In the weeks leading up to my father’s death back in April of 2017, I would sit with him and chat in the evenings after dinner, wondering each night if the conversation would be our last. By then he was frail, nearly 86, and suffering from congestive heart failure. He was praying each day for the Lord to take him home, and reluctantly, so was I.

Memories and family history were a common topic of discussion. My dad had lived a wonderful life — happily married for 57 years, five children, thirteen grandchildren, and even a great grandchild born just a few months earlier. Like many men, especially, my father had taken great pride in his work. I asked one evening if he had any regrets, had he wished he had done something else? His response made me smile and even chuckle.

“I grew up and my dream came true,” he told me. “Ever since I was youngster, I wanted to be a purchasing agent for Pfizer, and I got to do just that.”

Boys dream of playing centerfield for the New York Yankees or starring in a Hollywood blockbuster film. My dad wanted to be a purchasing agent. I asked him why.

As it was, my dad grew up in the borough of Brooklyn, across the East River in Manhattan. At the time of his childhood, Brooklyn was a gritty and glorious part of New York, full of ambitious citizens, immigrants, and dreamers eager to solve problems and make the world a better place.

Riley Gaines is one of the most decorated athletes in the University of Kentucky swimming program’s history, where she is a 12-time All-American Swimmer.

Last week, while speaking at a Turning Point USA event at San Francisco State University (SFSU), she was mobbed, verbally and physically attacked, and held captive in a room for three hours by angry transgender activists and their allies.

Gaines is a Stand with Women spokesperson for the Independent Women’s Forum. She was at SFSU to talk about how men, claiming to be women, are taking opportunities and victories from women, as well as threatening their privacy and safety.

She writes about the harrowing event, beginning with her talk with students:

“Inside the room I was heckled, interrupted, and insulted. But while this was disappointing, the protesters were basically peaceful — that is, until the moment my speech ended.

After I finished fielding questions, a group from outside the room swarmed in, turned off the lights, and pushed toward me at the front of the room. I was backed up against the podium. I was cornered and increasingly nervous.

A man wearing women’s clothing intentionally hit me — twice. The first blow landed on my shoulder. The second one glanced off my shoulder and hit me in the face.”