wnd--2020-07-28--Government officials who used scheme to confiscate and sell homes now worried

Michigan 's legislature approved a law more than 30 years ago that gave counties permission to seize and sell citizens ' properties for past-due taxes .
The law allows the government to keep any profits generated by the sale .
Since the law was enacted in 1999 , property has been seized from more than 100,000 homeowners in the state .
But a recent ruling by the state Supreme Court in favor of a homeowner has some counties worried .
TRENDING : Surprise !
Biden 's new slogan is actually stolen Fox News reports officials in Oakland County are lashing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handling of the case of Uri Rafaeli , a retiree in his 80s who owed a mere $ 8.41 in back taxes .
The county seized his home , sold it for $ 24,500 and kept all of the money .
`` No one in Michigan should lose the entire equity in their home or land for falling behind on their property taxes , '' said Christina Martin of the Pacific Legal Foundation , which fought on behalf of Rafaeli .
`` We will continue the fight to help other vast numbers of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by this abuse of tax foreclosure law .
Today ’ s decision sends a message across the country that this kind of abuse should not be tolerated in the United States any longer .
She said the decision `` will protect people across Michigan by prohibiting county governments from stealing from struggling property owners . ''
The foundation noted that 12 other states still allow similar practices , including Arizona , Colorado , Massachusetts and Nebraska .
The Oakland commissioners told Meisner they are concerned about what the county now may owe and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a special investigative committee to look into the forfeiture practices .
`` It appears your actions as treasurer to foreclose on an Oakland County retiree 's property for $ 8.41 has exposed the county to serious risk , '' they told Meisner .
The commissioners are David Woodward , Mike Gingell and Helen Zack .
Fox News reported the law , Act 123 of 1999 , was `` meant to speed up the redevelopment of blighted properties amid Michigan ’ s economic woes , but critics of the statute say it has allowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and line their coffers by retaining the excess revenue made by selling houses with unpaid property taxes – no matter how paltry the debt . ''
The court ruling said the county was allowed the seize the property and sell it for the taxes , but it had to give back to Rafaeli any money beyond what was owed .
`` Defendants were required to return the surplus proceeds to plaintiffs , and defendants ' failure to do so constituted a government taking under the Michigan Constitution entitling plaintiffs to just compensation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 6-1 decision .
County officials across the state now are concerned there will be more litigation from residents who had their property taken and sold , especially if there was any significant amount of money left over after taxes were paid .
Lawyers for the county argued that compensating all homeowners in similar situations could cost $ 2 billion .
The case is part of PLF 's campaign to end the `` abusive practice of home equity theft . ''
PLF said governments have been using the practice to `` pad their budgets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Detroit , there ’ s a budget line every year for expected windfalls from home foreclosures .
Some politicians use the system to reward their friends and family with homes priced below market .
In Montana , before the practice was banned , local treasurers sold foreclosed homes to preferred private investors , '' the foundation said .

Michigan's legislature approved a law more than 30 years ago that gave counties permission to seize and sell citizens' properties for past-due taxes.
The law allows the government to keep any profits generated by the sale.
Since the law was enacted in 1999, property has been seized from more than 100,000 homeowners in the state.
But a recent ruling by the state Supreme Court in favor of a homeowner has some counties worried.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
Fox News reports officials in Oakland County are lashing out at Treasurer Andrew Meisner for his handling of the case of Uri Rafaeli, a retiree in his 80s who owed a mere $8.41 in back taxes.
The county seized his home, sold it for $24,500 and kept all of the money.
"No one in Michigan should lose the entire equity in their home or land for falling behind on their property taxes," said Christina Martin of the Pacific Legal Foundation, which fought on behalf of Rafaeli. "We will continue the fight to help other vast numbers of people whose nest eggs have been robbed by this abuse of tax foreclosure law. Today’s decision sends a message across the country that this kind of abuse should not be tolerated in the United States any longer.
She said the decision "will protect people across Michigan by prohibiting county governments from stealing from struggling property owners."
The foundation noted that 12 other states still allow similar practices, including Arizona, Colorado, Massachusetts and Nebraska.
The Oakland commissioners told Meisner they are concerned about what the county now may owe and to whom, and they have commissioned a special investigative committee to look into the forfeiture practices.
"It appears your actions as treasurer to foreclose on an Oakland County retiree's property for $8.41 has exposed the county to serious risk," they told Meisner.
The commissioners are David Woodward, Mike Gingell and Helen Zack.
Fox News reported the law, Act 123 of 1999, was "meant to speed up the redevelopment of blighted properties amid Michigan’s economic woes, but critics of the statute say it has allowed county officials to act as debt collectors and line their coffers by retaining the excess revenue made by selling houses with unpaid property taxes – no matter how paltry the debt."
The court ruling said the county was allowed the seize the property and sell it for the taxes, but it had to give back to Rafaeli any money beyond what was owed.
"Defendants were required to return the surplus proceeds to plaintiffs, and defendants' failure to do so constituted a government taking under the Michigan Constitution entitling plaintiffs to just compensation," Justice Brian Zahra wrote in the 6-1 decision.
County officials across the state now are concerned there will be more litigation from residents who had their property taken and sold, especially if there was any significant amount of money left over after taxes were paid.
Lawyers for the county argued that compensating all homeowners in similar situations could cost $2 billion.
The case is part of PLF's campaign to end the "abusive practice of home equity theft."
PLF said governments have been using the practice to "pad their budgets with stolen equity."
"In Detroit, there’s a budget line every year for expected windfalls from home foreclosures. Some politicians use the system to reward their friends and family with homes priced below market. In Montana, before the practice was banned, local treasurers sold foreclosed homes to preferred private investors," the foundation said.


wnd--2020-07-28--Watch police raid gym for violating Democratic governor's order

In an early morning raid Monday , police and sheriff 's officers with K-9 units at the ready in their cars burst into a New Jersey gym and arrested the owners for defying Democratic Gov .
Phil Murphy 's executive order to remain closed during the COVID-19 pandemic .
Frank Trumbetti , 51 , and Ian Smith , 33 , were each charged with one count of fourth-degree contempt , one count of obstruction and one count of violation of a disaster control act , reported WPVI-TV .
The raid came after a state judge ruled Friday that New Jersey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bellmawr .
Immediately after the ruling , Smith posted a video on Facebook vowing to `` not back down under any circumstances . ''
He and Trumbetti remained in the gym over the weekend and were just waking up when the police arrived .
TRENDING : Surprise !
Biden 's new slogan is actually stolen On Monday , BJ Dowlen , who said she spent the night at the gym working on a book with the gym 's owners , wrote on Facebook about the arrest .
`` Well , this was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I stayed the night in the gym writing , my book clients Ian & Frank were just waking up , I ’ m gathering my computer & notebooks , just waiting for the guys to come out for a few final questions , and then a SWARM of Camden County Sheriffs & local Bellmawr police ( with K-9 units waiting in a vehicle ) come bursting thru the door….to me , sitting there , writing , by myself .
`` First & foremost , the law enforcement officers were polite & respectful .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ channels .
And tonight/this morning , I am writing this new book chapter right now !
!
!
” An attorney representing the owners , Christopher Arzberger , said they were `` disappointed that this motion for contempt was granted , however we do respect the judge 's decision and will be taking all necessary steps to see if there is an issue of appeal here . ''
In a battle over the defintion of `` essential '' businesses , the gym reopened in May and continued to operate despite receiving a summons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , WPVI reported .
The gym owners argue they are carefully following social distancing guidelines , taking patrons ' temperatures at the door , taping off workout stations and operating at 20 % of the building 's capacity , or about 44 patrons at a time .
Masks also were required unless the guests were in the middle of lifting weights .
Even when the governor last week began allowing outdoor drills for contact sports to resume along with one-on-one indoor martial arts and yoga , he ordered that gyms remain closed .

In an early morning raid Monday, police and sheriff's officers with K-9 units at the ready in their cars burst into a New Jersey gym and arrested the owners for defying Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy's executive order to remain closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Frank Trumbetti, 51, and Ian Smith, 33, were each charged with one count of fourth-degree contempt, one count of obstruction and one count of violation of a disaster control act, reported WPVI-TV.
The raid came after a state judge ruled Friday that New Jersey authorities could shut down Atilis Gym in Bellmawr.
Immediately after the ruling, Smith posted a video on Facebook vowing to "not back down under any circumstances." He and Trumbetti remained in the gym over the weekend and were just waking up when the police arrived.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
On Monday, BJ Dowlen, who said she spent the night at the gym working on a book with the gym's owners, wrote on Facebook about the arrest.
"Well, this was a first," she wrote. "I stayed the night in the gym writing, my book clients Ian & Frank were just waking up, I’m gathering my computer & notebooks, just waiting for the guys to come out for a few final questions, and then a SWARM of Camden County Sheriffs & local Bellmawr police (with K-9 units waiting in a vehicle) come bursting thru the door….to me, sitting there, writing, by myself.
"First & foremost, the law enforcement officers were polite & respectful. Look for my video footage on national channels. And tonight/this morning, I am writing this new book chapter right now!!!”
#repost @TheAtilisGym #iansmith #atilisgym
Welcome to America 2020, where feeding your family and standing up for your Constitutional rights is illegal. @govmurphy flexing his little tyrant muscles finally - only took him 70 days. pic.twitter.com/Re24pEAlvt — (@TheNiniD) July 27, 2020
Yoga but no gym
An attorney representing the owners, Christopher Arzberger, said they were "disappointed that this motion for contempt was granted, however we do respect the judge's decision and will be taking all necessary steps to see if there is an issue of appeal here."
In a battle over the defintion of "essential" businesses, the gym reopened in May and continued to operate despite receiving a summons every day for violating the state order, WPVI reported.
The gym owners argue they are carefully following social distancing guidelines, taking patrons' temperatures at the door, taping off workout stations and operating at 20% of the building's capacity, or about 44 patrons at a time.
Masks also were required unless the guests were in the middle of lifting weights.
Even when the governor last week began allowing outdoor drills for contact sports to resume along with one-on-one indoor martial arts and yoga, he ordered that gyms remain closed.


