lifesitenews--2020-08-03--Leftist protesters burn Bibles, American flags in Portland as riots continue

PORTLAND , Oregon , August 3 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Left-wing protesters burned several copies of the Bible on Friday night during the ongoing demonstrations in Portland , Oregon , which were first started by Black Lives Matter movement more than two months ago .
Video footage also shows protesters setting fire to American flags while chanting , “ F -- - Trump.
” U.S. senator Ted Cruz from Texas took to Twitter , commenting , “ This is who they are.
” Donald Trump , Jr. , the son of the president , said , “ Now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I ’ m pretty sure ANTIFA doesn ’ t actually stand for what they say it stands for .
Maybe just remove the anti part of them [ sic ] name and it ’ s perfect.
” “ Antifa ” is short for “ anti-fascism.
” The group espouses far-left ideologies like anarchism and Marxism .
The movement is also using violence to achieve its goals .
“ Are we still pretending that ANTIFA isn ’ t simply a group of actual Fascists ?
” Trump added later .
He also retweeted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bible has to do with protesting against police brutality.
” “ Do not be under the illusion that these protests and riots are anything but an attempt to dismantle all of Western Civilization and upend centuries of tradition and freedom of religion , ” wrote Ian Miles Cheong .
The Portland protests have turned violent on numerous occasions , with President Donald Trump sending in federal troops to restore order .
Portland could be an increasingly dangerous place not only because of the riots , but also because police are not properly funded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crimes , [ chief of police Chuck ] Lovell said the bureau pulled detectives and officers from an ‘ already diminished patrol ’ unit to help investigate and follow up on the high number of homicides , ” reported local television channel KATU .
“ Beyond deadly shootings , the bureau is getting called to more shootings , in general , compared to last year .
Shootings are up each of the last three months this year , compared to the same time last year.
” Lovell cited Portland ’ s recent decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as another factor making police work more difficult .
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has expressed his openness to partially defunding the police .
When asked if he agrees “ that we can redirect some of the [ police ] funding , ” Biden responded , “ Yes , absolutely.
” Following the death of George Floyd in police custody on May 25 , Black Lives Matter protests erupted across the country , with Antifa joining in the riots .
Frequently , Christian church buildings and other religious symbols , especially statues , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrath .
Shaun King , a leading voice in the Black Lives Matter movement , best known for claiming to be half-black despite both parents on his birth certificate being listed as white , declared Monday that statues , murals , and stained glass windows depicting Jesus as white should be taken down for being “ form [ s ] of white supremacy , ” meant to be “ tools of oppression ” and “ racist propaganda.
” On May 31 , vandals had attempted to burn down historic St. John ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just across from the White House .
Local fire officials said the fire was in the basement , and they managed to put it out before it spread .
In New York , St. Patrick ’ s Cathedral was defaced with graffiti .
In June , 100 people reportedly helped to topple a statue of the missionary saint Junípero Serra with ropes on Olvera Street in Los Angeles .
In a video of the incident , one participant can be heard saying “ this is for our ancestors ” as the statue comes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , San Francisco , activists pulled down another statue of St. Junípero Serra .
A video of the incident shows those in attendance cheering as the statue is toppled .
One person can be seen hitting the statue with fists and another person hitting it with a skateboard once it has fallen to the ground .
The Black Lives Matter organization , officially known as “ BLM Global Network Foundation , ” is advocating for positions contrary to what Christians believe .
The organization supports abortion , writing , “ We deserve and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us autonomy over our bodies and our identities while ensuring that our children and families are supported , safe , and able to thrive.
” The term “ reproductive , ” usually used in combination with “ health ” or “ rights , ” is a euphemism for abortion and contraception .
Additionally , the organization wants to abolish the traditional family .
“ We disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement by supporting each other as extended families and ‘ villages ’ that collectively care for one another , especially our children @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parents , and children are comfortable , ” the group wrote in its mission statement .
Black Lives Matter is also in favor of homosexuality and gender ideology .
“ We foster a queer‐affirming network .
When we gather , we do so with the intention of freeing ourselves from the tight grip of heteronormative thinking , or rather , the belief that all in the world are heterosexual ( unless s/he or they disclose otherwise ) .
”

The Portland protests have turned violent on numerous occasions, with President Donald Trump sending in federal troops to restore order.
PORTLAND, Oregon, August 3, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Left-wing protesters burned several copies of the Bible on Friday night during the ongoing demonstrations in Portland, Oregon, which were first started by Black Lives Matter movement more than two months ago. Video footage also shows protesters setting fire to American flags while chanting, “F— Trump.”
U.S. senator Ted Cruz from Texas took to Twitter, commenting, “This is who they are.”
Donald Trump, Jr., the son of the president, said, “Now we move to the book burning phase. I’m pretty sure ANTIFA doesn’t actually stand for what they say it stands for. Maybe just remove the anti part of them [sic] name and it’s perfect.”
“Antifa” is short for “anti-fascism.” The group espouses far-left ideologies like anarchism and Marxism. The movement is also using violence to achieve its goals.
“Are we still pretending that ANTIFA isn’t simply a group of actual Fascists?” Trump added later. He also retweeted another user questioning “what burning the Bible has to do with protesting against police brutality.”
“Do not be under the illusion that these protests and riots are anything but an attempt to dismantle all of Western Civilization and upend centuries of tradition and freedom of religion,” wrote Ian Miles Cheong.
The Portland protests have turned violent on numerous occasions, with President Donald Trump sending in federal troops to restore order.
Portland could be an increasingly dangerous place not only because of the riots, but also because police are not properly funded.
“In order to solve the crimes, [chief of police Chuck] Lovell said the bureau pulled detectives and officers from an ‘already diminished patrol’ unit to help investigate and follow up on the high number of homicides,” reported local television channel KATU.
“Beyond deadly shootings, the bureau is getting called to more shootings, in general, compared to last year. Shootings are up each of the last three months this year, compared to the same time last year.”
Lovell cited Portland’s recent decision to dissolve the gun violence reduction team as another factor making police work more difficult.
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has expressed his openness to partially defunding the police. When asked if he agrees “that we can redirect some of the [police] funding,” Biden responded, “Yes, absolutely.”
Following the death of George Floyd in police custody on May 25, Black Lives Matter protests erupted across the country, with Antifa joining in the riots. Frequently, Christian church buildings and other religious symbols, especially statues, were the target of the rioters’ wrath.
Shaun King, a leading voice in the Black Lives Matter movement, best known for claiming to be half-black despite both parents on his birth certificate being listed as white, declared Monday that statues, murals, and stained glass windows depicting Jesus as white should be taken down for being “form[s] of white supremacy,” meant to be “tools of oppression” and “racist propaganda.”
On May 31, vandals had attempted to burn down historic St. John’s Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C., just across from the White House. Local fire officials said the fire was in the basement, and they managed to put it out before it spread.
In New York, St. Patrick’s Cathedral was defaced with graffiti.
In June, 100 people reportedly helped to topple a statue of the missionary saint Junípero Serra with ropes on Olvera Street in Los Angeles. In a video of the incident, one participant can be heard saying “this is for our ancestors” as the statue comes crashing down.
Natives just tore down the statue of Junipero Serra at Placita Olvera in solidarity with #BLMprotest #antiracism #antislavery pic.twitter.com/8ZDdv7vej7 — L.A. TACO ���� (@LATACO) June 20, 2020
In Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, activists pulled down another statue of St. Junípero Serra. A video of the incident shows those in attendance cheering as the statue is toppled. One person can be seen hitting the statue with fists and another person hitting it with a skateboard once it has fallen to the ground.
Activists just toppled the Junipero Serra statue in Golden Gate Park here in San Francisco Now they’re onto Francis Scott Key, slave owner and writer of the Star Spangled Banner pic.twitter.com/Ykv0hFMZvK — Joe Rivano Barros (@jrivanob) June 20, 2020
The Black Lives Matter organization, officially known as “BLM Global Network Foundation,” is advocating for positions contrary to what Christians believe. The organization supports abortion, writing, “We deserve and thus we demand reproductive justice that gives us autonomy over our bodies and our identities while ensuring that our children and families are supported, safe, and able to thrive.”
The term “reproductive,” usually used in combination with “health” or “rights,” is a euphemism for abortion and contraception.
Additionally, the organization wants to abolish the traditional family.
“We disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure requirement by supporting each other as extended families and ‘villages’ that collectively care for one another, especially our children, to the degree that mothers, parents, and children are comfortable,” the group wrote in its mission statement.
Black Lives Matter is also in favor of homosexuality and gender ideology. “We foster a queer‐affirming network. When we gather, we do so with the intention of freeing ourselves from the tight grip of heteronormative thinking, or rather, the belief that all in the world are heterosexual (unless s/he or they disclose otherwise).”
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lifesitenews--2020-08-03--Pope’s biographer says Benedict ‘very frail,’ in severe pain from infection

