wnd--2020-09-19--'Only institutions can save us'

'Only institutions can save us'

[ Editor 's note : This story originally was published by Real Clear Politics . ]
It ’ s not good for man to be alone , yet modern life conspires to produce just such a condition .
“ Social distancing ” is more than just a response to a pandemic ; it is the centrifugal force in modern life .
Americans play their part in this maddening development by forever being on the go .
Nothing , and no one , sits still .
We measure our friendships not in the present tense but by whether we keep in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is connected , yet because we are forever in motion , we make few connections .
Man , the lonely animal .
This paradox of modern life is not new .
It was first brought to our attention in 1835 by Alexis de Tocqueville ’ s masterpiece , “ Democracy in America.
” Since the mid-20th century , countless studies of the personal and social consequences of this dynamic in American life have made some central observations : first , no healthy society can be produced and maintained if we live isolated from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not , by itself , solve this problem ; and third , only healthy institutions -- family , civic associations , religious associations , and political arrangements that encourage them to thrive -- can give us what we need to build communities together .
To overstate the matter somewhat : only institutions can save us .
Why , then , amid the slow but seemingly relentless pace of institutional collapse , have America ’ s two political parties been so negligent in addressing it ?
Republicans have much to answer for here @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently , Republicans worshipped at the altar of “ the free market.
” Market commerce is a wonderful thing .
Through it , lives are enriched , poverty is diminished , competence is developed , and communities are fortified .
“ Market efficiency , ” however , can not be the sole criteria for social policy without disastrous consequences .
Money is important , but it is not the measure of all things .
A country where the GDP keeps growing may look healthy if we are only counting money .
But how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if huge inequalities of wealth accompany that growth ?
Or if small business owners -- the economy ’ s heart and soul -- are driven to ruin by it ?
Politics is the art of balancing competing demands , not the science of applying one criterion -- market efficiency -- at the expense of all others .
Notwithstanding political slogans like “ family values , ” Republicans have done just that .
None of our most vital institutions can survive if money is the measure of all things .
We do not live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the market .
The Democratic Party has much to answer for , too .
Its current infatuation with identity politics is a reverse image of the now-discredited Republican fixation on the free market .
Democrats declare that the measure of all things is one ’ s identity status in the invisible economy of transgression and innocence .
If you ’ re “ white , ” you are a transgressor ; if you ’ re “ black , ” “ Hispanic , ” “ LGBTQ , ” or any “ intersectional ” combination of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ innocents .
Here is a truly disastrous social accounting system .
What both paradigms have in common is their treatment of citizens as abstractions rather than as persons .
Republicans once saw citizens as ciphers for monetary value ; Democrats now see them as ciphers of abstract “ identities.
” This spurious formulation devalues how citizens really live and ignores the institutional challenges they face .
Republicans harmed those institutions less through malice than through neglect -- a willed ignorance about what ’ s really needed for political and social health .
Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more harm at the moment .
When , say , the institutions of family and religion are attacked as artifacts of “ whiteness ” or “ patriarchy , ” the result will not be better institutions , but rather the destruction of these institutions .
That is precisely what some Democrats say they intend to accomplish .
The burden of each generation is to mediate between past and future , not to destroy the past in order to secure a future .
Democratic adherents of identity politics see the past as irredeemably stained @ @ @ @ @ @ @ invoke the fashionable phrase .
But if we trample on our past , we will trample on our future , too .
What do our fragile institutions still have to teach us ?
The art of ruling and of being ruled .
In our woke age , this idea sounds harsh to some ears , so let ’ s rephrase it : we learn the give and take of human affairs .
This is an art , not a science , which is to say that we learn it by doing , whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ institutions , in our informal civic associations , or in our local political life .
We watch , we speak up , we listen , we lead , we follow , we act , we desist from acting .
Through all this , our character is developed , and our judgments are formed .
Some of us will be very good at it ; some not .
If we are to take seriously the idea that we are citizens , equal under the laws , then learning the art of ruling and being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of success in this democratic age .
No book can teach it .
No state can secure it .
Only life lived in our institutions can help us master it .
Is it any wonder , then , that as these institutions whither , we witness deeply distorted expressions of ruling and being ruled ?
Rather than learning humane ways of mastering this art , we observe a citizenry that alternates in a seemingly bipolar fashion between riotous violence in the name of social justice and deferential and unquestioning obedience to the state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ When the art of ruling and being ruled is not learned in humane form in our institutions , then it will appear in inhumane form outside these institutions -- where it becomes the despotic art of mastery and servitude .