wnd--2020-07-28--Surprise! Look who swing voters in focus group choose for president

While Joe Biden has a substantial lead in many polls in battleground states , a focus group of nine people in Michigan who voted for Barack Obama in 2012 but backed Trump in 2016 provides a snapshot of how swing voters in one key state view the race .
Seven of the nine swing voters in the Axios focus group said they would vote again for Trump in November , with some judging Biden as a mentally unfit candidate who would be a `` puppet '' of the `` deep state . ''
Axios ' monthly Engagious/Schlesinger swing-voter series is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Daily Caller .
But with the notorious inaccuracy of polls on the 2016 election , the focus group could offer clues of voters ' current state of mind .
TRENDING : Surprise !
Biden 's new slogan is actually stolen A member of the group of Obama voters calling himself Matt T said Biden is `` showing signs of dementia '' and would likely become a `` puppet … controlled by a lot of people in the deep state , '' which he described as `` the lobbyists , the people that have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
`` I don ’ t think that Biden is going to be running our country .
Whoever his vice president is , is going to be running the country .
The vice president or whoever the puppet people are telling him what to say , '' she said .
See the video of the focus group : A voter calling herself Vicki S said she does n't like either candidate , and thinks `` the lesser of two evils '' is Biden and will vote for him .
Amid the pandemic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the death of George Floyd , Biden has a 9-point lead in Michigan and is ahead of the president in five other battleground states , according to a July 24 Fox News poll .

While Joe Biden has a substantial lead in many polls in battleground states, a focus group of nine people in Michigan who voted for Barack Obama in 2012 but backed Trump in 2016 provides a snapshot of how swing voters in one key state view the race.
Seven of the nine swing voters in the Axios focus group said they would vote again for Trump in November, with some judging Biden as a mentally unfit candidate who would be a "puppet" of the "deep state."
Axios' monthly Engagious/Schlesinger swing-voter series is not a scientific poll, noted the Daily Caller.
But with the notorious inaccuracy of polls on the 2016 election, the focus group could offer clues of voters' current state of mind.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
A member of the group of Obama voters calling himself Matt T said Biden is "showing signs of dementia" and would likely become a "puppet … controlled by a lot of people in the deep state," which he described as "the lobbyists, the people that have influence on a lot of the politicians."
A woman who called herself Shelly D agreed.
"I don’t think that Biden is going to be running our country. Whoever his vice president is, is going to be running the country. The vice president or whoever the puppet people are telling him what to say," she said.
See the video of the focus group:
Will Donald Trump be re-elected as president this November? Yes No Completing this poll entitles you to WND news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use You're logged in to Facebook. Click here to log out. 99% (596 Votes) 1% (9 Votes)
A voter calling herself Vicki S said she doesn't like either candidate, and thinks "the lesser of two evils" is Biden and will vote for him.
Amid the pandemic and the racial turmoil and violence since the death of George Floyd, Biden has a 9-point lead in Michigan and is ahead of the president in five other battleground states, according to a July 24 Fox News poll.
A Quinnipiac poll found now Biden leads Trump 51-38 in Florida.


wnd--2020-07-28--J.K. Rowling: Transgender surgery for kids a 'medical scandal'

The celebrated British author of the Harry Potter series , J.K. Rowling , already has provoked the ire of the left with her willingness to state publicly the fact that `` [ biological ] sex is real and has lived consequences . ''
Now she 's gone a step further , warning that the British goverment health care system 's advocacy of `` gender-reassignment '' surgery for children suffering gender dysphoria has Britain `` on the brink of a medical scandal . ''
On Saturday , Rowling commented on Twitter on a paper published by Cambridge Core , the website @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , titled `` Freedom to think : the need for thorough assessment and treatment of gender dysphoric children . ''
The paper , Breitbart News reported , said the British National Health Service `` identity clinics have been functioning as if acting outside the ordinary requirement of good medical and psychiatric practice . ''
TRENDING : Surprise !
Biden 's new slogan is actually stolen Rowling , a former Labour Party donor , wrote , `` Some may dismiss this paper ... but they do so at their own peril . ''
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the brink of a medical scandal , ” she said .
Rowling cited another paper published by Cambridge Core , `` Sex , gender and gender identity : a re-evaluation of the evidence . ''
She quoted its conclusion : `` Psychiatry sits on this knife-edge : running the risk of being accused of transphobia or , alternatively , remaining silent throughout this uncontrolled experiment . ''
Rowling noted on Twitter : `` Since speaking up about gender identity theory , I ’ ve received thousands of emails — more than I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ subject .
Many have come from professionals working in medicine , education , and social work .
All are concerned about the effects on vulnerable young people . ''
She linked a copy of a letter to The Guardian newspaper that it declined to publish , written by two whistleblower clinicians at a gender identity clinic , the Tavistock Gender Identity Development Service .
`` The writers of this letter are just two of a growing number of whistleblowers .
The bleak truth is that if and when the scandal does erupt , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be able to credibly claim 'we couldn ’ t have known , ' '' she wrote .
The clinicians wrote : `` There is no such thing as a male or female brain , and you can not be 'born into the wrong body . '
`` You should know that there is no unequivocally shared consensus on what you are undertaking ; and the evidence , such as it is , suggests no greater health or happiness , '' they added , addressing someone considering gender reassignment treatment .
The clinicians warned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ age did not cherish our fertility , and the imagined easy alternative of adoption or surrogacy is far from that .
I need you to know that you really might change your mind , as many have before you . ''

The celebrated British author of the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling, already has provoked the ire of the left with her willingness to state publicly the fact that "[biological] sex is real and has lived consequences."
Now she's gone a step further, warning that the British goverment health care system's advocacy of "gender-reassignment" surgery for children suffering gender dysphoria has Britain "on the brink of a medical scandal."
On Saturday, Rowling commented on Twitter on a paper published by Cambridge Core, the website for academic content from Cambridge University Press, titled "Freedom to think: the need for thorough assessment and treatment of gender dysphoric children."
The paper, Breitbart News reported, said the British National Health Service "identity clinics have been functioning as if acting outside the ordinary requirement of good medical and psychiatric practice."
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
Rowling, a former Labour Party donor, wrote, "Some may dismiss this paper ... but they do so at their own peril."
“It feels as though we’re on the brink of a medical scandal,” she said.
Rowling cited another paper published by Cambridge Core, "Sex, gender and gender identity: a re-evaluation of the evidence."
She quoted its conclusion: "Psychiatry sits on this knife-edge: running the risk of being accused of transphobia or, alternatively, remaining silent throughout this uncontrolled experiment."
Rowling noted on Twitter: "Since speaking up about gender identity theory, I’ve received thousands of emails — more than I’ve ever had on a single subject. Many have come from professionals working in medicine, education, and social work. All are concerned about the effects on vulnerable young people."
She linked a copy of a letter to The Guardian newspaper that it declined to publish, written by two whistleblower clinicians at a gender identity clinic, the Tavistock Gender Identity Development Service.
"The writers of this letter are just two of a growing number of whistleblowers. The bleak truth is that if and when the scandal does erupt, nobody currently cheering this movement on will be able to credibly claim 'we couldn’t have known,'" she wrote.
The clinicians wrote: "There is no such thing as a male or female brain, and you cannot be 'born into the wrong body.'
"You should know that there is no unequivocally shared consensus on what you are undertaking; and the evidence, such as it is, suggests no greater health or happiness," they added, addressing someone considering gender reassignment treatment.
The clinicians warned: "Most of us at your age did not cherish our fertility, and the imagined easy alternative of adoption or surrogacy is far from that. I need you to know that you really might change your mind, as many have before you."