August 3 , 2020 1:06 PM EST update : This report now includes a comment by Archbishop Georg Gänswein , Pope Benedict ’ s private secretary , announced through the Vatican press office and more information about Benedict ’ s travel to Germany , as well as more information about Seewald ’ s biography .
ROME , Italy , August 3 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI is suffering from shingles ( Gesichtsrose ) and is “ very frail , ” a local German newspaper reported earlier today , referring to papal biographer Peter Seewald as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The viral disease is accompanied by attacks of severe pain , ” wrote Passauer Neue Presse .
On Saturday , Seewald had met the 93-year-old former head of the Catholic Church in order to present his monumental biography of the German Pope .
“ At the meeting , the Pope emeritus was optimistic despite the illness , and said that if his strength increased , he would possibly take up his pen again , ” the newspaper pointed out .
Seewald also emphasized that Benedict ’ s thinking and memory are alert , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ A documentary released by German television station BR in January had already featured some new footage where the Pope was barely understandable .
The newspaper explained that the former Pope ’ s spiritual testament will be published after his death .
“ As his final resting place he had disposed of the former grave of Saint John Paul II in the crypt of Saint Peter ’ s cathedral , ” continued Passauer Neue Presse .
“ He felt particularly attached to this predecessor.
” Archbishop Georg Gänswein , Pope Benedict ’ s private @ @ @ @ @ @ @ office that there was no reason “ for particular concern , ” reported the Catholic News Service .
“ The health condition of Emeritus Pope does not give cause for particular concern , except that of a 93-year-old who 's overcoming the most acute phase of a painful but not serious illness , ” he said .
Pope Benedict developed shingles following his return to Rome in June .
He had previously visited his brother Msgr .
Georg Ratzinger one last time , before his death on July 1 .
Benedict had surprised @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 18 .
Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer of Regensburg welcomed him at the airport .
The Pope Emeritus stayed at the seminary in Regensburg , visiting with his dying brother several times a day .
He was accompanied by his private secretary Gänswein , his doctor , his caregiver , and one religious sister .
During his stay in Germany , which was supposed to be private , Benedict XVI spent the bulk of his time with his brother , but also met with the Apostolic Nuncio to Germany , Archbishop Nikola Eterović , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Markus Söder .
He traveled to the cemetery where his parents and his sister are buried .
Catholics and other bystanders lined the streets whenever the Pope Emeritus moved from one place to another in Regensburg .
Thus , in spite of the private nature of his visit , numerous photos and videos of the 93-year-old former Pope were taken .
He traveled back to the Vatican on June 22 .
Peter Seewald ’ s biography of Pope Benedict was released in May .
While writing the book , Seewald talked to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Benedict ’ s remarks on homosexuality and abortion being picked up by the news media .
Benedict linked the dominance of “ homosexual marriage ” and “ abortion ” in the world to the “ spiritual power of the Anti-Christ.
” “ One hundred years ago , ” Benedict said , “ everybody would have considered it to be absurd to speak of a homosexual marriage .
Today , one is being excommunicated by society if one opposes it.
” The same applies to “ abortion and to the creation of human beings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Modern society is in the middle of formulating an anti-Christian creed , and if one opposes it , one is being punished by society with excommunication , ” he went on to say .
“ The fear of this spiritual power of the Anti-Christ is then only more than natural , and it really needs the help of prayers on the part of an entire diocese and of the Universal Church in order to resist it.
” Asked about the claim that he as Pope encountered “ many blockages ” during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Roman Curia , Pope Benedict answered : “ Blockages came more from the outside than from the Curia .
I did not want merely to promote first and foremost the purification in the small world of the Curia , but in the Church as a whole.
” He added that “ in the meantime , events have shown that the crisis of the Faith has led also especially to a crisis of Christian existence.
” This , he continued , is what the “ Pope has to have in front of his eyes.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ pointed out , “ events such as ‘ VatiLeaks ’ are a nuisance and not understandable for the people in the world at large and deeply disturbing .
But the real threat to the Church and with it to the Petrine Office does not come from such things , but from the world-wide dictatorship of seemingly humanistic ideologies.
” To contradict this dictatorship , Benedict explained , “ means the exclusion from the basic consensus in society.
” Seewald had previously released four interview books with Pope Benedict : Two when he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the reigning Pontiff , and one as Pope emeritus .

August 3, 2020 1:06 PM EST update: This report now includes a comment by Archbishop Georg Gänswein, Pope Benedict’s private secretary, announced through the Vatican press office and more information about Benedict’s travel to Germany, as well as more information about Seewald’s biography.
ROME, Italy, August 3, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI is suffering from shingles (Gesichtsrose) and is “very frail,” a local German newspaper reported earlier today, referring to papal biographer Peter Seewald as the source of the information.
“The viral disease is accompanied by attacks of severe pain,” wrote Passauer Neue Presse. On Saturday, Seewald had met the 93-year-old former head of the Catholic Church in order to present his monumental biography of the German Pope.
“At the meeting, the Pope emeritus was optimistic despite the illness, and said that if his strength increased, he would possibly take up his pen again,” the newspaper pointed out.
Seewald also emphasized that Benedict’s thinking and memory are alert, but his voice is hardly audible. A documentary released by German television station BR in January had already featured some new footage where the Pope was barely understandable.
The newspaper explained that the former Pope’s spiritual testament will be published after his death. “As his final resting place he had disposed of the former grave of Saint John Paul II in the crypt of Saint Peter’s cathedral,” continued Passauer Neue Presse. “He felt particularly attached to this predecessor.”
Archbishop Georg Gänswein, Pope Benedict’s private secretary, announced through the Vatican press office that there was no reason “for particular concern,” reported the Catholic News Service.
“The health condition of Emeritus Pope does not give cause for particular concern, except that of a 93-year-old who's overcoming the most acute phase of a painful but not serious illness,” he said.
Pope Benedict developed shingles following his return to Rome in June. He had previously visited his brother Msgr. Georg Ratzinger one last time, before his death on July 1.
Benedict had surprised everybody by flying to Germany on June 18. Bishop Rudolf Voderholzer of Regensburg welcomed him at the airport. The Pope Emeritus stayed at the seminary in Regensburg, visiting with his dying brother several times a day. He was accompanied by his private secretary Gänswein, his doctor, his caregiver, and one religious sister.
During his stay in Germany, which was supposed to be private, Benedict XVI spent the bulk of his time with his brother, but also met with the Apostolic Nuncio to Germany, Archbishop Nikola Eterović, as well as the Minister President of Bavaria Markus Söder. He traveled to the cemetery where his parents and his sister are buried.
Catholics and other bystanders lined the streets whenever the Pope Emeritus moved from one place to another in Regensburg. Thus, in spite of the private nature of his visit, numerous photos and videos of the 93-year-old former Pope were taken. He traveled back to the Vatican on June 22.
Peter Seewald’s biography of Pope Benedict was released in May. While writing the book, Seewald talked to the Pope on several occasions, leading to Benedict’s remarks on homosexuality and abortion being picked up by the news media.
Benedict linked the dominance of “homosexual marriage” and “abortion” in the world to the “spiritual power of the Anti-Christ.”
“One hundred years ago,” Benedict said, “everybody would have considered it to be absurd to speak of a homosexual marriage. Today, one is being excommunicated by society if one opposes it.” The same applies to “abortion and to the creation of human beings in the laboratory,” Benedict added.
“Modern society is in the middle of formulating an anti-Christian creed, and if one opposes it, one is being punished by society with excommunication,” he went on to say. “The fear of this spiritual power of the Anti-Christ is then only more than natural, and it really needs the help of prayers on the part of an entire diocese and of the Universal Church in order to resist it.”
Asked about the claim that he as Pope encountered “many blockages” during his papacy on the part of the Roman Curia, Pope Benedict answered: “Blockages came more from the outside than from the Curia. I did not want merely to promote first and foremost the purification in the small world of the Curia, but in the Church as a whole.”
He added that “in the meantime, events have shown that the crisis of the Faith has led also especially to a crisis of Christian existence.” This, he continued, is what the “Pope has to have in front of his eyes.”
“Of course,” he pointed out, “events such as ‘VatiLeaks’ are a nuisance and not understandable for the people in the world at large and deeply disturbing. But the real threat to the Church and with it to the Petrine Office does not come from such things, but from the world-wide dictatorship of seemingly humanistic ideologies.” To contradict this dictatorship, Benedict explained, “means the exclusion from the basic consensus in society.”
Seewald had previously released four interview books with Pope Benedict: Two when he was still Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, one as the reigning Pontiff, and one as Pope emeritus.
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lifesitenews--2020-08-01--Pro-lifers arrested trying to chalk ‘Black Preborn Lives Matter’ at DC Planned Parenthood