Much work lies ahead .
Failed ideas , both Republican and Democratic , have played a role in causing the damage .
In the spirit of a new consensus , let us rethink the importance of our institutions and recommit to fortifying them .
Joshua Mitchell is a professor at Georgetown University .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ and citizens recently made common cause in an Open Letter published on RealClearPolitics .
This article is part of an ongoing `` Liberty and Justice for All [ Editor 's note : This story originally was published by Real Clear Politics . ]

[Editor's note: This story originally was published by Real Clear Politics.]
By Joshua Mitchell
Real Clear Politics
It’s not good for man to be alone, yet modern life conspires to produce just such a condition. “Social distancing” is more than just a response to a pandemic; it is the centrifugal force in modern life. Americans play their part in this maddening development by forever being on the go. Nothing, and no one, sits still. We measure our friendships not in the present tense but by whether we keep in touch after we move away. Everyone is connected, yet because we are forever in motion, we make few connections. Man, the lonely animal.
This paradox of modern life is not new. It was first brought to our attention in 1835 by Alexis de Tocqueville’s masterpiece, “Democracy in America.” Since the mid-20th century, countless studies of the personal and social consequences of this dynamic in American life have made some central observations: first, no healthy society can be produced and maintained if we live isolated from one another; second, the state cannot, by itself, solve this problem; and third, only healthy institutions -- family, civic associations, religious associations, and political arrangements that encourage them to thrive -- can give us what we need to build communities together.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
To overstate the matter somewhat: only institutions can save us. Why, then, amid the slow but seemingly relentless pace of institutional collapse, have America’s two political parties been so negligent in addressing it?
Republicans have much to answer for here. From the Reagan era until fairly recently, Republicans worshipped at the altar of “the free market.” Market commerce is a wonderful thing. Through it, lives are enriched, poverty is diminished, competence is developed, and communities are fortified. “Market efficiency,” however, cannot be the sole criteria for social policy without disastrous consequences. Money is important, but it is not the measure of all things. A country where the GDP keeps growing may look healthy if we are only counting money. But how healthy is our country, really, if huge inequalities of wealth accompany that growth? Or if small business owners -- the economy’s heart and soul -- are driven to ruin by it? Politics is the art of balancing competing demands, not the science of applying one criterion -- market efficiency -- at the expense of all others. Notwithstanding political slogans like “family values,” Republicans have done just that. None of our most vital institutions can survive if money is the measure of all things. We do not live in a market; we go to the market.
The Democratic Party has much to answer for, too. Its current infatuation with identity politics is a reverse image of the now-discredited Republican fixation on the free market. Democrats declare that the measure of all things is one’s identity status in the invisible economy of transgression and innocence. If you’re “white,” you are a transgressor; if you’re “black,” “Hispanic,” “LGBTQ,” or any “intersectional” combination of them, you are counted among the innocents. Here is a truly disastrous social accounting system. What both paradigms have in common is their treatment of citizens as abstractions rather than as persons.
Republicans once saw citizens as ciphers for monetary value; Democrats now see them as ciphers of abstract “identities.” This spurious formulation devalues how citizens really live and ignores the institutional challenges they face. Republicans harmed those institutions less through malice than through neglect -- a willed ignorance about what’s really needed for political and social health. Democrats, I fear, are doing incalculably more harm at the moment. When, say, the institutions of family and religion are attacked as artifacts of “whiteness” or “patriarchy,” the result will not be better institutions, but rather the destruction of these institutions. That is precisely what some Democrats say they intend to accomplish.
The burden of each generation is to mediate between past and future, not to destroy the past in order to secure a future. Democratic adherents of identity politics see the past as irredeemably stained -- “systemically racist,” to invoke the fashionable phrase. But if we trample on our past, we will trample on our future, too.
What do our fragile institutions still have to teach us? The art of ruling and of being ruled. In our woke age, this idea sounds harsh to some ears, so let’s rephrase it: we learn the give and take of human affairs. This is an art, not a science, which is to say that we learn it by doing, whether in family life, in our religious institutions, in our informal civic associations, or in our local political life. We watch, we speak up, we listen, we lead, we follow, we act, we desist from acting. Through all this, our character is developed, and our judgments are formed. Some of us will be very good at it; some not.