wnd--2020-07-27--SCOTUS and the coming mandatory vaccines

Many of us have been comforted on the question of mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations by President Trump 's assurances that vaccines will not be mandatory – but there is at least one way Trump can be trumped , and that is by a ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court .
I believe SCOTUS has just telegraphed its intent to mandate COVID-19 vaccines in a future ruling .
On Friday , July 24 , the U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling in Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley v. Steve Sisolak , Governor of Nevada , et al .
It was a 5-4 decision @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the court to the left yet again , upholding an egregious double standard in COVID-19 restrictions on churches as compared specifically to casinos in response to an emergency appeal for an injunction against the governor 's dictate by Calvary Chapel .
As conservative Justice Samuel Alito noted in his dissent , there were numerous other categories of secular businesses that received favored status under Sisolak 's order .
Most analysts have naturally focused on the religious discrimination implicit in the ruling , especially since the Constitution expressly forbids government from passing any law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ religion .
That phrase from the First Amendment is one of the most straightforward legal mandates not just of the Bill of Rights , but of all human jurisprudence of the past thousand years , echoing the exact same legislative intent of the first principle of the Magna Carta ( 1215 ) , `` the English church shall be free . ''
And what is balanced against that massive legal foundation stone in John Robert 's corrupt scales of justice ?
A feather-light , arbitrary public health order that exempts gambling casinos and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be said on this theme except perhaps a gentle chiding of `` the church '' for abandoning the mission field of politics to casino magnates and hard-left pressure groups .
You are reaping the natural consequence of neglecting your duty of civil stewardship .
However , as a long-time Christian constitutional law attorney and social activist , I 'm a bit more cynical than most analysts when it comes to the nation 's ultimate elite body .
Indeed , I have come to consider the judiciary – especially the `` Supremes '' – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ branches of government , at least since Marxist-leaning FDR 's court-flipping power play that historians call the `` switch in time that saved nine . ''
In that incident , another SCOTUS swing voter , named Owen Roberts ( no relation ) , switched from a consistent conservative to a liberal voter on Roosevelt 's New Deal legislation ( the Commie Red New Deal , not the Fascist Green one ) – essentially succumbing to blackmail to prevent Roosevelt from packing the court with nine additional justices ( expanding it to 18 seats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Calvary Chapel ruling – in fact sending a chill down my spine – was the majority 's emphasis on Jacobson v. Massachusetts , 197 U. S. 11 ( 1905 ) as justification for upholding Sisolak 's public health order .
Jacobson is a case upholding mandatory vaccinations !
To quote Alito directly : `` Jacobson primarily involved a substantive due process challenge to a local ordinance requiring residents to be vaccinated for small pox . ''
TRENDING : Surprise !
Biden 's new slogan is actually stolen What the Calvary Chapel ruling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ warning that the same liberal majority is preparing the public for mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations , knowing that the controversial nature of their anti-Christian double standard ensures that their endorsement of Jacobson will get lots of attention especially among the people most likely to oppose the vaccine .
Does the Supreme Court really engage in social engineering on behalf of the globalists ?
It absolutely does – especially when it comes to anything related to Christian sexual morality !
There is substantial evidence of judicial social engineering on the abortion issue , especially between @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the Carhart `` partial birth abortion '' ruling in Stenberg v. Carhart ( 2000 ) in which then-swing vote Sandra Day O'Connor voted to uphold the killing of full-term babies at the point of delivery – after describing it during oral argument in open court as `` a gruesome procedure '' ( a fact of which I was an eyewitness ) .
However , judicial social engineering is best exemplified in the court 's establishment of `` gay '' cultural supremacy by swing vote Anthony Kennedy between Romer v. Evans in 1996 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He wrote the majority opinion in all four of the landmark cases .
Most telling was his majority opinion in Romer declaring essentially that public morality can not be the basis for law , and later in Lawrence v. Texas expressly justifying his very broad ruling that overturned Bowers v. Hardwick ( the 1986 legal cornerstone of states rights to regulate sexual conduct in the public interest ) , specifically to remove the `` stigma '' against homosexuality in society .
On the post-Lawrence `` gay marriage '' issue , the social engineering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
First Ruth Bader Ginsburg cryptically telegraphed in a speech at the University of Chicago law school that the then-imminent U.S. v. Windsor ruling ( striking down the federal Defense of Marriage Act ) was NOT going to declare a constitutional right to homosexual `` marriage . ''
She did that by controversially opining that Roe v. Wade was a bad decision because is was issued before the country was ready for it , creating the anti-abortion movement .
Ginsburg 's purpose was to lower the expectations of the leftist elites who were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ marriage '' in 2012 .
After Windsor , the lower federal courts slowly but systematically dismantled the state Defense of Marriage laws over the next two years , creating a sense of inevitability in the public in preparation for Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015 .
Both Elena Kagan and Ginsburg took the extraordinary additional steps of performing same-sex `` marriages '' during the pendency of Obergefell , Ginsburg doing so in the Supreme Court building itself .
It worked , and the public simply acquiesced to both to `` gay marriage '' and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most important ethical standard of the court : the presumption of impartiality .
Am I absolutely convinced that SCOTUS will rule that local and/or state governments can mandate the COVID-19 vaccine for citizens in their jurisdiction ?
No .
Do I believe it is more likely based on the Calvary Chapel case ?
Sadly , yes .
And considering that even the conservative states have caved to public health officials on mask and lockdown mandates , the only hope I can see for avoiding mandatory vaccines is a Trump reelection accompanied either by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or 2 ) a quick flip of SCOTUS to a conservative majority .

Many of us have been comforted on the question of mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations by President Trump's assurances that vaccines will not be mandatory – but there is at least one way Trump can be trumped, and that is by a ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court. I believe SCOTUS has just telegraphed its intent to mandate COVID-19 vaccines in a future ruling.
On Friday, July 24, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its ruling in Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley v. Steve Sisolak, Governor of Nevada, et al. It was a 5-4 decision in which the snake John Roberts swung the court to the left yet again, upholding an egregious double standard in COVID-19 restrictions on churches as compared specifically to casinos in response to an emergency appeal for an injunction against the governor's dictate by Calvary Chapel. As conservative Justice Samuel Alito noted in his dissent, there were numerous other categories of secular businesses that received favored status under Sisolak's order.
Most analysts have naturally focused on the religious discrimination implicit in the ruling, especially since the Constitution expressly forbids government from passing any law "prohibiting the free exercise" of religion. That phrase from the First Amendment is one of the most straightforward legal mandates not just of the Bill of Rights, but of all human jurisprudence of the past thousand years, echoing the exact same legislative intent of the first principle of the Magna Carta (1215), "the English church shall be free." And what is balanced against that massive legal foundation stone in John Robert's corrupt scales of justice? A feather-light, arbitrary public health order that exempts gambling casinos and mobs of anarchists. Nothing more need be said on this theme except perhaps a gentle chiding of "the church" for abandoning the mission field of politics to casino magnates and hard-left pressure groups. You are reaping the natural consequence of neglecting your duty of civil stewardship.
However, as a long-time Christian constitutional law attorney and social activist, I'm a bit more cynical than most analysts when it comes to the nation's ultimate elite body. Indeed, I have come to consider the judiciary – especially the "Supremes" – as the most political of our three branches of government, at least since Marxist-leaning FDR's court-flipping power play that historians call the "switch in time that saved nine." In that incident, another SCOTUS swing voter, named Owen Roberts (no relation), switched from a consistent conservative to a liberal voter on Roosevelt's New Deal legislation (the Commie Red New Deal, not the Fascist Green one) – essentially succumbing to blackmail to prevent Roosevelt from packing the court with nine additional justices (expanding it to 18 seats).
What struck me hardest from the Calvary Chapel ruling – in fact sending a chill down my spine – was the majority's emphasis on Jacobson v. Massachusetts, 197 U. S. 11 (1905) as justification for upholding Sisolak's public health order. Jacobson is a case upholding mandatory vaccinations! To quote Alito directly: "Jacobson primarily involved a substantive due process challenge to a local ordinance requiring residents to be vaccinated for small pox."
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
What the Calvary Chapel ruling looks like to me is an advanced warning that the same liberal majority is preparing the public for mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations, knowing that the controversial nature of their anti-Christian double standard ensures that their endorsement of Jacobson will get lots of attention especially among the people most likely to oppose the vaccine.
Does the Supreme Court really engage in social engineering on behalf of the globalists? It absolutely does – especially when it comes to anything related to Christian sexual morality!
There is substantial evidence of judicial social engineering on the abortion issue, especially between the Roe v. Wade decision of 1973 and the Carhart "partial birth abortion" ruling in Stenberg v. Carhart (2000) in which then-swing vote Sandra Day O'Connor voted to uphold the killing of full-term babies at the point of delivery – after describing it during oral argument in open court as "a gruesome procedure" (a fact of which I was an eyewitness).
However, judicial social engineering is best exemplified in the court's establishment of "gay" cultural supremacy by swing vote Anthony Kennedy between Romer v. Evans in 1996 and Obergefell v Hodges in 2015. He wrote the majority opinion in all four of the landmark cases. Most telling was his majority opinion in Romer declaring essentially that public morality cannot be the basis for law, and later in Lawrence v. Texas expressly justifying his very broad ruling that overturned Bowers v. Hardwick (the 1986 legal cornerstone of states rights to regulate sexual conduct in the public interest), specifically to remove the "stigma" against homosexuality in society.
On the post-Lawrence "gay marriage" issue, the social engineering function of the court became most obvious. First Ruth Bader Ginsburg cryptically telegraphed in a speech at the University of Chicago law school that the then-imminent U.S. v. Windsor ruling (striking down the federal Defense of Marriage Act) was NOT going to declare a constitutional right to homosexual "marriage." She did that by controversially opining that Roe v. Wade was a bad decision because is was issued before the country was ready for it, creating the anti-abortion movement.
Ginsburg's purpose was to lower the expectations of the leftist elites who were giddy with anticipation of getting "gay marriage" in 2012. After Windsor, the lower federal courts slowly but systematically dismantled the state Defense of Marriage laws over the next two years, creating a sense of inevitability in the public in preparation for Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015. Both Elena Kagan and Ginsburg took the extraordinary additional steps of performing same-sex "marriages" during the pendency of Obergefell, Ginsburg doing so in the Supreme Court building itself. It worked, and the public simply acquiesced to both to "gay marriage" and Kagan and Ginsburg's destruction of the most important ethical standard of the court: the presumption of impartiality.
Am I absolutely convinced that SCOTUS will rule that local and/or state governments can mandate the COVID-19 vaccine for citizens in their jurisdiction? No. Do I believe it is more likely based on the Calvary Chapel case? Sadly, yes. And considering that even the conservative states have caved to public health officials on mask and lockdown mandates, the only hope I can see for avoiding mandatory vaccines is a Trump reelection accompanied either by 1) full GOP control of Congress, or 2) a quick flip of SCOTUS to a conservative majority.


wnd--2020-07-27--What if Africans had stayed in African?

What if Africans had stayed in African?