URGENT PETITION : Tell the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade !
Sign the petition here .
WASHINGTON , D.C. , August 1 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) – Two activists with Students for Life of America ( SFLA ) were arrested Saturday morning while peacefully attempting to chalk “ BLACK PREBORN LIVES MATTER ” outside of the Planned Parenthood megacenter in the nation ’ s capital .
SFLA had a permit and had communicated with the city about its plans to paint the street .
This came following the city ’ s decision to allow a private organization @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in support of defunding the police .
SFLA was asked to use tempera paint and had planned to do so .
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser famously renamed a street near the White House “ Black Lives Matter Plaza ” and had the slogan “ BLACK LIVES MATTER ” painted on the street there .
Early Saturday morning , police stopped the pro-lifers ’ attempts to express their own message in paint .
SFLA Strategic Partnerships Advisor Warner DePriest and SFLA student leader Erica Caporaletti from Towson University were then arrested on the scene @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video ( see below ) that he was not read his Miranda Rights .
The activists appear to have been charged with defacing public and/or private property .
Video taken in the early hours Saturday shows D.C. police threatening to arrest Students for Life team members preparing to paint “ BLACK PREBORN LIVES MATTER ” outside Planned Parenthood on 4th Street NE .
“ After applying and receiving our permit for this event today , after being told by the Metropolitan police that the Mayor has… ‘ opened a Pandora ’ s box @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arrived to find six police cars threatening to arrest our team and students if they painted , even using the [ tempera ] paint we bought that the Police Department specifically requested , ” explained SFLA President Kristan Hawkins .
“ When we asked if we could at least use sidewalk chalk to chalk our anti-violence message on the streets , the police threatened to arrest us.
” Bowser “ will be hearing from Students for Life ’ s attorneys about these unconstitutional efforts to limit speech to government-approved topics , ” continued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Generation Sidewalk Day , meaning that thousands of pro-life students are in front of Planned Parenthood and other abortion vendor operation [ s ] praying and sharing the message that every child deserves hope and a future and that every mom deserves and will receive help.
” In a letter to the mayor about the planned event , Hawkins and other organizers noted : “ Having opened the streets of your city for public expression , Students for Life of America requests the opportunity to add our voices to those concerned about how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Black [ l ] ives do matter , born and preborn , as too many people are lost in America today from causes that should be addressed and prevented for their disproportionate impact on minority communities … Your original decision to paint ‘ Black Lives Matter ’ on the street is government speech .
However , your decision to allow protestors to paint ‘ Defund the Police ’ opened the streets up as a public forum .
You are not permitted to discriminate on the basis of viewpoint in making determinations relating @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ] .
The message of the pre-born will not be silenced.
” In a statement , Hawkins added , “ What you didn ’ t see today on the city ’ s streets will be coming to billboards across the country , because BLACK PREBORN LIVES MATTER , and we will not be silent .
Viewpoint discrimination is not Constitutional , and we will take this to court if necessary.
” SFLA said more information about their billboard campaign will be released in the coming weeks .
Though only 13 percent of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up 38 percent of all reported abortions .
Four out of five Planned Parenthood abortion vendors are within walking distance of minority-dense neighborhoods , as noted in a Supreme Court amicus brief .
The massive D.C .
Planned Parenthood is located next to Two Rivers Charter School in the district ’ s increasingly gentrifying NOMA neighborhood .

The D.C. mayor 'will be hearing from Students for Life’s attorneys about these unconstitutional efforts to limit speech to government-approved topics,' warned SFLA's Kristan Hawkins.
URGENT PETITION: Tell the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade! Sign the petition here.
WASHINGTON, D.C., August 1, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) – Two activists with Students for Life of America (SFLA) were arrested Saturday morning while peacefully attempting to chalk “BLACK PREBORN LIVES MATTER” outside of the Planned Parenthood megacenter in the nation’s capital.
SFLA had a permit and had communicated with the city about its plans to paint the street. This came following the city’s decision to allow a private organization to paint on the street a message in support of defunding the police. SFLA was asked to use tempera paint and had planned to do so.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser famously renamed a street near the White House “Black Lives Matter Plaza” and had the slogan “BLACK LIVES MATTER” painted on the street there.
Early Saturday morning, police stopped the pro-lifers’ attempts to express their own message in paint. SFLA Strategic Partnerships Advisor Warner DePriest and SFLA student leader Erica Caporaletti from Towson University were then arrested on the scene. DePriest said in a Facebook live video (see below) that he was not read his Miranda Rights. The activists appear to have been charged with defacing public and/or private property.
Video taken in the early hours Saturday shows D.C. police threatening to arrest Students for Life team members preparing to paint “BLACK PREBORN LIVES MATTER” outside Planned Parenthood on 4th Street NE.
“After applying and receiving our permit for this event today, after being told by the Metropolitan police that the Mayor has… ‘opened a Pandora’s box’ by painting public streets, we arrived to find six police cars threatening to arrest our team and students if they painted, even using the [tempera] paint we bought that the Police Department specifically requested,” explained SFLA President Kristan Hawkins. “When we asked if we could at least use sidewalk chalk to chalk our anti-violence message on the streets, the police threatened to arrest us.”
Bowser “will be hearing from Students for Life’s attorneys about these unconstitutional efforts to limit speech to government-approved topics,” continued Hawins. “Today is National Pro-Life Generation Sidewalk Day, meaning that thousands of pro-life students are in front of Planned Parenthood and other abortion vendor operation[s] praying and sharing the message that every child deserves hope and a future and that every mom deserves and will receive help.”
In a letter to the mayor about the planned event, Hawkins and other organizers noted: “Having opened the streets of your city for public expression, Students for Life of America requests the opportunity to add our voices to those concerned about how people of color are treated in America. Black [l]ives do matter, born and preborn, as too many people are lost in America today from causes that should be addressed and prevented for their disproportionate impact on minority communities … Your original decision to paint ‘Black Lives Matter’ on the street is government speech. However, your decision to allow protestors to paint ‘Defund the Police’ opened the streets up as a public forum. You are not permitted to discriminate on the basis of viewpoint in making determinations relating to public assemblies in public [forums]. The message of the pre-born will not be silenced.”
In a statement, Hawkins added, “What you didn’t see today on the city’s streets will be coming to billboards across the country, because BLACK PREBORN LIVES MATTER, and we will not be silent. Viewpoint discrimination is not Constitutional, and we will take this to court if necessary.”
SFLA said more information about their billboard campaign will be released in the coming weeks.
Though only 13 percent of the female population, African American women make up 38 percent of all reported abortions. Four out of five Planned Parenthood abortion vendors are within walking distance of minority-dense neighborhoods, as noted in a Supreme Court amicus brief.
The massive D.C. Planned Parenthood is located next to Two Rivers Charter School in the district’s increasingly gentrifying NOMA neighborhood.
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lifesitenews--2020-08-04--Why Vatican II cannot simply be forgotten, but must be remembered with shame and repentance