If we are to take seriously the idea that we are citizens, equal under the laws, then learning the art of ruling and being ruled must be the most important measure of success in this democratic age. No book can teach it. No state can secure it. Only life lived in our institutions can help us master it. Is it any wonder, then, that as these institutions whither, we witness deeply distorted expressions of ruling and being ruled? Rather than learning humane ways of mastering this art, we observe a citizenry that alternates in a seemingly bipolar fashion between riotous violence in the name of social justice and deferential and unquestioning obedience to the state in the name of public safety. When the art of ruling and being ruled is not learned in humane form in our institutions, then it will appear in inhumane form outside these institutions -- where it becomes the despotic art of mastery and servitude.
Much work lies ahead. Failed ideas, both Republican and Democratic, have played a role in causing the damage. In the spirit of a new consensus, let us rethink the importance of our institutions and recommit to fortifying them.
Joshua Mitchell is a professor at Georgetown University. He and over 1,000 similarly concerned scholars and citizens recently made common cause in an Open Letter published on RealClearPolitics. This article is part of an ongoing "Liberty and Justice for All
[Editor's note: This story originally was published by Real Clear Politics.]


wnd--2020-09-19--Arsonists found to be behind number of West Coast blazes, authorities say

Summer has been very hot in the U.S. as parts of the West Coast are literally burning with wildfires .
Some say climate change is the problem , but law enforcement agencies are discovering some of these fires to be man-made .
In Oregon , Washington and California , we 've seen multiple arrests and charges for arson in September so far .
Three men have been charged for arson in Oregon .
Two of the fires set have caused great devastation over many acres of forest and Oregonian homes .
ABC News reported that Michael Jarrod Bakkela , 41 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 15 counts of criminal mischief and 14 counts of reckless endangering for a fire that was set [ Sept. 8 ] in the Phoenix area in southern Oregon . ''
Police believe the fire caused by Bakkela compounded on the already burning Alameda Fire , bringing the destruction of `` numerous homes . ''
The News Tribune of Tacoma , Washington , reported the arrest and charge of Elias Newton Pendergrass , 44 , on Sept. 1 for a fire near Mapleton , Oregon .
He `` faces a charge of first-degree @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have destroyed more than 500 acres and caused emergency evacuations .
The Hill reported yet another first-degree arson charge against Jason Maas , 44 , who `` allegedly started a fire in the woods near the frisbee golf course at Dexter State Recreation Area on [ Sept .
9 ] . ''
`` We are thankful for the community members who spotted and extinguished the fire before it was able to hurt anyone or cause any structure damage , '' the Lane County Sheriff 's Office said .
In Washington , `` Puyallup @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Puyallup man [ Sept. 9 ] for allegedly starting a large brushfire which temporarily shut down state Route 167 and several ramps near Meridian Avenue , '' KIRO-TV reported .
Luckily , the fire was stopped before any damage was done to a nearby business .
And on Sept. 7 , according to KION-TV , a woman named Anita Esquivel , 37 , was `` booked into the Monterey County Jail [ for ] arson '' in Salinas , California .
None of these arsonists have any proven connection with one another or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as of now .
But why is there such an interest in burning American forests and neighborhoods ?
We 've seen the glorification of Black Lives Matter 's violent behavior by both the media and leftist politicians as some way of furthering an anti-America narrative -- that American culture needs transformation that must be done by Democrats .
So what liberal narrative could the persistent presence of wildfires push ?
Well , California Gov .
Gavin Newsom , per his pre-recorded speech for the Democratic National Convention , used the California fires as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change but also as justification to protect incoming federal funding in light of President Trump 's alleged threats to cut them .
`` Climate change is real , '' said Newsom .
`` If you are in denial about climate change , come to California ... Just today the president of the United States threatened the state of California ... to defund our efforts on wildfire suppression because he said we had n't raked enough leaves . ''
Hammering on his political point , Newsom continued : `` There is so much at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us resolve ... that we do everything in our power to get Joe Biden and Kamala Harris into the White House in January 2021 . ''
Climate change has been one of many partisan wedges used in an attempt to funnel votes for the Biden-Harris presidential campaign .
How convenient it is that America wildly burns during an election year .
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal .

Summer has been very hot in the U.S. as parts of the West Coast are literally burning with wildfires.
Some say climate change is the problem, but law enforcement agencies are discovering some of these fires to be man-made.
In Oregon, Washington and California, we've seen multiple arrests and charges for arson in September so far.
Three men have been charged for arson in Oregon. Two of the fires set have caused great devastation over many acres of forest and Oregonian homes.
