folks in the U.S. agriculture sector, as last weekend's column noted, might offer an opportunity for change. Check it out here if you missed it -- and watch for another edition of The Upstate American on Saturday.
Discomfort rises as empathy seems scarce
open.substack.com/pub/upstatea...
Last weekend's column: ruminations on what's going on that began as I pondered why my pup's paws didn't get cold on our morning walk.
Another edition of The Upstate American will publish on Saturday.
open.substack.com/pub/upstatea...
Last weekend's column: ruminations on what's going on that began as I pondered why my pup's paws didn't get cold on our morning walk.
Another edition of The Upstate American will publish on Saturday.
Discomfort rises as empathy seems scarce
We can't let ourselves grow indifferent to outrages and offenses
open.substack.com
December 10, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Discomfort rises as empathy seems scarce
open.substack.com/pub/upstatea...
Last weekend's column: ruminations on what's going on that began as I pondered why my pup's paws didn't get cold on our morning walk.
Another edition of The Upstate American will publish on Saturday.
open.substack.com/pub/upstatea...
Last weekend's column: ruminations on what's going on that began as I pondered why my pup's paws didn't get cold on our morning walk.
Another edition of The Upstate American will publish on Saturday.
Murals tell a story that must be preserved
www.upstateamerican.com/p/murals-tel...
From last weekend’s column, a suggestion that the destructive impulses of the current administration put at risk a lot that we ought to value.
www.upstateamerican.com/p/murals-tel...
From last weekend’s column, a suggestion that the destructive impulses of the current administration put at risk a lot that we ought to value.
Murals tell a story that must be preserved
In the face of Trump's reign of destruction, we have a responsibility to save
www.upstateamerican.com
November 24, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Murals tell a story that must be preserved
www.upstateamerican.com/p/murals-tel...
From last weekend’s column, a suggestion that the destructive impulses of the current administration put at risk a lot that we ought to value.
www.upstateamerican.com/p/murals-tel...
From last weekend’s column, a suggestion that the destructive impulses of the current administration put at risk a lot that we ought to value.
What we didn't learn from the 20th president
www.upstateamerican.com/p/what-we-di...
Belatedly last weekend's column, with thoughts on missed opportunities for America (and a bit of a TV review, too).
Another edition of The Upstate American -- on a whole new topic! -- will publish on Saturday.
www.upstateamerican.com/p/what-we-di...
Belatedly last weekend's column, with thoughts on missed opportunities for America (and a bit of a TV review, too).
Another edition of The Upstate American -- on a whole new topic! -- will publish on Saturday.
What we didn't learn from the 20th president
Imagine if Donald Trump had taken different lessons from Mark Twain
www.upstateamerican.com
November 21, 2025 at 4:00 PM
What we didn't learn from the 20th president
www.upstateamerican.com/p/what-we-di...
Belatedly last weekend's column, with thoughts on missed opportunities for America (and a bit of a TV review, too).
Another edition of The Upstate American -- on a whole new topic! -- will publish on Saturday.
www.upstateamerican.com/p/what-we-di...
Belatedly last weekend's column, with thoughts on missed opportunities for America (and a bit of a TV review, too).
Another edition of The Upstate American -- on a whole new topic! -- will publish on Saturday.
Giant skeletons and fake balls of string
www.upstateamerican.com/p/giant-skel...
What do we value, and why? That's what last weekend's column from The Upstate American explored. (Bonus scolding here for fans of chintzy outdoor holiday decor!) Watch for the next edition, coming Saturday.
www.upstateamerican.com/p/giant-skel...
What do we value, and why? That's what last weekend's column from The Upstate American explored. (Bonus scolding here for fans of chintzy outdoor holiday decor!) Watch for the next edition, coming Saturday.
Giant skeletons and fake balls of string
What do our consumption habits say about America's values these days?
www.upstateamerican.com
November 11, 2025 at 2:27 PM
Giant skeletons and fake balls of string
www.upstateamerican.com/p/giant-skel...
What do we value, and why? That's what last weekend's column from The Upstate American explored. (Bonus scolding here for fans of chintzy outdoor holiday decor!) Watch for the next edition, coming Saturday.
www.upstateamerican.com/p/giant-skel...
What do we value, and why? That's what last weekend's column from The Upstate American explored. (Bonus scolding here for fans of chintzy outdoor holiday decor!) Watch for the next edition, coming Saturday.
On a flight toward failure, or another chance?
www.upstateamerican.com/p/on-a-fligh...
Experts have a sense of the steps that precede business failure. Can you likewise measure the decline of American democracy? That troubling notion is the subject of last weekend's column. Next edition: Saturday.
www.upstateamerican.com/p/on-a-fligh...