August 3 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — It is certainly a “ sign of the times ” to see so many discussions today of the Second Vatican Council , most of which are much more realistic in their assessment of its possible defects than has ever been the case in decades past , when it was obligatory to celebrate the Council as a veritable new Pentecost , or at very least as a moment of rectifying the problems bequeathed by four centuries of Tridentine Catholicism .
We have Archbishop Viganò to thank for re-igniting a discussion that one might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Unfortunately , many of the responses published since Viganò ’ s piece seem motivated by a desire to “ save ecclesial face.
” George Weigel takes refuge in benign generalities and Wojtyłan hero-worship .
Adam De Ville appeals to Volkanology to write off critiques of the Council as time-collapsing “ chosen trauma.
” Bishop Barron provides tidy sound-bite answers to massive questions .
John Cavadini expresses sympathy with Viganò but , after cataloguing all the wonderful things he finds in the Council , simply takes refuge in Benedict XVI ’ s assertion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at fault , but their one-sided application or development by postconciliar theologians — not acknowledging that it was the same theologians who had drafted or influenced the conciliar documents and knew precisely what novelties and ambiguities had been lodged in them .
To my mind , only Anthony Esolen and Hubert Windisch have shown that they grasped Viganò ’ s points : for Esolen , “ the Council ’ s time in history has passed , ” and it needs to be “ de-throned , ” while for Windisch , the roots of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the “ re-positioning ” of the Church vis-à-vis the world that was the central concern of the pastoral strategy of the Council .
Joining the discussion most recently is Fr .
Thomas G. Weinandy , OFM , Capuchin , with an essay titled “ Vatican II and the Work of the Spirit , ” bearing the subtitle : “ His has been a severe-grace , but also a beneficent-grace.
” For Weinandy — whose principled stance against the deviations of Pope Francis earned him both the enmity of officialdom and great respect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — Vatican II looks as though it precipitated a crisis because it exposed long-simmering and hidden evils , which was a necessary evil , like lacerating a boil or cauterizing a wound .
For example , he writes : “ It is naïve to think that so many priests , prior to the Council , were men of deep faith , and then , overnight , after the Council , were corrupted by the Council or the spirit of the Council , and so jettisoned their faith and left the priesthood.
” Fr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set into motion many good processes and initiatives that are bearing fruit today .
To Fr .
Weinandy ’ s point that the evils we see after the Council were present before the Council and simply revealed by the Council , I would respond : ( 1 ) We have to distinguish among three groups in the Church before the Council .
There were the corrupt , the confused , and the righteous .
What was the effect of the Council on all three groups ?
Fr .
Weinandy ’ s point concerns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them out into the open .
But he does not address the effect on the confused , which was to give them the impression that the way of the corrupt was legitimate .
Nor does he address the effect on the righteous , which was to reduce their ability to challenge the corrupt or influence the confused .
Over a very long time , Fr .
Weinandy ’ s point may hold — namely , that it was a grace to expose all this evil , but that is entirely compatible with saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ open also increased the evil .
( 2 ) One must not succumb to a subtle subjectivism .
Suppose there were , all through the Church , corrupt priests thinking corrupt thoughts while they celebrated the Mass ; suppose their celebration of the Mass was subjectively bad , although outwardly good .
It is in fact a worse evil to have their Masses also outwardly bad .
That is to say , adding the corruption of visible ritual is in fact the addition of an evil .
It would be like having lots @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mass murderers ( pun intended ) and then act on their cravings : the net amount of evil does not remain the same just because intentions have not changed .
To Fr .
Weinandy ’ s list of positive fruits of the Council , I would respond : ( 1 ) Some of his list is true , because God always brings good out of evil .
This covers , for example , the fact that imploding religious orders made way for new and better ones .
( 2 ) Some of his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Council was not all bad .
In the great scheme of things , I expect that John Paul II ’ s pontificate will bear more theological fruit for the Church than the Council itself , but Fr .
Weinandy is probably right that the Council was a condition of his election .
( 3 ) Some of his list is not quite true , because there were many good fruits germinating in the Church before the Council , and the Council echoed rather than squashed them .
This is a key point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ say the evils already present but exposed after the Council can not be attributed to the Council , then he will have to say the same for the goods that follow the Council .
Not all good things that happened after the Council can be attributed to it ; this would be a case of the same post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy that anti-traditionalists love to hurl at traditionalists !
For example , the renewed use of Scripture in theology and the renewal of patristics were well underway before the Council and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of many theologians who , translated into today ’ s ecclesiastical scene , would no doubt find themselves most at home among the traditionalists .
In short , Fr .
Weinandy has overstated the case for keeping the Council relevant to the daily life of the Church .
I would not subscribe to the view that the Council should be “ forgotten ” as though it never happened .
That is not how history works .
Rather , it must be remembered with shame and repentance as a moment in which the hierarchy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , surrendered to a more subtle ( and therefore more dangerous ) form of worldliness .
Moreover , the errors contained in the documents , as well as the many errors commonly attributed to the Council or prompted by it , must be drawn into a syllabus and anathematized by a future pope or council so that the controverted matters may be laid to rest , as former councils have wisely and charitably done in regard to the errors of their times .
Just as Viganò has exposed the Vatican ’ s and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with evil in the case of Theodore McCarrick , so too he has turned a bright light on the doctrinal and liturgical evils that plague the Church because of the orientations , decisions , and texts of the Council .
He must be taken seriously .
It ’ s no longer enough to point to some nice things Vatican II said , or some good things that have happened in the past half-century .
We know that already .
It ’ s also more than a bit silly at this point to say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wasn ’ t perfect before the Council , ” as if anyone asserted that it was .
Most of those who have “ responded ” to Viganò have , to varying degrees , walked right past the most important questions .
It ’ s as if they ’ ve arrived very late to a party where an in-depth conversation has been going on for a long time — in this case , ever since Dietrich von Hildebrand ’ s The Trojan Horse in the City of God and Romano Amerio ’ s Iota @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s Phoenix from the Ashes and Roberto de Mattei ’ s The Second Vatican Council : An Unwritten Story — and they burst in with observations that were taken up and thrashed out hours before .
After an awkward pause , the conversation resumes among the serious participants , while the interrupters stroll away for a cocktail , feeling satisfied that they ’ ve “ made their point.
” Alas , it was beside the point ; it didn ’ t advance the discussion , but merely interrupted it .
It can not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1962 and 1965 , there took place a “ paradigm shift ” with regard to the intimate relationship of identity , continuity , tradition , and culture .
These were dissociated in a way that was radically uncatholic — and radically unstable .
Just as I completed this article , my attention was drawn to Fr .
Stefano M. Lanzetta ’ s “ Vatican II and the Calvary of the Church ” ( Catholic Family News , August 3 ) .
I highly recommend it as one of the best interventions in this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ example of the kind of intervention , the nuanced handling and depth of thought , called for by the gravity of the subject .

Vatican II must be remembered as a moment in which the hierarchy of the Church, to varying degrees, surrendered to a more subtle (and therefore more dangerous) form of worldliness.
August 3, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — It is certainly a “sign of the times” to see so many discussions today of the Second Vatican Council, most of which are much more realistic in their assessment of its possible defects than has ever been the case in decades past, when it was obligatory to celebrate the Council as a veritable new Pentecost, or at very least as a moment of rectifying the problems bequeathed by four centuries of Tridentine Catholicism. We have Archbishop Viganò to thank for re-igniting a discussion that one might characterize as “better late than never.”
Unfortunately, many of the responses published since Viganò’s piece seem motivated by a desire to “save ecclesial face.” George Weigel takes refuge in benign generalities and Wojtyłan hero-worship. Adam De Ville appeals to Volkanology to write off critiques of the Council as time-collapsing “chosen trauma.” Bishop Barron provides tidy sound-bite answers to massive questions. John Cavadini expresses sympathy with Viganò but, after cataloguing all the wonderful things he finds in the Council, simply takes refuge in Benedict XVI’s assertion that it was not the Council documents at fault, but their one-sided application or development by postconciliar theologians — not acknowledging that it was the same theologians who had drafted or influenced the conciliar documents and knew precisely what novelties and ambiguities had been lodged in them. To my mind, only Anthony Esolen and Hubert Windisch have shown that they grasped Viganò’s points: for Esolen, “the Council’s time in history has passed,” and it needs to be “de-throned,” while for Windisch, the roots of the crisis are clearly to be seen in the “re-positioning” of the Church vis-à-vis the world that was the central concern of the pastoral strategy of the Council.
Joining the discussion most recently is Fr. Thomas G. Weinandy, OFM, Capuchin, with an essay titled “Vatican II and the Work of the Spirit,” bearing the subtitle: “His has been a severe-grace, but also a beneficent-grace.” For Weinandy — whose principled stance against the deviations of Pope Francis earned him both the enmity of officialdom and great respect from Catholics concerned with the current crisis — Vatican II looks as though it precipitated a crisis because it exposed long-simmering and hidden evils, which was a necessary evil, like lacerating a boil or cauterizing a wound. For example, he writes: “It is naïve to think that so many priests, prior to the Council, were men of deep faith, and then, overnight, after the Council, were corrupted by the Council or the spirit of the Council, and so jettisoned their faith and left the priesthood.” Fr. Weinandy also claims that Vatican II set into motion many good processes and initiatives that are bearing fruit today.
To Fr. Weinandy’s point that the evils we see after the Council were present before the Council and simply revealed by the Council, I would respond:
(1) We have to distinguish among three groups in the Church before the Council. There were the corrupt, the confused, and the righteous. What was the effect of the Council on all three groups? Fr. Weinandy’s point concerns mainly the corrupt: the Council brought them out into the open. But he does not address the effect on the confused, which was to give them the impression that the way of the corrupt was legitimate. Nor does he address the effect on the righteous, which was to reduce their ability to challenge the corrupt or influence the confused. Over a very long time, Fr. Weinandy’s point may hold — namely, that it was a grace to expose all this evil, but that is entirely compatible with saying that bringing all this evil into the open also increased the evil.
(2) One must not succumb to a subtle subjectivism. Suppose there were, all through the Church, corrupt priests thinking corrupt thoughts while they celebrated the Mass; suppose their celebration of the Mass was subjectively bad, although outwardly good. It is in fact a worse evil to have their Masses also outwardly bad. That is to say, adding the corruption of visible ritual is in fact the addition of an evil. It would be like having lots of people who inwardly crave to be mass murderers (pun intended) and then act on their cravings: the net amount of evil does not remain the same just because intentions have not changed.
To Fr. Weinandy’s list of positive fruits of the Council, I would respond:
(1) Some of his list is true, because God always brings good out of evil. This covers, for example, the fact that imploding religious orders made way for new and better ones.
(2) Some of his list is true, because in fact the Council was not all bad. In the great scheme of things, I expect that John Paul II’s pontificate will bear more theological fruit for the Church than the Council itself, but Fr. Weinandy is probably right that the Council was a condition of his election.
(3) Some of his list is not quite true, because there were many good fruits germinating in the Church before the Council, and the Council echoed rather than squashed them. This is a key point: if Fr. Weinandy wants to say the evils already present but exposed after the Council cannot be attributed to the Council, then he will have to say the same for the goods that follow the Council. Not all good things that happened after the Council can be attributed to it; this would be a case of the same post hoc ergo propter hoc fallacy that anti-traditionalists love to hurl at traditionalists! For example, the renewed use of Scripture in theology and the renewal of patristics were well underway before the Council and can be readily seen in the work of many theologians who, translated into today’s ecclesiastical scene, would no doubt find themselves most at home among the traditionalists.
In short, Fr. Weinandy has overstated the case for keeping the Council relevant to the daily life of the Church.
I would not subscribe to the view that the Council should be “forgotten” as though it never happened. That is not how history works. Rather, it must be remembered with shame and repentance as a moment in which the hierarchy of the Church, to varying degrees, surrendered to a more subtle (and therefore more dangerous) form of worldliness. Moreover, the errors contained in the documents, as well as the many errors commonly attributed to the Council or prompted by it, must be drawn into a syllabus and anathematized by a future pope or council so that the controverted matters may be laid to rest, as former councils have wisely and charitably done in regard to the errors of their times.
Just as Viganò has exposed the Vatican’s and much of the hierarchy’s complicity with evil in the case of Theodore McCarrick, so too he has turned a bright light on the doctrinal and liturgical evils that plague the Church because of the orientations, decisions, and texts of the Council. He must be taken seriously. It’s no longer enough to point to some nice things Vatican II said, or some good things that have happened in the past half-century. We know that already. It’s also more than a bit silly at this point to say, “You know, the Church wasn’t perfect before the Council,” as if anyone asserted that it was.
Most of those who have “responded” to Viganò have, to varying degrees, walked right past the most important questions. It’s as if they’ve arrived very late to a party where an in-depth conversation has been going on for a long time — in this case, ever since Dietrich von Hildebrand’s The Trojan Horse in the City of God and Romano Amerio’s Iota Unum, down to Henry Sire’s Phoenix from the Ashes and Roberto de Mattei’s The Second Vatican Council: An Unwritten Story — and they burst in with observations that were taken up and thrashed out hours before. After an awkward pause, the conversation resumes among the serious participants, while the interrupters stroll away for a cocktail, feeling satisfied that they’ve “made their point.” Alas, it was beside the point; it didn’t advance the discussion, but merely interrupted it.
What cannot be denied by any objective evaluation is that, between 1962 and 1965, there took place a “paradigm shift” with regard to the intimate relationship of identity, continuity, tradition, and culture. These were dissociated in a way that was radically uncatholic — and radically unstable.
Just as I completed this article, my attention was drawn to Fr. Serafino M. Lanzetta’s “Vatican II and the Calvary of the Church” (Catholic Family News, August 3). I highly recommend it as one of the best interventions in this debate yet to be published — an example of the kind of intervention, the nuanced handling and depth of thought, called for by the gravity of the subject.
Correction 08-24-2020 09:34 EDT: The name of the priest in the above paragraph has been corrected. LifeSite regrets the error.
Peter Kwasniewski, Thomistic theologian, liturgical scholar, and choral composer, is a graduate of Thomas Aquinas College in California (B.A. Liberal Arts) and The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC (M.A. and Ph.D. in Philosophy). He taught at the International Theological Institute in Austria and the Franciscan University of Steubenville’s Austria Program, then helped establish Wyoming Catholic College in 2006. There he taught theology, philosophy, music, and art history and directed the choirs until leaving in 2018 to devote himself full-time to writing and lecturing. Today he contributes regularly to many websites and publications, including New Liturgical Movement, OnePeterFive, LifeSiteNews, Rorate Caeli, The Remnant, and Catholic Family News, and has published thirteen books, including four on traditional Catholicism: Resurgent in the Midst of Crisis (Angelico, 2014, also available in Czech, Polish, German, Portuguese, Spanish, and Belarusian), Noble Beauty, Transcendent Holiness (Angelico, 2017), Tradition and Sanity (Angelico, 2018), and Reclaiming Our Roman Catholic Birthright: The Genius and Timeliness of the Traditional Latin Mass (Angelico, 2020). His work has been translated into at least eighteen languages. Kwasniewski is a scholar of The Aquinas Institute in Green Bay, which is publishing the Opera Omnia of the Angelic Doctor, a Fellow of the Albertus Magnus Center for Scholastic Studies, and a Senior Fellow of the St. Paul Center. He has published over a thousand articles on Thomistic thought, sacramental and liturgical theology, the history and aesthetics of music, and the social doctrine of the Church. For news, information, article links, sacred music, and the home of Os Justi Press, visit his personal website, www.peterkwasniewski.com.
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lifesitenews--2020-08-05--Trump-haters shock black American with vicious behavior, while Trump-supporters embrace him