ABC News reported that Michael Jarrod Bakkela, 41, received "two charges of arson, 15 counts of criminal mischief and 14 counts of reckless endangering for a fire that was set [Sept. 8] in the Phoenix area in southern Oregon."
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
Police believe the fire caused by Bakkela compounded on the already burning Alameda Fire, bringing the destruction of "numerous homes."
The News Tribune of Tacoma, Washington, reported the arrest and charge of Elias Newton Pendergrass, 44, on Sept. 1 for a fire near Mapleton, Oregon. He "faces a charge of first-degree arson." The Sweet Creek Fires have destroyed more than 500 acres and caused emergency evacuations.
The Hill reported yet another first-degree arson charge against Jason Maas, 44, who "allegedly started a fire in the woods near the frisbee golf course at Dexter State Recreation Area on [Sept. 9]."
"We are thankful for the community members who spotted and extinguished the fire before it was able to hurt anyone or cause any structure damage," the Lane County Sheriff's Office said.
@LaneSheriffOR has arrested 44 year old Jonathan Maas in connection with a brush fire (~5ft in diameter) set in the Dexter area on 9/9/20. Thank you to the kind folks who spotted the fire and extinguished it! (This incident is NOT related to the Holiday Farm/McK fire.) pic.twitter.com/Ld4H35nqFR — Lane County Sheriff (@LaneSheriffOR) September 11, 2020
In Washington, "Puyallup police and state troopers arrested a 36-year-old Puyallup man [Sept. 9] for allegedly starting a large brushfire which temporarily shut down state Route 167 and several ramps near Meridian Avenue," KIRO-TV reported.
Joint team effort!! WSP, Fife Pd and Puyallup PD just arrested a 36yr old Puyallup resident. He was caught in the median on SR-167@ Meridian setting a fire! He is currently on his way to jail! Great job everybody!#playstupidgames pic.twitter.com/8N3wHcT5kJ — Trooper Ryan Burke (@wspd1pio) September 9, 2020
Luckily, the fire was stopped before any damage was done to a nearby business.
And on Sept. 7, according to KION-TV, a woman named Anita Esquivel, 37, was "booked into the Monterey County Jail [for] arson" in Salinas, California.
None of these arsonists have any proven connection with one another or any identifiable political motive for their crimes as of now. But why is there such an interest in burning American forests and neighborhoods?
We've seen the glorification of Black Lives Matter's violent behavior by both the media and leftist politicians as some way of furthering an anti-America narrative -- that American culture needs transformation that must be done by Democrats.
So what liberal narrative could the persistent presence of wildfires push?
Well, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, per his pre-recorded speech for the Democratic National Convention, used the California fires as not only a case for proving climate change but also as justification to protect incoming federal funding in light of President Trump's alleged threats to cut them.
"Climate change is real," said Newsom. "If you are in denial about climate change, come to California ... Just today the president of the United States threatened the state of California ... to defund our efforts on wildfire suppression because he said we hadn't raked enough leaves."
Hammering on his political point, Newsom continued: "There is so much at stake in this election ... so let us resolve ... that we do everything in our power to get Joe Biden and Kamala Harris into the White House in January 2021."
Climate change has been one of many partisan wedges used in an attempt to funnel votes for the Biden-Harris presidential campaign.
How convenient it is that America wildly burns during an election year.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.


wnd--2020-09-19--Sen. Warren trips over 15th Amendment, demands all citizens be given right to vote

Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts is pretty much a long shot to be Joe Biden 's running mate on the Democratic ticket this year ; those odds became even longer this week when , while pulling out of contention herself , Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar made it clear she thought Biden should pick a woman of color .
Jokes aside about whether being 1/1024th Native American puts Warren in the running , Klobuchar became the latest of the class of 2020 Democratic also-rans to toss Warren under the bus on their way out .
It seems that even as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this summer , one of its standard-bearers is receding from public view .
Statements like this probably are n't going to help , either .
Take this video , in which Warren calls for a constitutional amendment that already exists : An emphatic Warren , straight off the bat : `` We need a constitutional amendment guaranteeing every United States citizen the right to vote and to have that vote counted . ''
This is curious , inasmuch as the 15th Amendment essentially says just that .
While it does n't ban federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights , it does prohibit those governments from implementing restrictions based on `` race , color , or previous condition of servitude . ''
In essence , it was meant to guarantee former slaves the right to vote : '' Section 1 : The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race , color , or previous condition of servitude .