The vehement discordance exhibited by those blacks that decry America can not be overstated .
That said , I argue that those predisposed to indict America , and adjudge her guilty for all disappointment real or perceived , be forced to address what could have been their alternative reality .
Several years ago , Pelican Publishing asked me to write the foreword for the re-release of Booker T. Washington 's epic work : `` Up From Slavery : An Autobiography . ''
While many blacks and no few blue-eyed Marxists look upon Booker T. Washington as the quintessential Uncle Tom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a giant of a man upon whom God had given in ample measure the clearness of discernment wherewith to understand that blessings seldom come without a few bruises .
Thus , it was with what I can only reason was born out of ruminative perplexity that he wrote : '' I have long since ceased to cherish any spirit of bitterness against the Southern white people on account of the enslavement of my race .
… Then , when we rid ourselves of prejudice , or racial feeling , and look facts in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , notwithstanding the cruelty and moral wrong of slavery , the ten million Negroes inhabiting this country , who themselves or whose ancestors went through the school of American slavery , are in a stronger and more hopeful condition , materially , intellectually , morally , and religiously , than is true of an equal number of black people in any other portion of the globe .
This is so to such an extent that Negroes in this country , who themselves or whose forefathers went through the school of slavery , are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enlighten those who remained in the fatherland .
This I say , not to justify slavery – on the other hand , I condemn it as an institution , as we all that in America it was established for selfish and financial reasons , and not from a missionary motive – but to call attention to a fact , and to show how Providence so often uses men and institutions to accomplish a purpose .
When persons ask me in these days how , in the midst of what sometimes seem hopelessly discouraging @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the future of my race in this country , I remind them of the wilderness through which and out of which , a good Providence has already led us . ''
( Foreword page x ; page 16 ) Therein Booker T. Washington lays bare the question that virtually no black person is willing to answer and certainly not one of the self-professed enlightened ones .
The question I refer to is : What if the Ashanti and Dahomi African tribes located upon the Ivory Coast had not made commerce out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Muslims who in turn sold the Africans to Portuguese and European shipping companies who sold the slaves to Americans ?
TRENDING : Surprise !
Biden 's new slogan is actually stolen I 'm asking the question specifically of those despiteous ingrates who have all to be thankful for , but would rather spend their lives wallowing in animus and self-inflicted despair .
It was not Liberia , the Sudan , Ghana or the Congo that produced men and women such as Dr. Carter G. Goodson , Garrett Morgan , Percy L. Julian , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Jr. , Daniel Hale Williams , William B. Purvis and Norbert Rillieux .
It was post-slavery America – and yet I 'll say with great confidence that the overwhelming majority of blacks have no idea the importance of these persons and until now have never heard of them .
If Africans had stayed in African it 's a safe bet that there would have been the likes of Rep. Ilhan Omar 's father who was connected umbilically to crazed Somalian sociopath dictator Said Barre .
But what are the chances that Omar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ piece of meat or sidewalk beggar ?
( See : `` Ilhan Omar Ca n't Leave Country Because of The Sins of Her Father , '' Mychal Massie , July 17 , 2019 . )
If Africa had n't turned selling other Africans to slave traders into a thriving economy , even if there were an Al Sharpton and Maxine Waters , would they be the shakedown scammers they are today in the United States ?
Does anyone honestly believe that the likes of Stacey Abrams would be provided money and privilege to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Would Karen Attiah , global editor for the fish-wrapper newspaper Washington Post , be working for a major newspaper attacking white women in the crudest most boorish ways ?
The truth is heck no .
However , I 'd say there 's a better than even chance that her ancestors were likely the very Africans who made slave trading a commercial success for certain African tribes .
Attiah is from Ghana , and until the early 1900s Ghana was the slave trader nation Ashanti .
Thanks to America 's failed public school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of knowledge are easy targets for college professors prostituting propaganda as fact .
I 'm not making ipse dixit statements .
I 'm reminding people of what Booker T. Washington himself concluded after having been born a slave in America .
Slavery was n't moral , nor was it life in a Disney theme park , but God used the toil of slavery to bring 10 million people to America who 's progeny participated in the invention of medicine , surgery , industry ad nauseam , that would have been beyond reach had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the chances the Obama woman would have been more than a maid or laundry worker had her ancestors stayed in Africa ?
Even if she were able to slither her way into an African capital as a despot 's wife , she 'd have been skewered for having flaunted usufruct as her personal ATM as she did here .
Need we question the swift dispatchment to a horrible end for Chicago 's chief lesbian , Mayor Lori Lightfoot , had her ancestors remained in Africa ?
An African dictator would n't permit her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ defy him .
Let 's start having this conversation .
Let 's ask people like CNNs Don Lemon how long he thinks a pernicious homosexual liar like him would last if he lied and attacked a Somalian or Sudanese warlord like the one Ilhan Omar 's father served as chief strategist and director of agitprop .
Many blacks might hate my saying it , but even Muhammad Ali said , `` He sure was glad his ancestors got on that boat . ''
Order Mychal Massie 's new book , `` I Feel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a collection of devotions intended to encourage the reader to seek and see the Lord in every aspect of life .

The vehement discordance exhibited by those blacks that decry America cannot be overstated. That said, I argue that those predisposed to indict America, and adjudge her guilty for all disappointment real or perceived, be forced to address what could have been their alternative reality.
Several years ago, Pelican Publishing asked me to write the foreword for the re-release of Booker T. Washington's epic work: "Up From Slavery: An Autobiography." While many blacks and no few blue-eyed Marxists look upon Booker T. Washington as the quintessential Uncle Tom and bootlicker, I view him as a giant of a man upon whom God had given in ample measure the clearness of discernment wherewith to understand that blessings seldom come without a few bruises.
Thus, it was with what I can only reason was born out of ruminative perplexity that he wrote:
"I have long since ceased to cherish any spirit of bitterness against the Southern white people on account of the enslavement of my race. … Then, when we rid ourselves of prejudice, or racial feeling, and look facts in the face, we must acknowledge that, notwithstanding the cruelty and moral wrong of slavery, the ten million Negroes inhabiting this country, who themselves or whose ancestors went through the school of American slavery, are in a stronger and more hopeful condition, materially, intellectually, morally, and religiously, than is true of an equal number of black people in any other portion of the globe. This is so to such an extent that Negroes in this country, who themselves or whose forefathers went through the school of slavery, are constantly returning to Africa as missionaries to enlighten those who remained in the fatherland. This I say, not to justify slavery – on the other hand, I condemn it as an institution, as we all that in America it was established for selfish and financial reasons, and not from a missionary motive – but to call attention to a fact, and to show how Providence so often uses men and institutions to accomplish a purpose. When persons ask me in these days how, in the midst of what sometimes seem hopelessly discouraging conditions, I can have such faith in the future of my race in this country, I remind them of the wilderness through which and out of which, a good Providence has already led us." (Foreword page x; page 16)
Therein Booker T. Washington lays bare the question that virtually no black person is willing to answer and certainly not one of the self-professed enlightened ones. The question I refer to is: What if the Ashanti and Dahomi African tribes located upon the Ivory Coast had not made commerce out of capturing and selling the inland Africans to Muslims who in turn sold the Africans to Portuguese and European shipping companies who sold the slaves to Americans?
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
I'm asking the question specifically of those despiteous ingrates who have all to be thankful for, but would rather spend their lives wallowing in animus and self-inflicted despair.
It was not Liberia, the Sudan, Ghana or the Congo that produced men and women such as Dr. Carter G. Goodson, Garrett Morgan, Percy L. Julian, Dr. Jane Wright, William A. Lester, Jr., Daniel Hale Williams, William B. Purvis and Norbert Rillieux. It was post-slavery America – and yet I'll say with great confidence that the overwhelming majority of blacks have no idea the importance of these persons and until now have never heard of them.
If Africans had stayed in African it's a safe bet that there would have been the likes of Rep. Ilhan Omar's father who was connected umbilically to crazed Somalian sociopath dictator Said Barre. But what are the chances that Omar herself would have been more than a piece of meat or sidewalk beggar? (See: "Ilhan Omar Can't Leave Country Because of The Sins of Her Father," Mychal Massie, July 17, 2019.)
If Africa hadn't turned selling other Africans to slave traders into a thriving economy, even if there were an Al Sharpton and Maxine Waters, would they be the shakedown scammers they are today in the United States? Does anyone honestly believe that the likes of Stacey Abrams would be provided money and privilege to attack a sitting African dictator or warlord? Would Karen Attiah, global editor for the fish-wrapper newspaper Washington Post, be working for a major newspaper attacking white women in the crudest most boorish ways? The truth is heck no. However, I'd say there's a better than even chance that her ancestors were likely the very Africans who made slave trading a commercial success for certain African tribes. Attiah is from Ghana, and until the early 1900s Ghana was the slave trader nation Ashanti.
Thanks to America's failed public school system and revisionist history, individuals void of knowledge are easy targets for college professors prostituting propaganda as fact.
I'm not making ipse dixit statements. I'm reminding people of what Booker T. Washington himself concluded after having been born a slave in America.
Slavery wasn't moral, nor was it life in a Disney theme park, but God used the toil of slavery to bring 10 million people to America who's progeny participated in the invention of medicine, surgery, industry ad nauseam, that would have been beyond reach had they stayed in Africa.
What are the chances the Obama woman would have been more than a maid or laundry worker had her ancestors stayed in Africa? Even if she were able to slither her way into an African capital as a despot's wife, she'd have been skewered for having flaunted usufruct as her personal ATM as she did here.
Need we question the swift dispatchment to a horrible end for Chicago's chief lesbian, Mayor Lori Lightfoot, had her ancestors remained in Africa? An African dictator wouldn't permit her or her kind to publicly mock and defy him.
Let's start having this conversation. Let's ask people like CNNs Don Lemon how long he thinks a pernicious homosexual liar like him would last if he lied and attacked a Somalian or Sudanese warlord like the one Ilhan Omar's father served as chief strategist and director of agitprop.
Many blacks might hate my saying it, but even Muhammad Ali said, "He sure was glad his ancestors got on that boat."
Order Mychal Massie's new book, "I Feel the Presence of the Lord," a collection of devotions intended to encourage the reader to seek and see the Lord in every aspect of life.