WARNING : The videos included in this post contain offensive language .
August 4 , 2020 ( American Thinker ) — In August 2019 , Millie Weaver ( AKA Millennial Millie ) went to a Trump rally in Cincinnati , Ohio .
She carried with her a microphone emblazoned with Alex Jones 's InfoWars logo .
Whatever one feels about InfoWars is irrelevant .
What is relevant , instead , is a 50-second-long clip of the video revealing that it is Trump 's supporters , not the left , who truly embrace the idea that `` love trumps hate .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get some of the anti-Trump protesters to walk over to the Trump-supporters and see if they were as bad as the protesters claimed they were .
Eventually , Marco , a black American , took her up on the challenge .
After he spent time with the Trump-supporters , Millie asked Marco to escort her back to the anti-Trump protesters so he could compare his experience with Trump-supporters to Millie 's experience with the protesters .
The resulting video lasts 44 minutes and , if you have the time , is worth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump 's supporters offer Marco and the spittle-flecked , obscene , threatening invective that the protesters hurl at Millie is shocking .
It certainly shocked Marco .
But for many people , 44 minutes is a long time to commit to a video , especially one that 's almost a year old .
It scarcely seems relevant enough to justify the time commitment .
Even though the Black Lives Matter movement , Marxist though it may be , has thrust racism to the forefront of everything happening in America today , people might @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to invest time in the video .
At Twitter , though , BIGDAVE did something clever .
He reduced the video to a mere 50 seconds .
In under a minute , anyone can see the generosity of spirit and the colorblindness on the Trump side and the frightening hatred radiating from the leftists .
We 've seen this raw hatred before .
We 've seen it at Nazi rallies in 1930s Germany , we 've seen it at KKK and white supremacist rallies in America , we 've seen it when angry @ @ @ @ @ @ @ attending their schools in the 1950s , and we 've seen it all over the Middle East as frenzied mobs shout about `` Death to America '' and `` Death to Israel . ''
It is the mindless hatred of angry mobs that have been taught that the world is a zero-sum game and that the only way to survive is n't through liberty and ethics , but , instead , by using hatred to defeat the `` other . ''
This is what people on the American left have become .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a constitutional democratic republic .
They act like ravening animals .
Unfortunately , Millie has lost track of Marco .
It would have been interesting to see if his experience last year had any effect on him .
Published with permission from the American Thinker .

WARNING: The videos included in this post contain offensive language.
August 4, 2020 (American Thinker) — In August 2019, Millie Weaver (AKA Millennial Millie) went to a Trump rally in Cincinnati, Ohio. She carried with her a microphone emblazoned with Alex Jones's InfoWars logo. Whatever one feels about InfoWars is irrelevant. What is relevant, instead, is a 50-second-long clip of the video revealing that it is Trump's supporters, not the left, who truly embrace the idea that “love trumps hate.”
Millie's goal last year was to get some of the anti-Trump protesters to walk over to the Trump-supporters and see if they were as bad as the protesters claimed they were. Eventually, Marco, a black American, took her up on the challenge. After he spent time with the Trump-supporters, Millie asked Marco to escort her back to the anti-Trump protesters so he could compare his experience with Trump-supporters to Millie's experience with the protesters.
The resulting video lasts 44 minutes and, if you have the time, is worth watching. The difference between the welcome Trump's supporters offer Marco and the spittle-flecked, obscene, threatening invective that the protesters hurl at Millie is shocking. It certainly shocked Marco.
But for many people, 44 minutes is a long time to commit to a video, especially one that's almost a year old. It scarcely seems relevant enough to justify the time commitment. Even though the Black Lives Matter movement, Marxist though it may be, has thrust racism to the forefront of everything happening in America today, people might still find it hard to bestir themselves to invest time in the video.
At Twitter, though, BIGDAVE did something clever. He reduced the video to a mere 50 seconds. In under a minute, anyone can see the generosity of spirit and the colorblindness on the Trump side and the frightening hatred radiating from the leftists.
His face at the end is Priceless. pic.twitter.com/X1zUmPz0Ll — BIGDAVE (@BIGDAVE21420668) August 1, 2020
We've seen this raw hatred before. We've seen it at Nazi rallies in 1930s Germany, we've seen it at KKK and white supremacist rallies in America, we've seen it when angry Alabamans tried to block black children from attending their schools in the 1950s, and we've seen it all over the Middle East as frenzied mobs shout about “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.”
It is the mindless hatred of angry mobs that have been taught that the world is a zero-sum game and that the only way to survive isn't through liberty and ethics, but, instead, by using hatred to defeat the “other.” This is what people on the American left have become. They don't act like respectable humans in a constitutional democratic republic. They act like ravening animals.
Unfortunately, Millie has lost track of Marco. It would have been interesting to see if his experience last year had any effect on him.
Here's the entire video:
Published with permission from the American Thinker.
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lifesitenews--2020-08-05--Mail-in voting could delay 2020 ballot count for months, making Nancy Pelosi president