Experts have a sense of the steps that precede business failure. Can you likewise measure the decline of American democracy? That troubling notion is the subject of last weekend's column. Next edition: Saturday.
On a flight toward failure, or another chance?
Our democracy is imperiled, but capitulation to decline is not inevitable
www.upstateamerican.com
November 4, 2025 at 2:34 PM
On a flight toward failure, or another chance?
www.upstateamerican.com/p/on-a-fligh...
Experts have a sense of the steps that precede business failure. Can you likewise measure the decline of American democracy? That troubling notion is the subject of last weekend's column. Next edition: Saturday.
www.upstateamerican.com/p/on-a-fligh...
Experts have a sense of the steps that precede business failure. Can you likewise measure the decline of American democracy? That troubling notion is the subject of last weekend's column. Next edition: Saturday.
A sign for our times, and a call to action
www.upstateamerican.com/p/a-sign-for...
What's this sign about? Read last weekend's column (which you may have missed) to find out. And then check in on Saturday, when another edition of The Upstate American will publish for our free and paid subscribers.
www.upstateamerican.com/p/a-sign-for...
What's this sign about? Read last weekend's column (which you may have missed) to find out. And then check in on Saturday, when another edition of The Upstate American will publish for our free and paid subscribers.
A sign for our times, and a call to action
What a birthday present from an artist friend said to me
www.upstateamerican.com
October 28, 2025 at 7:17 PM
A sign for our times, and a call to action
www.upstateamerican.com/p/a-sign-for...
What's this sign about? Read last weekend's column (which you may have missed) to find out. And then check in on Saturday, when another edition of The Upstate American will publish for our free and paid subscribers.
www.upstateamerican.com/p/a-sign-for...
What's this sign about? Read last weekend's column (which you may have missed) to find out. And then check in on Saturday, when another edition of The Upstate American will publish for our free and paid subscribers.
How to save America's golden age
www.upstateamerican.com/p/how-to-sav...
From last weekend, just ahead of No Kings Day protests. Another edition of The Upstate American will publish on Saturday.
www.upstateamerican.com/p/how-to-sav...
From last weekend, just ahead of No Kings Day protests. Another edition of The Upstate American will publish on Saturday.
How to save America's golden age
Athens and Rome once led the world, but their time passed. Has ours, too?
www.upstateamerican.com
October 21, 2025 at 2:24 PM
How to save America's golden age
www.upstateamerican.com/p/how-to-sav...
From last weekend, just ahead of No Kings Day protests. Another edition of The Upstate American will publish on Saturday.
www.upstateamerican.com/p/how-to-sav...
From last weekend, just ahead of No Kings Day protests. Another edition of The Upstate American will publish on Saturday.
Farmers keep going. So do soldiers. And us?
www.upstateamerican.com/p/farmers-ke...
Last weekend's column was inspired by a nearby farmer friend. You've got to admire farmers for both their perseverance and trust in the coming season.
Another edition of The Upstate American will publish Saturday.
www.upstateamerican.com/p/farmers-ke...
Last weekend's column was inspired by a nearby farmer friend. You've got to admire farmers for both their perseverance and trust in the coming season.
Another edition of The Upstate American will publish Saturday.
Farmers keep going. So do soldiers. And us?
Lessons of the fall in a time of national distress.
www.upstateamerican.com
October 14, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Farmers keep going. So do soldiers. And us?
www.upstateamerican.com/p/farmers-ke...
Last weekend's column was inspired by a nearby farmer friend. You've got to admire farmers for both their perseverance and trust in the coming season.
Another edition of The Upstate American will publish Saturday.
www.upstateamerican.com/p/farmers-ke...
Last weekend's column was inspired by a nearby farmer friend. You've got to admire farmers for both their perseverance and trust in the coming season.
Another edition of The Upstate American will publish Saturday.
Lessons of Argyll in facing today's tyrant
www.upstateamerican.com/p/lessons-of...
A review of Saturday’s column for those who missed it: How an ancestor stood up to tyranny in his time. And shouldn't we?
Another edition of The Upstate American will publish on Saturday.
www.upstateamerican.com/p/lessons-of...
A review of Saturday’s column for those who missed it: How an ancestor stood up to tyranny in his time. And shouldn't we?
Another edition of The Upstate American will publish on Saturday.
Lessons of Argyll in facing today's tyrant
An ancestor's steadfastness offers inspiration. Maybe it is even passed down to us.
www.upstateamerican.com
October 7, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Lessons of Argyll in facing today's tyrant
www.upstateamerican.com/p/lessons-of...
A review of Saturday’s column for those who missed it: How an ancestor stood up to tyranny in his time. And shouldn't we?