`` Section 2 : The Congress shall have power to enforce this article @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Elizabeth Warren was paid more than $ 400,000 to teach law at Harvard in 2010-11 , according to The Associated Press , but forgot the 15th Amendment was still in effect and has been since 1870 .
While it took quite a while for the words of the amendment to be effectively true -- the Voting Rights Act of 1965 ended the poll taxes and literacy tests rampant in Democrat-controlled Dixie at the time -- the amendment has been part of the Constitution for 150 years .
Of course , this is n't @ @ @ @ @ @ @ next breath , she says it 's time `` to restore the Voting Rights Act and overturn every racist voter suppression law . ''
The Voting Rights Act is still a piece of very active legislation , mind you ; what she means is she wants to overturn Shelby County v. Holder , the 2013 Supreme Court case that held a provision of the Voting Rights Act , which required certain states and jurisdictions to apply to the federal government before they made changes to their voting procedures , was unconstitutional given that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ almost a half-century old .
And when Warren talks about `` every racist voter suppression law , '' note that she also is n't just talking about voter identification laws , the old bogeyman for the left when talking about voter suppression .
Instead , any legislation that results in fewer voters than the Democrats think will fall their way is prima facie racist .
Let 's consider closely the case of Stacey Abrams .
Abrams , the 2018 Democratic gubernatorial candidate in Georgia , has long contended that so-called `` voter suppression @ @ @ @ @ @ @ race to Brian Kemp .
Her supporters have challenged the laws as `` racist . ''
Let 's leave aside the fact that it 's hardly clear Abrams would have won in the absence of this legislation .
There are two laws in particular that the Democrats have come down hard upon : an exact-match law and a law that purges certain voters .
The former law states that the information on your voter registration application -- name , date of birth , etc .
-- must exactly match state records .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state that this information needs to be corrected .
If you do n't respond , your registration application is invalid .
The latter law , which was passed by a Democratic state legislature , involves mechanisms by which voters are removed from the state voter rolls .
Many voters are removed because they 've been convicted of felonies or moved away from the state , but most of them have been removed because of the `` use it or lose it '' provision .
Essentially , if you had n't voted for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respond to a state notice that asked you whether you wanted to stay on the rolls , you were removed .
These were the laws that were deemed `` racist '' by Abrams ' supporters .
While part of this was the fact they were enforced under the supervision of now-Gov .
Kemp while he was secretary of state , it 's difficult to contend that these provisions specifically targeted people of color .
Yet , when Warren says she wants a constitutional amendment that will wrestle with `` every racist voter suppression @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she 's talking about .
This should n't really be news .
Warren 's recycling one of her campaign promises , in which she promised the right-to-vote amendment and a plan to federalize elections so that control was taken out of the hands of local governments .
However , part of politics is having a certain genius for repackaging your ideas when the moment hits , which is exactly what Warren is doing here .
The Massachusetts senator is using the recent protests to remind Democrats that while she has `` never experienced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the oppression and the pain that confronts black Americans ... none of us can ignore what is happening in this country . ''
`` We can not just be allies .
We must be anti-racists , '' she says in the video .
And that 's what the Republican lawmakers of the post Civil War era did when they ratified the 15th Amendment , and what bipartisan lawmakers did when they passed the Voting Rights Act in 1965 .
Both of them are still operative and the nebulous changes Warren is describing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ immediate future .
They 're not going to make her any more attractive as a running mate , either .
Of the issues voters will be concerned with this November , enacting a new 15th Amendment wo n't be one of them .
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal .
CORRECTION , June 21 , 2020 : This article originally misstated now-Georgia Gov .
Brian Kemp 's previous position in state government .
He was secretary of state .
UPDATE , Sept. 19 , 2020 : This article has been updated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does n't ban federal and state governments from ever restricting voting rights , it does prohibit those governments from implementing restrictions based on `` race , color , or previous condition of servitude . ''
Thus , it was meant to serve as a guarantee that former slaves ' voting rights could not be restricted due to the color of their skin , their ethnicity or their status as former slaves .

Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts is pretty much a long shot to be Joe Biden's running mate on the Democratic ticket this year; those odds became even longer this week when, while pulling out of contention herself, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar made it clear she thought Biden should pick a woman of color.
Jokes aside about whether being 1/1024th Native American puts Warren in the running, Klobuchar became the latest of the class of 2020 Democratic also-rans to toss Warren under the bus on their way out.