August 4 , 2020 ( American Thinker ) — Mail-in ballots are the latest talking point for Democrats and their media allies .
They claim this will keep voters safe from the Wuhan virus , even though it is burning itself out quite nicely on its own .
The surges in cases we are seeing across the country mean that more and more of the population have been exposed to the virus .
The vast majority are not getting sick ; in fact , most do n't even know they are ill , and they are getting tested due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or travel or simply because the tests are widely available and free under most insurance plans .
Once the virus tears through a population , there are fewer left to infect , and it goes away .
A summer surge in positive tests brings us closer to herd immunity , and this will likely burn itself out by fall .
Normal colds and seasonal flu may complicate things , but that 's another story .
The compassionate Democrats say it 's too dangerous to wait in line to vote .
Yet it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for John Lewis 's funeral procession .
Hypocrisy is on full display when it comes to the Chinese coronavirus .
The all-knowing , all-caring Dr. Anthony Fauci donned a large mask while standing all alone on the pitcher 's mound waiting to launch his ill fated pitch closer to the dugout than home plate .
Yet in the bleachers , he was yukking it up with some pals , forgetting all about masks and social distancing .
Aside from mail-in ballots being ripe for cheating , there are other more subtle forces at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote-by-mail experiment and , surprisingly , at least to CBS , discovered `` potential problems '' such as that `` 3 percent of voters were effectively disenfranchised . ''
That could be enough to tip a close election .
RealClearPolitics reports , `` 28 million mail-in ballots went missing in the last four elections . ''
Someone should ask Mitt Romney for comment , if he is not too busy marching with the Black Lives Matter Marxists .
How many of those ballots had his name on them ?
Or John McCain 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in my home state of Colorado since 2013 .
Local media described this as `` smart . ''
It was certainly smart for Democrats .
A couple of years later , not coincidently , the Daily Beast observed that Colorado is `` starting to look more blue than purple . ''
Aside from an anemic Colorado GOP , ballot-harvesting is quite easy with mail-in ballots , turning Colorado blue .
Is the Democrat-media push for mail-in ballots simply so they can cheat and steal the election from President Trump ?
Perhaps , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ victory , as some of us have suggested .
Even cheating may not be enough to drag Dementia Joe across the finish line .
Über-left Harvard law professor Lawrence Tribe let the cat out of the bag with this tweet .
Another tweet from Time further connects the dots .
The Democrats do n't have to cheat in the casting of ballots .
They simply do n't have to count the ballots at all .
It 's quite clever , and Professor Tribe , along with the U.S .
Postal Service , provided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballots , for voter safety , they say — as in it 's safe to attend John Lewis 's funeral without distancing , but try that for your own family member 's funeral .
The media will fan the flames with exaggerated case counts and deaths .
Democrat governors will keep their subjects in fear with increasing mandates – masks , face shields , school and business shutdowns — such that everyone is afraid to leave his house for anything , including voting .
The Postal Service will conveniently shut down , unable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ post offices remain open , they will misplace or lose ballots .
If ballots can not be delivered , they can not be counted .
The election will not be decided , not on election night , not the next day , next week , next month .
It will be a repeat of Al Gore 's hanging chad story , with lawsuits and Soros-funded state and county officials unwilling to certify any election results .
Democrats have been preparing for this scenario .
CNN reported , `` Joe Biden 's campaign is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ potential voting issues as part of its extensive voter protection efforts heading into the general election . ''
There will be mass chaos and confusion .
The virus will be long forgotten , and the new narrative will be that there is no way to declare a winner as too many ballots were lost and unable to be counted .
If a President shall not have been chosen before the time fixed for the beginning of his term , or if the President elect shall have failed to qualify , then the Vice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a President shall have qualified ; and the Congress may by law provide for the case wherein neither a President elect nor a Vice President elect shall have qualified , declaring who shall then act as President , or the manner in which one who is to act shall be selected , and such person shall act accordingly until a President or Vice President shall have qualified .
Amid the chaos , enough states wo n't be able to certify their electoral votes , and neither candidate will have a majority .
Voilà @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to decide , the Democrat-controlled House choosing a president and the Senate choosing the irrelevant vice president .
And not necessarily House Speaker Nancy Pelosi , as she is only a half-step behind Dementia Joe in age and cognition .
How about Hillary Clinton ?
Michelle Obama ?
Mayor Pete ?
Take your pick .
Mitt Romney for V.P.
?
How about Susan Collins ?
Bipartisan in name only .
It is certainly clever and now obvious how the Democrats plan to steal the election and install a president of their choosing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and election .
If I figured this out , certainly , the very stable genius president has , too .
And he is ready , based on this recent tweet .
Trump merely suggested the possibility of delaying the election , and the media , Democrats , NeverTrumps , and everyone else went ballistic , saying there is no way this can be allowed .
Check and checkmate to Professor Tribe 's scheme of delaying the election results .
They will still try , and the media will cheerlead the effort , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Road Runner vs. Coyote scheme will fail , just like all the others .
Enjoy the show !
Brian C. Joondeph , M.D .
is a Denver-based physician and freelance writer whose pieces have appeared in American Thinker , Daily Caller , Rasmussen Reports , and other publications .
Follow him on Facebook , LinkedIn , Twitter , Parler , and QuodVerum .
Published with permission from the American Thinker .

Professor Lawrence Tribe of Harvard floated a new rationale behind Democrats' push for mail-in voting, invoking the 20th Amendment as the scheme's foundation.
August 4, 2020 (American Thinker) — Mail-in ballots are the latest talking point for Democrats and their media allies. They claim this will keep voters safe from the Wuhan virus, even though it is burning itself out quite nicely on its own.
The surges in cases we are seeing across the country mean that more and more of the population have been exposed to the virus. The vast majority are not getting sick; in fact, most don't even know they are ill, and they are getting tested due to potential exposure, for return to work or travel or simply because the tests are widely available and free under most insurance plans.
Once the virus tears through a population, there are fewer left to infect, and it goes away. A summer surge in positive tests brings us closer to herd immunity, and this will likely burn itself out by fall. Normal colds and seasonal flu may complicate things, but that's another story.
The compassionate Democrats say it's too dangerous to wait in line to vote. Yet it was fine for hundreds to wait in line for John Lewis's funeral procession. Hypocrisy is on full display when it comes to the Chinese coronavirus.
The all-knowing, all-caring Dr. Anthony Fauci donned a large mask while standing all alone on the pitcher's mound waiting to launch his ill fated pitch closer to the dugout than home plate. Yet in the bleachers, he was yukking it up with some pals, forgetting all about masks and social distancing.
Aside from mail-in ballots being ripe for cheating, there are other more subtle forces at play here. CBS did its own vote-by-mail experiment and, surprisingly, at least to CBS, discovered “potential problems” such as that “3 percent of voters were effectively disenfranchised.” That could be enough to tip a close election.
RealClearPolitics reports, “28 million mail-in ballots went missing in the last four elections.” Someone should ask Mitt Romney for comment, if he is not too busy marching with the Black Lives Matter Marxists. How many of those ballots had his name on them? Or John McCain's?
Mail-in ballots have been in effect in my home state of Colorado since 2013. Local media described this as “smart.” It was certainly smart for Democrats. A couple of years later, not coincidently, the Daily Beast observed that Colorado is “starting to look more blue than purple.” Aside from an anemic Colorado GOP, ballot-harvesting is quite easy with mail-in ballots, turning Colorado blue.
Is the Democrat-media push for mail-in ballots simply so they can cheat and steal the election from President Trump? Perhaps, but suppose Trump is headed for a landslide victory, as some of us have suggested. Even cheating may not be enough to drag Dementia Joe across the finish line.
Über-left Harvard law professor Lawrence Tribe let the cat out of the bag with this tweet.
Another tweet from Time further connects the dots.
Screen shot, Twitter.
The Democrats don't have to cheat in the casting of ballots. They simply don't have to count the ballots at all. It's quite clever, and Professor Tribe, along with the U.S. Postal Service, provided the roadmap.
Democrats will push mail-in ballots, for voter safety, they say — as in it's safe to attend John Lewis's funeral without distancing, but try that for your own family member's funeral. The media will fan the flames with exaggerated case counts and deaths. Democrat governors will keep their subjects in fear with increasing mandates – masks, face shields, school and business shutdowns — such that everyone is afraid to leave his house for anything, including voting.
The Postal Service will conveniently shut down, unable to deliver the ballots. If some post offices remain open, they will misplace or lose ballots. If ballots cannot be delivered, they cannot be counted. The election will not be decided, not on election night, not the next day, next week, next month.
It will be a repeat of Al Gore's hanging chad story, with lawsuits and Soros-funded state and county officials unwilling to certify any election results. Democrats have been preparing for this scenario.
CNN reported, “Joe Biden's campaign is assembling hundreds of lawyers nationwide to monitor potential voting issues as part of its extensive voter protection efforts heading into the general election.”
There will be mass chaos and confusion. The virus will be long forgotten, and the new narrative will be that there is no way to declare a winner as too many ballots were lost and unable to be counted.
Enter Professor Tribe's prediction. Section 3 of the 20th Amendment.
If a President shall not have been chosen before the time fixed for the beginning of his term, or if the President elect shall have failed to qualify, then the Vice President elect shall act as President until a President shall have qualified; and the Congress may by law provide for the case wherein neither a President elect nor a Vice President elect shall have qualified, declaring who shall then act as President, or the manner in which one who is to act shall be selected, and such person shall act accordingly until a President or Vice President shall have qualified.
Amid the chaos, enough states won't be able to certify their electoral votes, and neither candidate will have a majority. Voilà: it will be up to Congress to decide, the Democrat-controlled House choosing a president and the Senate choosing the irrelevant vice president.
And not necessarily House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, as she is only a half-step behind Dementia Joe in age and cognition. How about Hillary Clinton? Michelle Obama? Mayor Pete? Take your pick. Mitt Romney for V.P.? How about Susan Collins? Bipartisan in name only.
It is certainly clever and now obvious how the Democrats plan to steal the election and install a president of their choosing, without the messiness of an actual campaign and election. If I figured this out, certainly, the very stable genius president has, too. And he is ready, based on this recent tweet.
Trump merely suggested the possibility of delaying the election, and the media, Democrats, NeverTrumps, and everyone else went ballistic, saying there is no way this can be allowed. Check and checkmate to Professor Tribe's scheme of delaying the election results.
They will still try, and the media will cheerlead the effort, but Trump is prepared, and this latest Road Runner vs. Coyote scheme will fail, just like all the others. Enjoy the show!
Brian C. Joondeph, M.D. is a Denver-based physician and freelance writer whose pieces have appeared in American Thinker, Daily Caller, Rasmussen Reports, and other publications. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Parler, and QuodVerum.
Published with permission from the American Thinker.
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lifesitenews--2020-08-05--San Francisco encourages return of gay ‘sex clubs’ to help economy after COVID