Another edition of The Upstate American will publish on Saturday.
www.upstateamerican.com/p/lessons-of...
A review of Saturday’s column for those who missed it: How an ancestor stood up to tyranny in his time. And shouldn't we?
Another edition of The Upstate American will publish on Saturday.
Violence is not our inevitable future
Sharing last weekend's column for those who have missed it: "So the burden falls on each of us to confront our own fears and temper our tendency to awfulize our opponents."
www.upstateamerican.com/p/violence-i...
Sharing last weekend's column for those who have missed it: "So the burden falls on each of us to confront our own fears and temper our tendency to awfulize our opponents."
www.upstateamerican.com/p/violence-i...
Violence is not our inevitable future
The next step after Charlie Kirk's assassination may depend upon our expectations
www.upstateamerican.com
September 16, 2025 at 1:34 PM
Violence is not our inevitable future
Sharing last weekend's column for those who have missed it: "So the burden falls on each of us to confront our own fears and temper our tendency to awfulize our opponents."
www.upstateamerican.com/p/violence-i...
Sharing last weekend's column for those who have missed it: "So the burden falls on each of us to confront our own fears and temper our tendency to awfulize our opponents."
www.upstateamerican.com/p/violence-i...
Seven words for the resistance
If you want to evaluate a wine or a gin, you need vocabulary. Last weekend's column tries to provide that for the Resistance to American authoritarianism. (Another edition of The Upstate American will publish on Saturday.)
www.upstateamerican.com/p/seven-word...
If you want to evaluate a wine or a gin, you need vocabulary. Last weekend's column tries to provide that for the Resistance to American authoritarianism. (Another edition of The Upstate American will publish on Saturday.)
www.upstateamerican.com/p/seven-word...
Seven words for the resistance
Like learning to discern a wine's flavor, we must understand how we describe our objectives in order to confront Donald Trump's authoritarian rule
www.upstateamerican.com
September 10, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Seven words for the resistance
If you want to evaluate a wine or a gin, you need vocabulary. Last weekend's column tries to provide that for the Resistance to American authoritarianism. (Another edition of The Upstate American will publish on Saturday.)
www.upstateamerican.com/p/seven-word...
If you want to evaluate a wine or a gin, you need vocabulary. Last weekend's column tries to provide that for the Resistance to American authoritarianism. (Another edition of The Upstate American will publish on Saturday.)
www.upstateamerican.com/p/seven-word...
Buttering up the Boss of America
www.upstateamerican.com/p/buttering-...
Last weekend's column, for those who missed it: How "buttering up" became a thing and why we must worry that it's the main way people connect with our president. Another edition of The Upstate American will publish on Saturday.
www.upstateamerican.com/p/buttering-...
Last weekend's column, for those who missed it: How "buttering up" became a thing and why we must worry that it's the main way people connect with our president. Another edition of The Upstate American will publish on Saturday.
Buttering up the Boss of America
Donald Trump loves flattery, but those of us who aren't so inclined have other tools at our disposal
www.upstateamerican.com
August 28, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Buttering up the Boss of America
www.upstateamerican.com/p/buttering-...
Last weekend's column, for those who missed it: How "buttering up" became a thing and why we must worry that it's the main way people connect with our president. Another edition of The Upstate American will publish on Saturday.
www.upstateamerican.com/p/buttering-...
Last weekend's column, for those who missed it: How "buttering up" became a thing and why we must worry that it's the main way people connect with our president. Another edition of The Upstate American will publish on Saturday.
How the arts challenge Trumpism
www.upstateamerican.com/p/how-the-ar...
There are some messages in this classic musical set for the Kennedy Center that resonate in Donald Trump’s America. Posting the weekend column for those who missed it; another edition of The Upstate American publishes Saturday.
www.upstateamerican.com/p/how-the-ar...
There are some messages in this classic musical set for the Kennedy Center that resonate in Donald Trump’s America. Posting the weekend column for those who missed it; another edition of The Upstate American publishes Saturday.
How the arts challenge Trumpism
The human spirit is sustained by exposure to the arts. That's not good for would-be autocrats.
www.upstateamerican.com
August 20, 2025 at 7:38 PM
How the arts challenge Trumpism
www.upstateamerican.com/p/how-the-ar...
There are some messages in this classic musical set for the Kennedy Center that resonate in Donald Trump’s America. Posting the weekend column for those who missed it; another edition of The Upstate American publishes Saturday.
www.upstateamerican.com/p/how-the-ar...
There are some messages in this classic musical set for the Kennedy Center that resonate in Donald Trump’s America. Posting the weekend column for those who missed it; another edition of The Upstate American publishes Saturday.