wnd--2020-07-27--Radio host who mocked Trump flips when HIS building gets attacked

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan chastised President Trump for his threat to intervene if she did n't do something about the autonomous `` CHOP '' zone seized by radicals , breezily dismissing it as a `` summer of love . ''
She changed her mind , however , when the protesters showed up at her mansion .
A similar `` mugging '' appears to have changed the mind of a Seattle-based ESPN radio personality , Paul Gallant , who mocked the president for demanding that the rioting in the city stop , reported the Washington Examiner .
Last month , Gallant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , `` The terrorists burn and pillage our cities , and they think it is just wonderful , even the death . ''
TRENDING : Surprise !
Biden 's new slogan is actually stolen The radio host replied : `` Walked through it last night out of curiosity and saw no burning , pillaging , or deaths .
Chill dawg . ''
But this past weekend , when rioters set fire to a number of Seattle businesses and destroyed personal property , a Starbucks on the bottom floor of the building in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Came home to my apartment complex .
The Starbucks underneath has been destroyed , and cops are telling us to stay away in case something explosive is inside , '' he tweeted July 25 .
`` I feel like I need to buy a firearm , because clearly this is going to keep happening .
Enough is enough .
It looks like a block party down the street from me .
Really angry right now . ''
Trump has suggested the Democratic officials in Portland , along with the governor , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That ’ s the reason they don ’ t want us to help them , '' Trump said .
`` They 're afraid .
...
I really believe they 're actually , maybe even physically afraid of these people because what they 're doing is incredible . ''
Seattle 's police chief , Carmen Best , a black woman , has warned local businesses and residents that an ordinance passed by the City Council last week prevents police officers from protecting them .
It bans the use of less lethal tools to control @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pepper spray .
`` Simply put , the legislation gives officers no ability to safely intercede to preserve property in the midst of a large , violent crowd . ''
A federal judge temporarily blocked the ordinance on Friday .
But over the weekend , 59 Seattle police officers were injured in rioting .

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan chastised President Trump for his threat to intervene if she didn't do something about the autonomous "CHOP" zone seized by radicals, breezily dismissing it as a "summer of love."
She changed her mind, however, when the protesters showed up at her mansion.
A similar "mugging" appears to have changed the mind of a Seattle-based ESPN radio personality, Paul Gallant, who mocked the president for demanding that the rioting in the city stop, reported the Washington Examiner.
Last month, Gallant replied to a tweet in which Trump said, "The terrorists burn and pillage our cities, and they think it is just wonderful, even the death."
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
The radio host replied: "Walked through it last night out of curiosity and saw no burning, pillaging, or deaths. Chill dawg."
But this past weekend, when rioters set fire to a number of Seattle businesses and destroyed personal property, a Starbucks on the bottom floor of the building in which Gallant lives was among the victims.
"Came home to my apartment complex. The Starbucks underneath has been destroyed, and cops are telling us to stay away in case something explosive is inside," he tweeted July 25.
Do you expect those on the political left to change their tune if they become victims of the left? Yes No Completing this poll entitles you to WND news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use You're logged in to Facebook. Click here to log out. 71% (440 Votes) 29% (178 Votes)
"I feel like I need to buy a firearm, because clearly this is going to keep happening. Enough is enough. It looks like a block party down the street from me. Really angry right now."
Trump has suggested the Democratic officials in Portland, along with the governor, are afraid of the demonstrators.
"That’s the reason they don’t want us to help them," Trump said. "They're afraid. ... I really believe they're actually, maybe even physically afraid of these people because what they're doing is incredible."
Seattle's police chief, Carmen Best, a black woman, has warned local businesses and residents that an ordinance passed by the City Council last week prevents police officers from protecting them.
It bans the use of less lethal tools to control crowds that turn violent, such as pepper spray.
"Simply put, the legislation gives officers no ability to safely intercede to preserve property in the midst of a large, violent crowd."
A federal judge temporarily blocked the ordinance on Friday. But over the weekend, 59 Seattle police officers were injured in rioting.


wnd--2020-07-27--American 'Stormtroopers' – a bright shining lie

With the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse under nightly siege from violent radicals , and Portland 's police hard-pressed to protect it , President Trump sent in federal agents to secure the building .
The reaction from Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi : '' The use of stormtroopers under the guise of law and order is a tactic that is not appropriate to our country in any way . ''
Majority Whip James Clyburn endorsed the speaker 's equating of the U.S. law enforcement officers to Ernst Rohm 's SA thugs being deployed to do the dirty work @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the federal government to come into Portland .
Nobody asked them to come to Seattle , '' ranted Clyburn .
`` This is something that 's made up of whole cloth by this administration as an excuse for sending in stormtroopers to incite the people . ''
TRENDING : Surprise !
Biden 's new slogan is actually stolen Clyburn had earlier compared the U.S. officers sent to Portland to Heinrich Himmler 's Nazi secret police : `` This president and this attorney general seem to be doing everything they possibly can to impose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this is what I 've been warning about for a long time . ''
His Gestapo comparison recalls Sen. Abe Ribicoff 's denunciation of the Chicago police of Mayor Richard J. Daley during the 1968 Democratic National Convention , after police clashed with radicals in Grant Park : `` With George McGovern , we would n't have Gestapo tactics in the streets of Chicago ! ''
What do the men and women of the FBI , DEA , ICE , DHS , CBP and the U.S .
Marshals Service think of congressional leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Gestapo ?
Outraged that Trump sent in federal agents to protect a building they had under siege for weeks , the Portland mob came out in even greater numbers and rioted through the weekend .
Saturday night , there were solidarity riots with Portland in Seattle , Oakland , Austin , Richmond and other cities .
Consider the depth of hatred of Trump that would cause leaders of the Democratic Party to compare U.S. law enforcement to Nazis .
Still , to date , no apologies have been heard .
Yet , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ showered with debris , it is hard to see how this country reunites , and around what , no matter which party prevails in November .
In addition to the reigniting of protests and riots in urban centers , there has come , in tandem with demands to `` defund the police , '' a surge in violent crime .
Last week , Trump offered some staggering statistics : '' In New York City , over 300 people were shot in the last month alone , a 277 … percent increase over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Murders this year have spiked 27 percent in Philadelphia and 94 percent in Minneapolis compared to the same period in 2019 .
`` Perhaps no citizens have suffered more from the menace of violent crime than the wonderful people of Chicago .
… At least 414 people have been murdered in the city this year , a roughly 50 percent increase over last year .
More than 1,900 people have been shot .
These are numbers that are n't even to be believed . ''
As Black Lives Matter protests revive , ostensibly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a vastly disproportionate number of victims of these urban shootings and killings are black , as are a disproportionate number of the criminals doing the shooting and killing .
The New York Times suggests that a new `` Silent Majority '' of 2020 , unlike Richard Nixon 's Silent Majority of 1969 , backs the protesters and their causes .
A dissent : While the country was disgusted and outraged at George Floyd 's death from that cop kneeling on his neck , and supported the protests and the calls for police reform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ taken their toll .
When the protests turned into riots , when the looting and arson began , when the statues began to be pulled down , when the rampages went on and on for weeks and months after Floyd 's death , support began to wane .
And it is dissipating quickly .
The country is not going to sit still for three more months of this .
At some point soon , America is going to say : Enough is enough .
Moreover , Trump has turned a permanent presidential spotlight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and killings that go on year in and year out , and are now escalating , especially in poor black neighborhoods of major cities , and are accepted as normal by the same liberal Democrats who have misruled those cities for decades .
Trump has put this issue on the table for the indefinite future .
And the ferocity of the liberal reaction testifies to the validity of the issue and the terror of the left that a consistent stand for law and order – and with the cops who guarantee it against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ turn the tide in Middle America back to where it naturally resides .
The majority of Americans believe , and rightly so , that this is a good country .
And they will eventually tune out radicals who visibly hate its heroes and history and have on offer nothing but their own inchoate rage .