It seems that even as the progressivism seems to be having Its Moment this summer, one of its standard-bearers is receding from public view.
Statements like this probably aren't going to help, either. Take this video, in which Warren calls for a constitutional amendment that already exists:
Sen. Elizabeth Warren: "We cannot just be allies. We must be anti-racists." pic.twitter.com/ByBSWQRpZp — The Hill (@thehill) June 19, 2020
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
An emphatic Warren, straight off the bat: "We need a constitutional amendment guaranteeing every United States citizen the right to vote and to have that vote counted."
This is curious, inasmuch as the 15th Amendment essentially says just that. While it doesn't ban federal and state governments from ever restricting voting rights, it does prohibit those governments from implementing restrictions based on "race, color, or previous condition of servitude."
In essence, it was meant to guarantee former slaves the right to vote:
"Section 1: The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
"Section 2: The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation."
Yes, Elizabeth Warren was paid more than $400,000 to teach law at Harvard in 2010-11, according to The Associated Press, but forgot the 15th Amendment was still in effect and has been since 1870. While it took quite a while for the words of the amendment to be effectively true -- the Voting Rights Act of 1965 ended the poll taxes and literacy tests rampant in Democrat-controlled Dixie at the time -- the amendment has been part of the Constitution for 150 years.
Of course, this isn't quite what Warren means. In the next breath, she says it's time "to restore the Voting Rights Act and overturn every racist voter suppression law."
The Voting Rights Act is still a piece of very active legislation, mind you; what she means is she wants to overturn Shelby County v. Holder, the 2013 Supreme Court case that held a provision of the Voting Rights Act, which required certain states and jurisdictions to apply to the federal government before they made changes to their voting procedures, was unconstitutional given that it was based on conditions that were almost a half-century old.
And when Warren talks about "every racist voter suppression law," note that she also isn't just talking about voter identification laws, the old bogeyman for the left when talking about voter suppression.
Instead, any legislation that results in fewer voters than the Democrats think will fall their way is prima facie racist. Let's consider closely the case of Stacey Abrams.
Abrams, the 2018 Democratic gubernatorial candidate in Georgia, has long contended that so-called "voter suppression" laws led to her losing the race to Brian Kemp. Her supporters have challenged the laws as "racist."
Let's leave aside the fact that it's hardly clear Abrams would have won in the absence of this legislation. There are two laws in particular that the Democrats have come down hard upon: an exact-match law and a law that purges certain voters.
The former law states that the information on your voter registration application -- name, date of birth, etc. -- must exactly match state records. If not, you're notified by the state that this information needs to be corrected. If you don't respond, your registration application is invalid.
The latter law, which was passed by a Democratic state legislature, involves mechanisms by which voters are removed from the state voter rolls. Many voters are removed because they've been convicted of felonies or moved away from the state, but most of them have been removed because of the "use it or lose it" provision. Essentially, if you hadn't voted for a period of years and you didn't respond to a state notice that asked you whether you wanted to stay on the rolls, you were removed.
These were the laws that were deemed "racist" by Abrams' supporters. While part of this was the fact they were enforced under the supervision of now-Gov. Kemp while he was secretary of state, it's difficult to contend that these provisions specifically targeted people of color.
Yet, when Warren says she wants a constitutional amendment that will wrestle with "every racist voter suppression law," this is probably what she's talking about.
This shouldn't really be news. Warren's recycling one of her campaign promises, in which she promised the right-to-vote amendment and a plan to federalize elections so that control was taken out of the hands of local governments.
However, part of politics is having a certain genius for repackaging your ideas when the moment hits, which is exactly what Warren is doing here. The Massachusetts senator is using the recent protests to remind Democrats that while she has "never experienced and can never truly understand the fear, the oppression and the pain that confronts black Americans ... none of us can ignore what is happening in this country."
"We cannot just be allies. We must be anti-racists," she says in the video.
And that's what the Republican lawmakers of the post Civil War era did when they ratified the 15th Amendment, and what bipartisan lawmakers did when they passed the Voting Rights Act in 1965.
Both of them are still operative and the nebulous changes Warren is describing have no chance of happening in the immediate future. They're not going to make her any more attractive as a running mate, either.
Of the issues voters will be concerned with this November, enacting a new 15th Amendment won't be one of them.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
CORRECTION, June 21, 2020: This article originally misstated now-Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp's previous position in state government. He was secretary of state.
