Opinion

The First is all about ideas, conversations, curiosity, and most of all freedom. To that end, we publish a plethora of content from both our own writers and outside contributors. We focus especially on real people, with real jobs, and real opinions, not the blather you see repeated on cable news.

We are not beholden to one person, party, or partisan agenda. We call it like we see it, and we want to bring you those who do the same.

So click below to read some of the premiere content from some of our contributors. Don’t like what they have to say? Have a question? Email them, or contact us at ideas@thefirsttv.com.

NOPE: What Pope Francis Really Said | Steve Berman

NOPE: What Pope Francis Really Said | Steve Berman

If you read the national news sources today, you’d undoubtedly come away believing that the Catholic Church just made a giant turn toward progressivism, allowing priests to bless same-sex unions. Nothing of the sort has occurred. Rather, what you’re seeing is the ignorance and internal bias confirmation of the people reporting it. Here’s what happened. …

UKRAINE: “It’s Got Nothing to Do With You” | Steve Berman

UKRAINE: “It’s Got Nothing to Do With You” | Steve Berman

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stood at a lectern before a group of U.S. Senators and was told to shut up and go sit at the kids table. The New York Times reported on the event: Sen. Lindsey Graham recalled telling Zelenskyy, “It’s got nothing to do with you.” But Zelenskyy is not going to get another red …

GAZA: Terrible Truths | Steve Berman

GAZA: Terrible Truths | Steve Berman

If you have never read Mark Twain’s “The War Prayer,” you should read it now. Twain never published the 897-word essay while he was alive; perhaps he couldn’t find a proper venue to print his scathing satire against America’s imperial wars that gave us possession of Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines. According to his …

Will Nikki Turn? | Steve Berman

Will Nikki Turn? | Steve Berman

The Koch network, Americans for Prosperity, in a memo from its AFP Action PAC threw its support behind Nikki Haley, calling her “a candidate who can turn the page and win.” Haley has surged in New Hampshire polling, putting actual daylight between her and the GOP peloton consisting of Chris Christie, Ron DeSantis, and the despicable Vivek …

GAZA: Not America’s Fight, So Hold Your Fire on Palestinians, Please | Steve Berman

GAZA: Not America’s Fight, So Hold Your Fire on Palestinians, Please | Steve Berman

Burlington, Vermont police arrested a man for shooting three Palestinian-Americans near the University of Vermont campus. Jason J. Eaton, 48, was arrested on Sunday for the shootings that took place Saturday around 6:25 p.m., according to the Boston Globe. Two of men were wearing black-and-white Palestinian keffiyeh scarves, Burlington Police Chief Jon Murad said in a …

WHAT THE MAO? Trump Praises Chicom Dictator | Steve Berman

WHAT THE MAO? Trump Praises Chicom Dictator | Steve Berman

The other night I watched “The Untouchables” with my family. My wife and oldest son had never seen it. There’s this scene where reporters catch Capone, played by Robert De Niro, and ask about the tax evasion indictments. I’ve seen it umpteen times. The body language, and the words. remind me of someone who used to be …

HAMAS: There Will Be No Bomb Shelters for Gazans, Only Death | Steve Berman

HAMAS: There Will Be No Bomb Shelters for Gazans, Only Death | Steve Berman

The Luftschutzhäuser and Luftschutztürme were above-ground, massive structures designed to protect German citizens in World War II. They were truly a marvel of construction, and there were a lot of them, enough to protect five percent of the civilian population in 70 cities throughout Germany. These buildings were nearly indestructible, and in fact after the war, many were simply …

2014’s Message to 2023: Obama was Wrong, Wrong, Wrong | Steve Berman

2014’s Message to 2023: Obama was Wrong, Wrong, Wrong | Steve Berman

One of the trends on creator spaces like YouTube is “this is future me” segments commenting on content filmed in the past, or more likely, hawking a product sponsor. If “future me” 2023 had a message for us in 2014, it’s that the threats in Iran, Gaza, Taiwan and Ukraine were tests to see the …

ISRAEL: Why Young Americans Side With Hamas | Steve Berman

ISRAEL: Why Young Americans Side With Hamas | Steve Berman

A Gallup poll taken a few weeks ago asked “Thinking about the war between Israel and Hamas, should the U.S. government _____?” Overall, 65 percent of Americans agreed that the government should publicly support Israel, which later President Biden made abundantly clear by his speech and actions. But the breakdown of those numbers is troubling. Among Gen …