August 4 , 2020 ( American Thinker ) — On July 21 , by unanimous vote , the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance to amend the city 's existing health code to do away with two rules for sex clubs .
These rules were put in place in 1984 , at the height of the AIDS crisis .
One was a requirement that the clubs could no longer have private rooms or locked doors in areas reserved for sex .
The other was that management had to monitor sexual activity .
The ostensible reason , believe it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Francisco 's economy .
The meeting at which the supervisors voted is available online .
It 's notable for the fact that the clerk reading out the wording of the proposed ordinance could not stop herself from giggling as she read about the new requirement to stop monitoring patrons ' sexual activities .
The new ordinance was passed without discussion .
The proposed ordinance itself gives a little of the history behind the vote .
The 1984 limitations on bathhouse conduct ( i.e.
, no locked doors , supervised sex ) meant that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules in 1997 put similar restrictions on all commercial sex clubs and sex parties .
However , thanks to modern medicine , HIV is less transmittable and more treatable .
( It is still transmittable and incurable , of course . )
The ordinance also says researchers think monitoring patrons does little to change their behavior .
This makes sense .
People who go to bathhouses for sex must have exhibitionistic tendencies .
Having someone watch is a bonus , not a problem .
Rafael Mandelman , who sits on the Board of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the city in mind when he proposed the new ordinance : '' What this ordinance will do is allow for adult sex venues to be a part of our economic and cultural recovery when it is safe to do so , '' Mandelman said in a July 9 meeting .
`` During the '70s and early '80s , bathhouses were a focal point of gay social life in San Francisco , and were important community meeting places for friends to gather to share stories , dance to the latest disco hits , or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's age is n't listed in Wikipedia , so it 's not immediately obvious , but I 'd say he 's no older than his late 30s , maybe his early 40s .
In other words , he 's too young to have had any personal experience with those bathhouses .
That might explain his sweet , nostalgic view of the places .
Let me hasten to add that I do n't have personal experience , either .
However , I happen to know a lot about them because I worked for some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ AIDS was first making itself known .
The researchers had n't yet isolated HIV , so the disease was still quite mysterious .
They did know one thing , though : this mysterious `` gay disease '' was running like wildfire through the gay community , especially in the bathhouses .
It was while working for the virologists that I learned what was going on in the bathhouses : these were n't little kaffee klatches of dancing , storytelling , and watching `` live shows . ''
Instead , men used poppers ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some form of sexual contact with dozens of other men per night .
The men were n't just trading HIV ; they were trading every existing sexually transmitted disease .
Moreover , the `` live shows '' were n't theatrical spectacles .
They were orgies in which participants rested up while watching each other .
I wo n't go into more detail here .
If you want to know what goes on in those bathhouses , you can read Surviving Gay ...
Barely .
The author is Joseph Sciambra , a born-again Catholic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ practiced during the late 1980s and 1990s when it destroyed his body and disgusted his soul .
In addition to writing about the obsessive sexual contacts in anonymous venues , Sciambra describes the way his body rebelled against the realities of anal sex ( warning : graphic , indeed stomach-churning , physical descriptions of the reality of gay orgies ) .
This video gives a little insight into the bathhouse scene : Think about this : the City of San Francisco has been subjecting everyone to the most stringent shutdown requirements for months @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ruining people 's livelihoods .
Meanwhile , it 's already getting its ducks in a row to enable gay men to engage in the type of behavior that spread a disease that has killed 692,790 Americans , almost all from the narrow demographic of gay men .
( AIDS has killed around 32 million people worldwide since the early 1980s . )
Currently , around 1.1 million people in America are HIV-positive , with 6,000 AIDS-related deaths in 2018 alone .
Re-opening the bathhouses will also see other sexually transmitted diseases ramp up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both men and women .
HPV causes cancer .
The medical world anticipates that gonorrhea is on the verge of becoming antibiotic-resistant .
Even more scary , syphilis is heading that way , too .
Gonorrhea is seriously unpleasant ; syphilis is deadly .
It 's not just diseases that kill .
Political correctness and leftist panic kill , too .
Published with permission from the American Thinker .

The clerk reading out the wording of the proposed ordinance could not stop herself from giggling as she read about the new requirement to stop monitoring patrons' sexual activities.
August 4, 2020 (American Thinker) — On July 21, by unanimous vote, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed an ordinance to amend the city's existing health code to do away with two rules for sex clubs. These rules were put in place in 1984, at the height of the AIDS crisis. One was a requirement that the clubs could no longer have private rooms or locked doors in areas reserved for sex. The other was that management had to monitor sexual activity. The ostensible reason, believe it or not, was to help San Francisco's economy.
The meeting at which the supervisors voted is available online. It's notable for the fact that the clerk reading out the wording of the proposed ordinance could not stop herself from giggling as she read about the new requirement to stop monitoring patrons' sexual activities. The new ordinance was passed without discussion.
The proposed ordinance itself gives a little of the history behind the vote. The 1984 limitations on bathhouse conduct (i.e., no locked doors, supervised sex) meant that most bathhouses closed. New public health rules in 1997 put similar restrictions on all commercial sex clubs and sex parties. However, thanks to modern medicine, HIV is less transmittable and more treatable. (It is still transmittable and incurable, of course.)
The ordinance also says researchers think monitoring patrons does little to change their behavior. This makes sense. People who go to bathhouses for sex must have exhibitionistic tendencies. Having someone watch is a bonus, not a problem.
Rafael Mandelman, who sits on the Board of Supervisors, had the best interest of the city in mind when he proposed the new ordinance:
“What this ordinance will do is allow for adult sex venues to be a part of our economic and cultural recovery when it is safe to do so,” Mandelman said in a July 9 meeting. “During the '70s and early '80s, bathhouses were a focal point of gay social life in San Francisco, and were important community meeting places for friends to gather to share stories, dance to the latest disco hits, or watch a live show.”
Mandelman's age isn't listed in Wikipedia, so it's not immediately obvious, but I'd say he's no older than his late 30s, maybe his early 40s. In other words, he's too young to have had any personal experience with those bathhouses. That might explain his sweet, nostalgic view of the places.
Let me hasten to add that I don't have personal experience, either. However, I happen to know a lot about them because I worked for some virologists in the early 1980s, when AIDS was first making itself known. The researchers hadn't yet isolated HIV, so the disease was still quite mysterious. They did know one thing, though: this mysterious “gay disease“ was running like wildfire through the gay community, especially in the bathhouses.
It was while working for the virologists that I learned what was going on in the bathhouses: these weren't little kaffee klatches of dancing, storytelling, and watching “live shows.” Instead, men used poppers (isoamyl nitrite) so they could have some form of sexual contact with dozens of other men per night. The men weren't just trading HIV; they were trading every existing sexually transmitted disease. Moreover, the “live shows” weren't theatrical spectacles. They were orgies in which participants rested up while watching each other.
I won't go into more detail here. If you want to know what goes on in those bathhouses, you can read Surviving Gay…Barely. The author is Joseph Sciambra, a born-again Catholic who gave up the gay lifestyle he practiced during the late 1980s and 1990s when it destroyed his body and disgusted his soul. In addition to writing about the obsessive sexual contacts in anonymous venues, Sciambra describes the way his body rebelled against the realities of anal sex (warning: graphic, indeed stomach-churning, physical descriptions of the reality of gay orgies).
This video gives a little insight into the bathhouse scene:
Think about this: the City of San Francisco has been subjecting everyone to the most stringent shutdown requirements for months, destroying the city's economy and ruining people's livelihoods. Meanwhile, it's already getting its ducks in a row to enable gay men to engage in the type of behavior that spread a disease that has killed 692,790 Americans, almost all from the narrow demographic of gay men. (AIDS has killed around 32 million people worldwide since the early 1980s.) Currently, around 1.1 million people in America are HIV-positive, with 6,000 AIDS-related deaths in 2018 alone.
Re-opening the bathhouses will also see other sexually transmitted diseases ramp up. Chlamydia can lead to sterility for both men and women. HPV causes cancer. The medical world anticipates that gonorrhea is on the verge of becoming antibiotic-resistant. Even more scary, syphilis is heading that way, too. Gonorrhea is seriously unpleasant; syphilis is deadly.
It's not just diseases that kill. Political correctness and leftist panic kill, too.
Published with permission from the American Thinker.
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lifesitenews--2020-08-05--Over 750 Canadians demanded to be killed in 2019 due to ‘loneliness’