UPDATE, Sept. 19, 2020: This article has been updated to note that while the 15th Amendment doesn't ban federal and state governments from ever restricting voting rights, it does prohibit those governments from implementing restrictions based on "race, color, or previous condition of servitude." Thus, it was meant to serve as a guarantee that former slaves' voting rights could not be restricted due to the color of their skin, their ethnicity or their status as former slaves.


wnd--2020-09-19--Rumor Romney said he wouldn't confirm SCOTUS pick spreads on Twitter, spox shuts it down

A spokeswoman for Sen. Mitt Romney is disputing a report claiming that the Utah lawmaker and former GOP presidential nominee would refrain from voting to confirm a replacement for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg before Inauguration Day 2021 .
Immediately after news broke of Ginsburg ’ s death on Friday evening , the conversation shifted toward whether President Donald Trump would move to quickly fill the seat she vacated .
Within hours , Romney was reported to have said he would not confirm a nominee to replace Ginsburg until after Jan. 20 .
Former Utah state Sen. Jim Dabakis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than 18,000 times : “ BREAKING : A high-level Romney insider tells me Mitt Romney has committed to not confirming a Supreme Court nominee until after Inauguration Day 2021.
” Debakis used the tag # Mittrevenge in an apparent reference to the contentious relationship between Romney and many of his GOP colleagues in Washington , including the president .
However , after Debakis reported that Romney was opposed to the idea of filling Ginsburg ’ s seat before next January , Romney ’ s communications director contradicted that claim .
Liz Johnson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and also @ JimDabakis : Unless your name is Mitt Romney or you ’ re his spokesperson , you do not speak for Mitt Romney.
” Romney joined Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska Friday as GOP senators who were reported to already be shooting down the idea of voting to confirm a replacement for Ginsburg on the Supreme Court before the election .
Murkowski said in an interview published before news of Ginsburg ’ s death that she would be opposed to confirming a high court nominee so close to Election Day .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the senator said she would “ not vote to confirm a Supreme Court nominee '' because she felt “ that was too close to an election and that the people needed to decide . ''
“ We are 50-some days away from an election , and the good news for us is that all of our Supreme Court justices are in good health and doing their job .
And we pray that they are able to continue that , ” she said during an interview with Alaska Public Media .
While it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or others stood on the issue as of Saturday morning , President Donald Trump indicated Saturday that Republicans must move forward on filling the Supreme Court vacancy .
“ We were put in this position of power and importance to make decisions for the people who so proudly elected us , the most important of which has long been considered to be the selection of United States Supreme Court Justices , ” Trump tweeted .
“ We have this obligation , without delay !
” the president added .
Senate Majority Leader Mitch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forth a nominee , the Senate will vote .
“ In the last midterm election before Justice [ Antonin ] Scalia ’ s death in 2016 , Americans elected a Republican Senate majority because we pledged to check and balance the last days of a lame-duck president ’ s second term , ” he said .
“ We kept our promise .
Since the 1880s , no Senate has confirmed an opposite-party president ’ s Supreme Court nominee in a presidential election year .
“ By contrast , Americans reelected our majority in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we pledged to work with President Trump and support his agenda , particularly his outstanding appointments to the federal judiciary , ” the Senate majority leader added .
“ Once again , we will keep our promise.
” This article appeared originally on The Western Journal .

A spokeswoman for Sen. Mitt Romney is disputing a report claiming that the Utah lawmaker and former GOP presidential nominee would refrain from voting to confirm a replacement for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg before Inauguration Day 2021.
Immediately after news broke of Ginsburg’s death on Friday evening, the conversation shifted toward whether President Donald Trump would move to quickly fill the seat she vacated.
Within hours, Romney was reported to have said he would not confirm a nominee to replace Ginsburg until after Jan. 20.
Former Utah state Sen. Jim Dabakis wrote in a post that was retweeted more than 18,000 times: “BREAKING: A high-level Romney insider tells me Mitt Romney has committed to not confirming a Supreme Court nominee until after Inauguration Day 2021.”
BREAKING: A high-level Romney insider tells me Mitt Romney has committed to not confirming a Supreme Court nominee until after Inauguration Day 2021. #Mittrevenge #utpol — Jim Dabakis (@JimDabakis) September 19, 2020
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
Debakis used the tag #Mittrevenge in an apparent reference to the contentious relationship between Romney and many of his GOP colleagues in Washington, including the president.