With the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse under nightly siege from violent radicals, and Portland's police hard-pressed to protect it, President Trump sent in federal agents to secure the building.
The reaction from Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi:
"The use of stormtroopers under the guise of law and order is a tactic that is not appropriate to our country in any way."
Majority Whip James Clyburn endorsed the speaker's equating of the U.S. law enforcement officers to Ernst Rohm's SA thugs being deployed to do the dirty work of Adolf Hitler.
"Nobody asked the federal government to come into Portland. Nobody asked them to come to Seattle," ranted Clyburn. "This is something that's made up of whole cloth by this administration as an excuse for sending in stormtroopers to incite the people."
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
Clyburn had earlier compared the U.S. officers sent to Portland to Heinrich Himmler's Nazi secret police: "This president and this attorney general seem to be doing everything they possibly can to impose Gestapo activities on local communities, and this is what I've been warning about for a long time."
His Gestapo comparison recalls Sen. Abe Ribicoff's denunciation of the Chicago police of Mayor Richard J. Daley during the 1968 Democratic National Convention, after police clashed with radicals in Grant Park: "With George McGovern, we wouldn't have Gestapo tactics in the streets of Chicago!"
What do the men and women of the FBI, DEA, ICE, DHS, CBP and the U.S. Marshals Service think of congressional leaders who equate them with Nazi stormtroopers and the Gestapo?
Outraged that Trump sent in federal agents to protect a building they had under siege for weeks, the Portland mob came out in even greater numbers and rioted through the weekend. Saturday night, there were solidarity riots with Portland in Seattle, Oakland, Austin, Richmond and other cities.
Consider the depth of hatred of Trump that would cause leaders of the Democratic Party to compare U.S. law enforcement to Nazis.
Still, to date, no apologies have been heard.
Yet, as police are again being cursed and showered with debris, it is hard to see how this country reunites, and around what, no matter which party prevails in November.
In addition to the reigniting of protests and riots in urban centers, there has come, in tandem with demands to "defund the police," a surge in violent crime. Last week, Trump offered some staggering statistics:
"In New York City, over 300 people were shot in the last month alone, a 277 … percent increase over the same period of a year ago. Murders this year have spiked 27 percent in Philadelphia and 94 percent in Minneapolis compared to the same period in 2019.
"Perhaps no citizens have suffered more from the menace of violent crime than the wonderful people of Chicago. … At least 414 people have been murdered in the city this year, a roughly 50 percent increase over last year. More than 1,900 people have been shot. These are numbers that aren't even to be believed."
As Black Lives Matter protests revive, ostensibly for greater justice for black folks, a vastly disproportionate number of victims of these urban shootings and killings are black, as are a disproportionate number of the criminals doing the shooting and killing.
The New York Times suggests that a new "Silent Majority" of 2020, unlike Richard Nixon's Silent Majority of 1969, backs the protesters and their causes.
A dissent: While the country was disgusted and outraged at George Floyd's death from that cop kneeling on his neck, and supported the protests and the calls for police reform, two months of leftist rampages have taken their toll.
When the protests turned into riots, when the looting and arson began, when the statues began to be pulled down, when the rampages went on and on for weeks and months after Floyd's death, support began to wane. And it is dissipating quickly.
The country is not going to sit still for three more months of this. At some point soon, America is going to say: Enough is enough.
Moreover, Trump has turned a permanent presidential spotlight on a real outrage: The shootings and killings that go on year in and year out, and are now escalating, especially in poor black neighborhoods of major cities, and are accepted as normal by the same liberal Democrats who have misruled those cities for decades.
Trump has put this issue on the table for the indefinite future. And the ferocity of the liberal reaction testifies to the validity of the issue and the terror of the left that a consistent stand for law and order – and with the cops who guarantee it against the mobs that threaten it – might turn the tide in Middle America back to where it naturally resides.
The majority of Americans believe, and rightly so, that this is a good country. And they will eventually tune out radicals who visibly hate its heroes and history and have on offer nothing but their own inchoate rage.


wnd--2020-07-28--Anti-Americanism: The new anti-Semitism

Anti-Americanism: The new anti-Semitism

What are the two most hated countries in the world ?
Who hates both America and Israel ?
And why is that ?
Why does the left ( not liberals , the left ) hate America and Israel ?
TRENDING : Radio host Charlamagne tells Biden 'Shut the f -- - up forever ' after calling Trump 1st racist president In `` Why the Jews ; The Reason for Antisemitism , '' a book I co-authored with Rabbi Joseph Telushkin in 1983 ( the latest edition was published in 2016 ) , we compared hatred of America with hatred of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It precisely explains what is happening in America today .
`` Perhaps the best way to understand the admiration and resentment elicited by the quality of Jewish life is to compare the reactions of the world to America 's quality of life .
No other country has so many people seeking to move there .
At the same time , no country , with the exception of Israel , is the target of so many hateful and false attacks .
`` The United States , because of its success and its ideals @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
How did America , a nation composed largely of those rejected by other societies ( 'The wretched refuse of your teeming shore ' declare the words at the base of the Statue of Liberty ) , become the most affluent , freest , most powerful , and most influential society in the world ?
Americans generally attribute this success to the values of America 's founding generations ( such as individual liberty , religious tolerance , Judeo-Christian morality , and secular government ) , to a work ethic , and to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ values .
Enemies of America attribute it to the country 's natural resources , just as many people attribute Jewish success to their natural resource , alleged greater innate intelligence .
Others claim that through capitalist exploitation , America cheated poorer countries , paralleling charges that Jewish success has been attained through economic 'bloodsucking . '
Still others develop an imperialist version of America 's past and present , similar to the anti-Jewish charge of a world Jewish conspiracy .
`` But the United States is hardly the only society with great natural @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least imperialistic of the world 's powers .
America 's values , not unfair resource distribution or world exploitation , have made the United States better , just as Judaism and its values , not genetic advantage or economic conspiracies , account for the quality of life led by Jews .
The two people 's quality of life has provoked similar reactions – many admire them , and many resent them . ''
Just like the Jews , America is hated because it is successful .
For over a century , it has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ world – in virtually every way .
If having had slavery was a real issue in the left 's anti-Americanism , the left would hate the Arab world and Latin American countries such as Brazil more than it hates the United States .
While The New York Times and other left-wing institutions are preoccupied with slavery in America , they ignore – out of ideological nonconcern or out of sheer ignorance – the vastly larger number of Africans enslaved by Muslim and South American nations .
Of the more than 12 million African @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only about 3 % – between 306,000 and 380,000 – were sent to the United States .
The other 97 % were sent to the Caribbean and Brazil .
And the slaves in the U.S. South lived longer and made larger families than the slaves of Latin America .
Yet , the U.S. is singled out for hatred .
Why ?
Because the left does n't resent Brazil .
Brazil is not an object of envy .
Likewise , there is no left-wing hatred of the Arab world , which enslaved far more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ combined did .
The internationally recognized expert on African history , Senegalese anthropologist Tidiane N'Diaye , wrote : `` Most people still have the so-called Transatlantic ( slave ) trade by Europeans into the New World in mind .
But in reality the Arab-Muslim slavery was much greater .
… The Arab Muslims were the most murderous of all those involved in the slave trade . ''
Part of that murderous treatment of African slaves involved castrating the males so they could not reproduce .
And the women and girls were traded as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anger at the Arab and Muslim world ?
There is , of course , none .
On the contrary , the left protects the Muslim and Arab world against moral criticism .
The left hates America for its success and influence on the world , just as anti-Semites hated Jews for their success and influence on the world .
The left does n't hate America because it is bad .
It hates America because it is good .
If the left hated evil , it would love America and hate its enemies .

What are the two most hated countries in the world?
America and Israel.
Who hates both America and Israel?
The left (and Islamists).
And why is that? Why does the left (not liberals, the left) hate America and Israel?
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
In "Why the Jews; The Reason for Antisemitism," a book I co-authored with Rabbi Joseph Telushkin in 1983 (the latest edition was published in 2016), we compared hatred of America with hatred of Jews.
This is what we wrote. It precisely explains what is happening in America today.
"Perhaps the best way to understand the admiration and resentment elicited by the quality of Jewish life is to compare the reactions of the world to America's quality of life. No other country has so many people seeking to move there. At the same time, no country, with the exception of Israel, is the target of so many hateful and false attacks.
"The United States, because of its success and its ideals, challenges many people throughout the world. How did America, a nation composed largely of those rejected by other societies ('The wretched refuse of your teeming shore' declare the words at the base of the Statue of Liberty), become the most affluent, freest, most powerful, and most influential society in the world? Americans generally attribute this success to the values of America's founding generations (such as individual liberty, religious tolerance, Judeo-Christian morality, and secular government), to a work ethic, and to the subsequent waves of immigrants who embraced these values. Enemies of America attribute it to the country's natural resources, just as many people attribute Jewish success to their natural resource, alleged greater innate intelligence. Others claim that through capitalist exploitation, America cheated poorer countries, paralleling charges that Jewish success has been attained through economic 'bloodsucking.' Still others develop an imperialist version of America's past and present, similar to the anti-Jewish charge of a world Jewish conspiracy.
"But the United States is hardly the only society with great natural resources, and it has been the least imperialistic of the world's powers. America's values, not unfair resource distribution or world exploitation, have made the United States better, just as Judaism and its values, not genetic advantage or economic conspiracies, account for the quality of life led by Jews. The two people's quality of life has provoked similar reactions – many admire them, and many resent them."
Just like the Jews, America is hated because it is successful. For over a century, it has been the most successful country in the world – in virtually every way. If having had slavery was a real issue in the left's anti-Americanism, the left would hate the Arab world and Latin American countries such as Brazil more than it hates the United States. While The New York Times and other left-wing institutions are preoccupied with slavery in America, they ignore – out of ideological nonconcern or out of sheer ignorance – the vastly larger number of Africans enslaved by Muslim and South American nations.
Of the more than 12 million African slaves shipped to the Western Hemisphere, only about 3% – between 306,000 and 380,000 – were sent to the United States. The other 97% were sent to the Caribbean and Brazil. And the slaves in the U.S. South lived longer and made larger families than the slaves of Latin America. Yet, the U.S. is singled out for hatred. Why? Because the left doesn't resent Brazil. Brazil is not an object of envy.
Likewise, there is no left-wing hatred of the Arab world, which enslaved far more blacks than the North and South Americas combined did. The internationally recognized expert on African history, Senegalese anthropologist Tidiane N'Diaye, wrote: "Most people still have the so-called Transatlantic (slave) trade by Europeans into the New World in mind. But in reality the Arab-Muslim slavery was much greater. … The Arab Muslims were the most murderous of all those involved in the slave trade." Part of that murderous treatment of African slaves involved castrating the males so they could not reproduce. And the women and girls were traded as sex slaves.
Where is the leftist anger at the Arab and Muslim world? There is, of course, none. On the contrary, the left protects the Muslim and Arab world against moral criticism.
The left hates America for its success and influence on the world, just as anti-Semites hated Jews for their success and influence on the world.
The left doesn't hate America because it is bad. It hates America because it is good. If the left hated evil, it would love America and hate its enemies.


wnd--2020-07-28--Protesters surround Virginia home of DHS chief

( ALXNOW ) -- Dozens of protestors demonstrated outside the Alexandria home of acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad @ @ @ @ @ called for him to end actions against protestors throughout the country by federal agents .
@ @ @ @ @ people who are wreaking havoc on this country , ” one protestor said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ these atrocities every day .
He ’ s not elected .
He ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ an acting appointee of Donald Trump… We will not be good Germans .
We will @ @ @ @ @ sat by and watched our neighbors commit these atrocities.
” Alexandria has had a number @ @ @ @ @ May 25 death of George Floyd at the hands of the police , however other @ @ @ @ @ Portland , Oregon , are currently being suppressed by federal agents at the direction of @ @ @ @ @ Fox News on Sunday defending the deployments .

