Join our host, Kerby Anderson, as he and his friends from First Liberty Institute, Jeremy Dys and Danielle Runyan, bring us the Weekend Edition. They will cover the topics that affect you, our nation, and our world.
It’s going to be a great show, so please plan accordingly. Call us at 800-351-1212 or contact us on Facebook at facebook.com/pointofviewradio with your opinion or comments.
Dys earned his law degree from West Virginia University College of Law in 2005. After law school, Dys clerked for the Hon. Russell M. Clawges, Jr., chief judge of the Circuit Court of Monongalia County in Morgantown, West Virginia. For six years prior to joining First Liberty Institute, Dys led a public policy organization where he led research and advocacy efforts on matters of life, marriage, and religious freedom.
Dys graduated from Taylor University in 2001 with a Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, degree in Communication Studies, with minors in U.S. History and Philosophy. During his undergraduate career, Dys studied at the American Studies Program in Washington, D.C., where he interned with the late David Orgon Coolidge as part of the Marriage Law Project of the Ethics and Public Policy Center.
In support of his clients, Dys has made numerous appearances in local, state, and national television, print, and radio outlets. His written commentaries have been featured at the Wall Street Journal, FoxNews.com, New York Daily News, TheHill.com, Des Moines Register, Dallas Morning News, DailySignal.com, Washington Examiner, Indianapolis Star, Charleston Gazette-Mail, Outcomes Magazine, TheFederalist.com, and others.
As a 2000 graduate of The Johns Hopkins University and 2011 inductee in the university’s Athletic Hall of Fame, Mrs. Runyan also serves on the Board of Advisors for the men’s and women’s lacrosse programs. Earning her law degree in 2004 from St. John’s University School of Law, she brings over 17 years of legal experience to First Liberty Institute and presently handles all aspects of litigation on behalf of the firm.
This is Danielle Runyan, senior counsel. She'll discuss how she came from her background in the military and ended up at First Liberty. She is passionate about protecting our service members and their religious freedom.
This memo comes as Congress passed a law directing the Department of Defense to repeal the mandate last month.
This is a positive first step that would not have been possible without First Liberty’s litigation efforts. But there is still much work to be done to ensure thousands of our service members are not stripped of their religious liberty.
While the law lifts the mandate, it gives the commanders discretion to require vaccines when making decisions about operational matters regarding unvaccinated service members.
This action leaves thousands of military personnel vulnerable. They could face restrictive deployment decisions, threats to future promotion and potentially be subject to unjust punishment.
That’s why First Liberty’s lawsuit on behalf of thousands of our nation’s heroes is just as important now as it was when we filed it in early 2022.
Danielle Runyan, Senior Counsel, breaks down what this decision will mean for thousands of religious service members:
Early in 2022, First Liberty won an injunction and class certification that protected not just our Navy SEALs but everyone in the Navy who requested a religious accommodation. However, the U.S. Navy continues to fight this decision and we're going to argue this case at the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals on February 6th.
America owes it to those who defend our Constitution and our First Freedom to ensure they don’t lose the rights they so faithfully protect. They have sacrificed so much for us, and now it’s our turn to fight and win for them.