OTTAWA , August 4 , 2020 ( LifeSiteNews ) — Canadians should be “ deeply ashamed ” of their government ’ s first annual report on euthanasia that reveals that 771 sick Canadians asked to be lethally injected in 2019 because of loneliness , says a well known American euthanasia opponent .
“ Good grief .
We are told that euthanasia is ‘ compassion.
’ But how compassionate is it when last year in Canada , hundreds of sick people were euthanized because of loneliness ?
” wrote Wesley J. Smith in the National Review .
Released in July by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ federal report documents that 5,631 Canadians died by lethal injection , or Medical Assistance in Dying ( MAiD ) , in 2019 .
That accounted for two percent of all deaths in Canada that year and is a 26.1-percent increase from 2018 in the medically assisted killing of Canadians .
The report ’ s data were drawn from the federal monitoring system on euthanasia the Liberals launched November 1 , 2018 .
Before this , provinces and territories voluntarily submitted records on euthanasia , which Canada legalized in June 2016 .
Smith , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Center on Human Exceptionalism , wrote a searing summary of the report ’ s findings that sick Canadians requested euthanasia for the following reasons : • 82.1 percent for “ loss of ability to engage in enjoyable activities ” ; • 78.1 percent for “ loss of ability to perform activities of daily living ” ; • 53.9 percent for “ Inadequate control of pain ( or concern about it ) ” ; • 34 percent for being a perceived burden on family , friends , and caregivers ; The percentage @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of pain or concern about it ” as a reason for requesting euthanasia is “ scandalously high , ” observed Smith .
“ Palliative and hospice pain-control experts will tell you that most serious pain in terminal illnesses can be successfully alleviated , ” he said .
The first , second and fourth most cited reasons for requesting euthanasia are all serious concerns but “ can be overcome with appropriate care , ” observed Smith .
“ These statistics are scandalous and should make Canadians deeply ashamed.
” The federal report also makes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the law , ” pointed out Alex Schadenberg , executive director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition .
PETITION : Hold UN accountable for babies killed by sex-selection abortion !
Sign the petition here .
Under Bill C-14 , the medical practitioner who administers the lethal injection also reports the death , he told LifeSiteNews .
“ And I always ask the question and it ’ s absolutely the correct question : Will people self-report abuse of the law ?
Will they write into the report that So-and-so was unconscious when I came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ incompetent when I came to do it ?
Will they say that this person was unsure , but his wife really thought it was a good idea ?
” Schadenberg said .
“ No , that ’ s not going to come into the report.
” He referred to the CTV-reported case of 61-year-old Allan Nichols , a physically healthy B.C .
janitor who suffered from chronic depression and was lethally injected in the Chilliwack General Hospital in June 2019 , despite pleas from his family .
They then asked the RCMP to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ terminal illness .
Bill C-14 stipulates that individuals age 18 and over who are capable of consent and make a voluntary request are eligible for lethal injection if they are diagnosed with a “ grievous and irremediable medical condition.
” The law currently defines this as a serious and incurable illness or disability that results in an advanced state of irreversible decline in capability and causes intolerable physical or psychological suffering , with natural death being “ reasonably foreseeable.
” However , Quebec Superior Court justice Christine Baudouin struck down the “ natural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ September 2019 Truchon v. Canada decision and gave the federal and Quebec governments six months to amend their legislation .
In response , in February , the Trudeau Liberals tabled Bill C-7 , which critics warned will make Canada the most permissive “ euthanasia regime ” in the world .
The bill not only dispenses with the terminal illness requirement , but , among other things , “ permits a doctor or nurse practitioner to lethally inject a person who is incapable of consenting , if that person was previously approved for assisted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the coronavirus pandemic shutdowns , Parliament won ’ t debate Bill C-7 until September , and the Quebec court has extended its deadline to December , but Schadenberg is encouraging people to continue lobbying against the legislation and sign the EPCC petition against it .
He also suggested that the numbers of sick Canadians requesting euthanasia because of loneliness and isolation will surge this year because of the lockdowns .
“ This is a significant issue , ” said Schadenberg , noting that all available data for 2020 show euthanasia numbers rising @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the six months of 2020 , a sharp increase from the 774 reported deaths for the same time period in 2019 .
Ontario recorded 1,015 euthanasia deaths in the second half of 2019 , said Schadenberg .
“ If the same percentage of people euthanized in Canada were killed by doctors in the U.S.A. , it would add up to more than 50,000 medical homicides per year , ” Smith pointed out .
“ Do we really want that ?
” “ This isn ’ t just about Canada , ” he continued @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cultural cousin .
If we swallow the hemlock as our northern cousins have , the same lethal pattern could unfold here .
”

A federal report documents that 5,631 Canadians died by lethal injection in 2019, with 13.7% of those deaths administered for 'isolation and loneliness.'
OTTAWA, August 4, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Canadians should be “deeply ashamed” of their government’s first annual report on euthanasia that reveals that 771 sick Canadians asked to be lethally injected in 2019 because of loneliness, says a well known American euthanasia opponent.
“Good grief. We are told that euthanasia is ‘compassion.’ But how compassionate is it when last year in Canada, hundreds of sick people were euthanized because of loneliness?” wrote Wesley J. Smith in the National Review.
Released in July by Liberal Health Minister Patty Hajdu, the federal report documents that 5,631 Canadians died by lethal injection, or Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), in 2019.
That accounted for two percent of all deaths in Canada that year and is a 26.1-percent increase from 2018 in the medically assisted killing of Canadians.
The report’s data were drawn from the federal monitoring system on euthanasia the Liberals launched November 1, 2018. Before this, provinces and territories voluntarily submitted records on euthanasia, which Canada legalized in June 2016.
Smith, a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute’s Center on Human Exceptionalism, wrote a searing summary of the report’s findings that terminally ill Canadians requested euthanasia for the following reasons:
82.1 percent for “loss of ability to engage in enjoyable activities”;
78.1 percent for “loss of ability to perform activities of daily living”;
53.9 percent for “Inadequate control of pain (or concern about it)”;
53.3 percent for “loss of dignity”;
34 percent for being a perceived burden on family, friends, and caregivers;
13.7 percent for “isolation and loneliness”;
4.7 percent for emotional distress/anxiety/fear/existential suffering.
The percentage of those who cited “inadequate control of pain or concern about it” as a reason for requesting euthanasia is “scandalously high,” observed Smith.
“Palliative and hospice pain-control experts will tell you that most serious pain in terminal illnesses can be successfully alleviated,” he said.
The first, second and fourth most cited reasons for requesting euthanasia are all serious concerns but “can be overcome with appropriate care,” observed Smith.
“These statistics are scandalous and should make Canadians deeply ashamed.”
The federal report also makes no “attempt to uncover possible abuse of the law,” pointed out Alex Schadenberg, executive director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition.
PETITION: Hold UN accountable for babies killed by sex-selection abortion! Sign the petition here.
Under Bill C-14, the medical practitioner who administers the lethal injection also reports the death, he told LifeSiteNews.
“And I always ask the question and it’s absolutely the correct question: Will people self-report abuse of the law? Will they write into the report that So-and-so was unconscious when I came to do it? That they were incompetent when I came to do it? Will they say that this person was unsure, but his wife really thought it was a good idea?” Schadenberg said.
“No, that’s not going to come into the report.”
He referred to the CTV-reported case of 61-year-old Allan Nichols, a physically healthy B.C. janitor who suffered from chronic depression and was lethally injected in the Chilliwack General Hospital in June 2019, despite pleas from his family.
They then asked the RCMP to investigate because Nichols did not have a terminal illness.
Bill C-14 stipulates that individuals age 18 and over who are capable of consent and make a voluntary request are eligible for lethal injection if they are diagnosed with a “grievous and irremediable medical condition.”
The law currently defines this as a serious and incurable illness or disability that results in an advanced state of irreversible decline in capability and causes intolerable physical or psychological suffering, with natural death being “reasonably foreseeable.”
However, Quebec Superior Court justice Christine Baudouin struck down the “natural death” criterion as unconstitutional in her September 2019 Truchon v. Canada decision and gave the federal and Quebec governments six months to amend their legislation.
In response, in February, the Trudeau Liberals tabled Bill C-7, which critics warned will make Canada the most permissive “euthanasia regime” in the world.
The bill not only dispenses with the terminal illness requirement, but, among other things, “permits a doctor or nurse practitioner to lethally inject a person who is incapable of consenting, if that person was previously approved for assisted death,” Schadenberg said.
Because of the coronavirus pandemic shutdowns, Parliament won’t debate Bill C-7 until September, and the Quebec court has extended its deadline to December, but Schadenberg is encouraging people to continue lobbying against the legislation and sign the EPCC petition against it.
He also suggested that the numbers of sick Canadians requesting euthanasia because of loneliness and isolation will surge this year because of the lockdowns.
“This is a significant issue,” said Schadenberg, noting that all available data for 2020 show euthanasia numbers rising.
Ontario reported 1,127 euthanasia deaths in the six months of 2020, a sharp increase from the 774 reported deaths for the same time period in 2019. Ontario recorded 1,015 euthanasia deaths in the second half of 2019, said Schadenberg.
“If the same percentage of people euthanized in Canada were killed by doctors in the U.S.A., it would add up to more than 50,000 medical homicides per year,” Smith pointed out. “Do we really want that?”
“This isn’t just about Canada,” he continued. “The country is our closest cultural cousin. If we swallow the hemlock as our northern cousins have, the same lethal pattern could unfold here.”
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