(ALXNOW) -- Dozens of protestors demonstrated outside the Alexandria home of acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf on Sunday, and called for him to end actions against protestors throughout the country by federal agents.
“We live among the people who are wreaking havoc on this country,” one protestor said. “He goes out and commits these atrocities every day. He’s not elected. He’s not Senate confirmed. He is an acting appointee of Donald Trump… We will not be good Germans. We will not be the people who sat by and watched our neighbors commit these atrocities.”
Alexandria has had a number of peaceful protests since the May 25 death of George Floyd at the hands of the police, however other protests, such as in Portland, Oregon, are currently being suppressed by federal agents at the direction of Wolf, who appeared on Fox News on Sunday defending the deployments.
Read the full story ›


wnd--2020-07-28--'Ellen' under investigation by WarnerMedia

( VARIETY ) -- “ The Ellen DeGeneres Show ” has become the subject of an internal investigation by WarnerMedia @ @ @ @ @ problems on the long-running daytime series , Variety has learned .
Executives from show producer @ @ @ @ @ Television sent a memo to staffers last week saying they have engaged WBTV-owner WarnerMedia ’ @ @ @ @ @ a third party firm , who will interview current and former staffers about their experiences @ @ @ @ @ .
A Warner Bros. Television spokesperson declined to comment on the matter .
A rep @ @ @ @ @ Show ” did not immediately respond to Variety ‘ s request for comment .

(VARIETY) -- “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” has become the subject of an internal investigation by WarnerMedia following numerous accounts of workplace problems on the long-running daytime series, Variety has learned.
Executives from show producer Telepictures and distributor Warner Bros. Television sent a memo to staffers last week saying they have engaged WBTV-owner WarnerMedia’s employee relations group and a third party firm, who will interview current and former staffers about their experiences on set, said sources.
A Warner Bros. Television spokesperson declined to comment on the matter. A rep for “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” did not immediately respond to Variety‘s request for comment.
Read the full story ›


wnd--2020-07-29--State Supremes: Former pastor allowed to hand out information on juries

The Michigan Supreme Court on Tuesday reversed the sentence of a former pastor who was convicted by a lower court of jury tampering for handing out `` informational pamphlets '' about the rights of jurors .
Keith Wood had upset local judicial officials by handing out the pamphlets on the power jurors have to vote their conscience in accordance with the Michigan Criminal Jury Instructions guide .
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Biden 's new slogan is actually stolen He was ordered from the public sidewalk in front of the courthouse in Big Rapids , Michigan , where he was handing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to the legal team at the Kallman Legal Group , which represented him .
`` Mr. Wood was charged with tampering with a jury that did not exist .
On the day in question , Mr. Wood had no interaction with a single person who was a 'juror in any case , ' '' the legal team argued .
The state 's highest court said it agreed with Wood 's explanation that a person is not a juror until he or she actually participates in a case , such as taking the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jurors .
The court ruled : `` We hold that the individuals here who were merely summoned for jury duty had not yet participated in a case and were not jurors under [ the statute ] .
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.
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[ T ] he Legislature could have chosen a narrower definition of 'juror ' because of possible First Amendment concerns – such as those raised by [ Mr. Wood ] here .
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In sum , under [ the statute ] , an individual summoned for jury duty is not a juror @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the courthouse for jury duty . ''
Wood 's lawyers had argued : `` Citizens hold many differing political views , and they often hold them passionately .
They may express those views even in ways that offend government officials .
The price for our freedom is that we might be subjected to views that offend us .
Freedom of speech helps inform jurors of their right to vote their conscience and no anarchy traceable to this fundamental principle results from its exercise .
Our jury system is predicated upon responsible citizens @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' The ruling exempts Wood from serving the remaining 15 days in jail and paying the fine issued by the lower court .
`` My family and I are extremely excited and pleased there is still justice in our country today .
I look forward to moving on with my life without a criminal record for my exercise of free speech .
I am thankful for all the prayers and encouragement from our friends and supporters over the past five years , '' Wood said in a statement released by his lawyer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` We are grateful that the Supreme Court recognized the injustice of Mr. Wood ’ s criminal conviction under the plain language of the jury tampering statute .
Mr. Wood believes that freedom of speech leads to more justice and more freedom , not less , and that citizens are competent to shape their own opinions without the “ protection ” of government officials . ''
Wood had earned the support of groups as diverse as the libertarian Cato Institute and the left-wing American Civil Liberties Union .
The case began when he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mecosta County courthouse in November 2015 .
He was charged with a misdemeanor and a felony .
While the felony count was dismissed , he was convicted on the misdemeanor .
The Cato Institute stated : `` Mr. Wood was arrested and convicted for engaging in classic political advocacy ( peacefully distributing pamphlets ) in the quintessential public forum ( the sidewalk in front of a courthouse ) on a matter of public concern more ancient than Magna Carta , and at the heart of Anglo-Saxon law ( the rights , duties , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ One can well imagine why an English monarch might wish to suppress efforts to inform potential jurors of their power to resist tyranny by refusing to convict fellow citizens who had incurred the sovereign 's enmity ; what is – or should be – more surprising is American courts American sovereigns to suppress such speech on American soil . ''
The ACLU sounded a similar concern in a brief : `` If the government has discretion to punish speech it does n't like , none of us truly enjoys the freedom of speech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thomas Lyons `` went outside to investigate and speak with Mr .
Wood . ''
`` Lyons confronted Mr. Wood and instructed him that he should not share the information in the pamphlet on a public sidewalk .
Mecosta County District Court Judge Peter Jaklevic also took issue with Mr. Wood sharing information outside the courthouse and apparently discussed with Deputy Jeff Roberts and Prosecutor Brian Thiede how to stop Mr. Wood .
Judge Jaklevic ordered Deputy Roberts to go outside and bring Mr. Wood into the courthouse to speak with him .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Janet Erlandson and Prosecutor Thiede about Mr. Wood ’ s expressive activities .
Prosecutor Thiede directed Detective Erlandson and Deputy Roberts to bring Mr. Wood inside the courthouse to speak with Judge Jaklevic .
Detective Erlandson and Deputy Roberts confronted Mr. Wood outside on the public sidewalk and demanded to see his papers .
After being coerced by a threat of arrest by Deputy Roberts , Mr. Wood was escorted into the courthouse . ''
Inside the courthouse , Jaklevic , Thiede and Assistant Prosecutor Nathan Hull confronted Wood , and Jaklevic ordered @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report on jury nullification by the University of Missouri-Kansas City explains it occurs `` when a jury returns a verdict of 'Not Guilty ' despite its belief that the defendant is guilty of the violation charged . ''
`` The jury in effect nullifies a law that it believes is either immoral or wrongly applied to the defendant whose fate they are charged with deciding . ''
Such decisions were common during the era of slavery in the United States , when juries acquitted activists who helped runaway slaves .
`` Juries clearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they also have the right to nullify is another question , '' the report said .
`` Once a jury returns a verdict of 'Not Guilty , ' that verdict can not be questioned by any court and the 'double jeopardy ' clause of the Constitution prohibits a retrial on the same charge . ''
Early in the nation 's history , `` judges often informed jurors of their nullification right . ''
`` For example , our first Chief Justice , John Jay , told jurors , 'You have a right to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the facts and law ] . '
In 1805 , one of the charges against Justice Samuel Chase in his impeachment trial was that he wrongly prevented an attorney from arguing to a jury that the law should not be followed . ''
The brochures Wood handed out were from the Fully Information Jury Association .