Galloping backwards in Trump's America
www.upstateamerican.com/p/galloping-...
Reposting last weekend’s column for folks who missed it: Why do people want to turn away from progress? What are the implications for Americans? Another edition of The Upstate American will publish on Saturday.
www.upstateamerican.com/p/galloping-...
Reposting last weekend’s column for folks who missed it: Why do people want to turn away from progress? What are the implications for Americans? Another edition of The Upstate American will publish on Saturday.
Galloping backwards in Trump's America
In countless ways, the president wants to return us to earlier times. What do you suppose he is afraid of?
www.upstateamerican.com
August 13, 2025 at 12:07 PM
Galloping backwards in Trump's America
www.upstateamerican.com/p/galloping-...
Reposting last weekend’s column for folks who missed it: Why do people want to turn away from progress? What are the implications for Americans? Another edition of The Upstate American will publish on Saturday.
www.upstateamerican.com/p/galloping-...
Reposting last weekend’s column for folks who missed it: Why do people want to turn away from progress? What are the implications for Americans? Another edition of The Upstate American will publish on Saturday.
A nation, its food and its morality
Maybe it is America's food abundance that makes us so casual about its misuse?.Here's last weekend's column, in case you missed it. Another edition of The Upstate American will publish on Saturday.
www.upstateamerican.com/p/a-nation-i...
Maybe it is America's food abundance that makes us so casual about its misuse?.Here's last weekend's column, in case you missed it. Another edition of The Upstate American will publish on Saturday.
www.upstateamerican.com/p/a-nation-i...
A nation, its food and its morality
There's a line linking the gutting of global aid with our complicated approach to food
www.upstateamerican.com
August 5, 2025 at 6:00 PM
A nation, its food and its morality
Maybe it is America's food abundance that makes us so casual about its misuse?.Here's last weekend's column, in case you missed it. Another edition of The Upstate American will publish on Saturday.
www.upstateamerican.com/p/a-nation-i...
Maybe it is America's food abundance that makes us so casual about its misuse?.Here's last weekend's column, in case you missed it. Another edition of The Upstate American will publish on Saturday.
www.upstateamerican.com/p/a-nation-i...
If not now, then when? www.upstateamerican.com/p/if-not-now...
Even now, there’s a lot we don’t know about the terrible flooding over Independence Day Weekend in the Texas Hill Country. Here’s last week’s column, in case you missed it. Another edition of The Upstate American publishes Saturday.
Even now, there’s a lot we don’t know about the terrible flooding over Independence Day Weekend in the Texas Hill Country. Here’s last week’s column, in case you missed it. Another edition of The Upstate American publishes Saturday.
If not now, then when?
In the aftermath of a disaster, we're often told it's not time to ask questions
www.upstateamerican.com
July 17, 2025 at 10:04 PM
If not now, then when? www.upstateamerican.com/p/if-not-now...
Even now, there’s a lot we don’t know about the terrible flooding over Independence Day Weekend in the Texas Hill Country. Here’s last week’s column, in case you missed it. Another edition of The Upstate American publishes Saturday.
Even now, there’s a lot we don’t know about the terrible flooding over Independence Day Weekend in the Texas Hill Country. Here’s last week’s column, in case you missed it. Another edition of The Upstate American publishes Saturday.
There is no room at Rushmore www.upstateamerican.com/p/there-is-n...
It's about leadership: If you missed this week's column while celebrating Independence Day weekend, here's a chance to catch up. (Another edition of The Upstate American will publish on Saturday morning for subscribers.)
It's about leadership: If you missed this week's column while celebrating Independence Day weekend, here's a chance to catch up. (Another edition of The Upstate American will publish on Saturday morning for subscribers.)
There is no room at Rushmore
It's not just geology that precludes Donald Trump from enshrinement
www.upstateamerican.com
July 7, 2025 at 1:28 PM
There is no room at Rushmore www.upstateamerican.com/p/there-is-n...
It's about leadership: If you missed this week's column while celebrating Independence Day weekend, here's a chance to catch up. (Another edition of The Upstate American will publish on Saturday morning for subscribers.)
It's about leadership: If you missed this week's column while celebrating Independence Day weekend, here's a chance to catch up. (Another edition of The Upstate American will publish on Saturday morning for subscribers.)
Ranting replaces leadership in America
www.upstateamerican.com/p/ranting-re...
www.upstateamerican.com/p/ranting-re...
Ranting replaces leadership in America
How Pete Hegseth channels his boss, as well as 17th-century Christians
www.upstateamerican.com
July 1, 2025 at 2:40 PM
Ranting replaces leadership in America
www.upstateamerican.com/p/ranting-re...
www.upstateamerican.com/p/ranting-re...