The Michigan Supreme Court on Tuesday reversed the sentence of a former pastor who was convicted by a lower court of jury tampering for handing out "informational pamphlets" about the rights of jurors.
Keith Wood had upset local judicial officials by handing out the pamphlets on the power jurors have to vote their conscience in accordance with the Michigan Criminal Jury Instructions guide.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
He was ordered from the public sidewalk in front of the courthouse in Big Rapids, Michigan, where he was handing out the information to people entering, according to the legal team at the Kallman Legal Group, which represented him.
"Mr. Wood was charged with tampering with a jury that did not exist. On the day in question, Mr. Wood had no interaction with a single person who was a 'juror in any case,'" the legal team argued.
The state's highest court said it agreed with Wood's explanation that a person is not a juror until he or she actually participates in a case, such as taking the initial oath for jury questioning of potential jurors.
The court ruled: "We hold that the individuals here who were merely summoned for jury duty had not yet participated in a case and were not jurors under [the statute]. . . . [T]he Legislature could have chosen a narrower definition of 'juror' because of possible First Amendment concerns – such as those raised by [Mr. Wood] here . . . In sum, under [the statute], an individual summoned for jury duty is not a juror when he or she merely shows up at the courthouse for jury duty."
Wood's lawyers had argued: "Citizens hold many differing political views, and they often hold them passionately. They may express those views even in ways that offend government officials. The price for our freedom is that we might be subjected to views that offend us. Freedom of speech helps inform jurors of their right to vote their conscience and no anarchy traceable to this fundamental principle results from its exercise. Our jury system is predicated upon responsible citizens voting their conscience on a jury."
The ruling exempts Wood from serving the remaining 15 days in jail and paying the fine issued by the lower court.
"My family and I are extremely excited and pleased there is still justice in our country today. I look forward to moving on with my life without a criminal record for my exercise of free speech. I am thankful for all the prayers and encouragement from our friends and supporters over the past five years," Wood said in a statement released by his lawyer, David A. Kallman.
Kallman said: "We are grateful that the Supreme Court recognized the injustice of Mr. Wood’s criminal conviction under the plain language of the jury tampering statute. Mr. Wood believes that freedom of speech leads to more justice and more freedom, not less, and that citizens are competent to shape their own opinions without the “protection” of government officials."
Wood had earned the support of groups as diverse as the libertarian Cato Institute and the left-wing American Civil Liberties Union.
The case began when he handed out brochures in front of the Mecosta County courthouse in November 2015. He was charged with a misdemeanor and a felony. While the felony count was dismissed, he was convicted on the misdemeanor.
The Cato Institute stated: "Mr. Wood was arrested and convicted for engaging in classic political advocacy (peacefully distributing pamphlets) in the quintessential public forum (the sidewalk in front of a courthouse) on a matter of public concern more ancient than Magna Carta, and at the heart of Anglo-Saxon law (the rights, duties, and independence of citizen jurors). One can well imagine why an English monarch might wish to suppress efforts to inform potential jurors of their power to resist tyranny by refusing to convict fellow citizens who had incurred the sovereign's enmity; what is – or should be – more surprising is American courts American sovereigns to suppress such speech on American soil."
The ACLU sounded a similar concern in a brief: "If the government has discretion to punish speech it doesn't like, none of us truly enjoys the freedom of speech."
The confrontation developed when Magistrate Thomas Lyons "went outside to investigate and speak with Mr. Wood."
"Lyons confronted Mr. Wood and instructed him that he should not share the information in the pamphlet on a public sidewalk. Mecosta County District Court Judge Peter Jaklevic also took issue with Mr. Wood sharing information outside the courthouse and apparently discussed with Deputy Jeff Roberts and Prosecutor Brian Thiede how to stop Mr. Wood. Judge Jaklevic ordered Deputy Roberts to go outside and bring Mr. Wood into the courthouse to speak with him. Deputy Roberts also spoke with DNR Detective Janet Erlandson and Prosecutor Thiede about Mr. Wood’s expressive activities. Prosecutor Thiede directed Detective Erlandson and Deputy Roberts to bring Mr. Wood inside the courthouse to speak with Judge Jaklevic. Detective Erlandson and Deputy Roberts confronted Mr. Wood outside on the public sidewalk and demanded to see his papers. After being coerced by a threat of arrest by Deputy Roberts, Mr. Wood was escorted into the courthouse."
Inside the courthouse, Jaklevic, Thiede and Assistant Prosecutor Nathan Hull confronted Wood, and Jaklevic ordered him arrested for jury tampering.
A report on jury nullification by the University of Missouri-Kansas City explains it occurs "when a jury returns a verdict of 'Not Guilty' despite its belief that the defendant is guilty of the violation charged."
"The jury in effect nullifies a law that it believes is either immoral or wrongly applied to the defendant whose fate they are charged with deciding."
Such decisions were common during the era of slavery in the United States, when juries acquitted activists who helped runaway slaves.
"Juries clearly have the power to nullify; whether they also have the right to nullify is another question," the report said. "Once a jury returns a verdict of 'Not Guilty,' that verdict cannot be questioned by any court and the 'double jeopardy' clause of the Constitution prohibits a retrial on the same charge."
Early in the nation's history, "judges often informed jurors of their nullification right."
"For example, our first Chief Justice, John Jay, told jurors, 'You have a right to take upon yourselves to judge [both the facts and law].' In 1805, one of the charges against Justice Samuel Chase in his impeachment trial was that he wrongly prevented an attorney from arguing to a jury that the law should not be followed."
The brochures Wood handed out were from the Fully Information Jury Association.


wnd--2020-07-29--Left's willingness to tolerate violence should frighten all Americans

So goes the characterization of demonstrations that have routinely turned into looting and rioting for months on end , from Portland to Seattle to New York to Los Angeles .
`` Protesters in California set fire to a courthouse , damaged a police station and assaulted officers after a peaceful demonstration intensified , '' read one recent ABC News tweet .
CNN called protests in Portland `` mostly peaceful , '' adding that `` they have at times devolved into violence , vandalism , and arson . ''
During riots in Los Angeles in June , as the entire county @ @ @ @ @ @ @ noted , `` The third night of countywide curfews followed days of massive , mostly peaceful protests .
... Nearly 1,200 people were arrested Sunday after police officers clashed with demonstrators and looters shattered windows and emptied stores in Santa Monica and Long Beach . ''
The phrase `` mostly peaceful , '' then , is rather fungible .
Consider that during the tea party protests of 2011 , then-Vice President Joe Biden reportedly likened tea partiers to `` terrorists '' – and those protests were notable mostly for people cleaning up their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden 's new slogan is actually stolen When anti-lockdown protesters descended on the Michigan state capitol , a columnist for the New York Times labeled them `` armed rebels , '' despite a complete lack of violence .
When three white supremacists were arrested for plotting violence at a pro-gun rally , GQ 's Talia Lavin headlined `` That Pro-Gun Rally in Virginia Was n't Exactly 'Peaceful ' '' – even though the rally saw no violence .
In truth , the category of `` mostly peaceful '' is a brand-new invention meant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our cultural elites are fine with violence so long as those who engage in such violence have the proper goals .
Nikole Hannah-Jones , creator of the pseudo-historical 1619 Project , celebrated when critics labeled rioting and looting `` the 1619 riots '' ; she added that destruction of property was `` not violence . ''
This week , Democrats grilling Attorney General Bill Barr could not be bothered to condemn violence , prompting Barr to rant , `` What makes me concerned for the country is this is the first time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our great two political parties , the Democratic Party , are not coming out and condemning mob violence and the attack on federal courts . ''
This should come as little surprise , given that those same cultural elites have cheered on massive protests in a time of a deadly pandemic , explaining that sometimes politics is just too important to stop a raging disease .
Our journey back to the 1960s is nearly complete .
Too many Americans have rejected some of the key lessons of that time – that a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , that political change does not require violence – in favor of a newfound sense of purpose .
These Americans will pat the violent vanguard of revolution on the head , content that they will not pay the price , all the while maintaining that those who crave law and order stand for regressive autocracy .
Thus , Mayor Jenny Durkan of Seattle recently informed MSNBC that federal law enforcement attempting to stop destruction of federal property in Portland actually represented a `` dry run for martial law . ''
With Democrats and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cover for violent leftists , the thin veneer of civilization disintegrates .
When violence is excused as speech and speech by the opposition labeled violence , democracies die .
With each passing day of silence by those who should know better – or worse , those propagandizing on behalf of those who engage in criminal activity – America draws closer to the brink .

"Mostly peaceful."
So goes the characterization of demonstrations that have routinely turned into looting and rioting for months on end, from Portland to Seattle to New York to Los Angeles.
"Protesters in California set fire to a courthouse, damaged a police station and assaulted officers after a peaceful demonstration intensified," read one recent ABC News tweet.
CNN called protests in Portland "mostly peaceful," adding that "they have at times devolved into violence, vandalism, and arson." During riots in Los Angeles in June, as the entire county locked down, the Los Angeles Times noted, "The third night of countywide curfews followed days of massive, mostly peaceful protests. ... Nearly 1,200 people were arrested Sunday after police officers clashed with demonstrators and looters shattered windows and emptied stores in Santa Monica and Long Beach."
The phrase "mostly peaceful," then, is rather fungible. Consider that during the tea party protests of 2011, then-Vice President Joe Biden reportedly likened tea partiers to "terrorists" – and those protests were notable mostly for people cleaning up their own litter.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
When anti-lockdown protesters descended on the Michigan state capitol, a columnist for the New York Times labeled them "armed rebels," despite a complete lack of violence. When three white supremacists were arrested for plotting violence at a pro-gun rally, GQ's Talia Lavin headlined "That Pro-Gun Rally in Virginia Wasn't Exactly 'Peaceful'" – even though the rally saw no violence.
In truth, the category of "mostly peaceful" is a brand-new invention meant to obscure the simple fact that many of our cultural elites are fine with violence so long as those who engage in such violence have the proper goals.
Nikole Hannah-Jones, creator of the pseudo-historical 1619 Project, celebrated when critics labeled rioting and looting "the 1619 riots"; she added that destruction of property was "not violence."
This week, Democrats grilling Attorney General Bill Barr could not be bothered to condemn violence, prompting Barr to rant, "What makes me concerned for the country is this is the first time in my memory the leaders of one of our great two political parties, the Democratic Party, are not coming out and condemning mob violence and the attack on federal courts." This should come as little surprise, given that those same cultural elites have cheered on massive protests in a time of a deadly pandemic, explaining that sometimes politics is just too important to stop a raging disease.
Our journey back to the 1960s is nearly complete. Too many Americans have rejected some of the key lessons of that time – that a breakdown in law and order costs lives, that political change does not require violence – in favor of a newfound sense of purpose. These Americans will pat the violent vanguard of revolution on the head, content that they will not pay the price, all the while maintaining that those who crave law and order stand for regressive autocracy.
Thus, Mayor Jenny Durkan of Seattle recently informed MSNBC that federal law enforcement attempting to stop destruction of federal property in Portland actually represented a "dry run for martial law."
With Democrats and those in the media willing to run cover for violent leftists, the thin veneer of civilization disintegrates. When violence is excused as speech and speech by the opposition labeled violence, democracies die. With each passing day of silence by those who should know better – or worse, those propagandizing on behalf of those who engage in criminal activity – America draws closer to the brink.