However, after Debakis reported that Romney was opposed to the idea of filling Ginsburg’s seat before next January, Romney’s communications director contradicted that claim.
Liz Johnson posted on Twitter: “Dear twitter and also @JimDabakis: Unless your name is Mitt Romney or you’re his spokesperson, you do not speak for Mitt Romney.”
Dear twitter and also @JimDabakis: Unless your name is Mitt Romney or you’re his spokesperson, you do not speak for Mitt Romney. #utpol — Liz Johnson (@LJ0hnson) September 19, 2020
Johnson then retweeted Debakis with a comment.
“This is grossly false. #fakenews," Johnson wrote.
Romney joined Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska Friday as GOP senators who were reported to already be shooting down the idea of voting to confirm a replacement for Ginsburg on the Supreme Court before the election.
Murkowski said in an interview published before news of Ginsburg’s death that she would be opposed to confirming a high court nominee so close to Election Day.
When the scenario was still a hypothetical, the senator said she would “not vote to confirm a Supreme Court nominee" because she felt “that was too close to an election and that the people needed to decide."
“We are 50-some days away from an election, and the good news for us is that all of our Supreme Court justices are in good health and doing their job. And we pray that they are able to continue that,” she said during an interview with Alaska Public Media.
While it is not clear where Romney, Murkowski or others stood on the issue as of Saturday morning, President Donald Trump indicated Saturday that Republicans must move forward on filling the Supreme Court vacancy.
“We were put in this position of power and importance to make decisions for the people who so proudly elected us, the most important of which has long been considered to be the selection of United States Supreme Court Justices,” Trump tweeted.
“We have this obligation, without delay!” the president added.
.@GOP We were put in this position of power and importance to make decisions for the people who so proudly elected us, the most important of which has long been considered to be the selection of United States Supreme Court Justices. We have this obligation, without delay! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 19, 2020
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Friday that if Trump brings forth a nominee, the Senate will vote.
The Senate and the nation mourn the passing of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the conclusion of her extraordinary American life. My full statement: pic.twitter.com/NOwYLhDxIk — Leader McConnell (@senatemajldr) September 19, 2020
“In the last midterm election before Justice [Antonin] Scalia’s death in 2016, Americans elected a Republican Senate majority because we pledged to check and balance the last days of a lame-duck president’s second term,” he said. “We kept our promise. Since the 1880s, no Senate has confirmed an opposite-party president’s Supreme Court nominee in a presidential election year.
“By contrast, Americans reelected our majority in 2016 and expanded it in 2018 because we pledged to work with President Trump and support his agenda, particularly his outstanding appointments to the federal judiciary,” the Senate majority leader added.
“Once again, we will keep our promise.”
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.


wnd--2020-09-19--Victory for academic freedom against Islamic 'cancel culture'

A lobby group that was suppressing freedom of speech long before the `` cancel culture '' was coined has been stopped in its tracks , at least in one case , by a federal court .
U.S. District Court Judge Susan M. Brnovich dismissed a lawsuit by the Council on American-Islamic Relations aimed at censoring discussion at Arizona 's Scottsdale Community College of links between Islamic doctrine and terrorism .
It was an important victory not only against the `` lawfare '' waged by radical Islamic groups such as CAIR but also for academic freedom , wrote Steve Emerson , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Terrorism , on Thursday .
He said the fact that CAIR is taken seriously as a Muslim `` human rights '' or `` civil rights '' group by such media outlets as the New York Times and the Washington Post as well as the ACLU and many Democratic lawmakers `` is a slap in the face to authentic human rights groups . ''
CAIR , Emerson noted , was created in 1994 as part of a Muslim Brotherhood-run Hamas support network and was named an unindicted co-conspirator in the Hamas money laundering trials @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has a long record of supporting and rationalizing Islamic terrorism .
In the lawsuit , which was dismissed Aug. 18 , CAIR sought an injunction to prevent the college and Professor Nicholas Damask from using course materials deemed to `` have the primary effect of disapproving of Islam . ''
Emerson said the description of Damask 's course materials is n't accurate , but `` it is not illegal in the United States to disapprove of Islam or any other religion . ''
Nevertheless , SCC student Mohamed Sabra complained of three questions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ questions and answers were : Sabra 's lawsuit asserted `` the only objectively reasonable construction of Damask 's actions is that his primary message is the disapproval of Islam .
Damask 's module quiz forced Sabra to agree to his radical interpretation of Islam .
When Sabra did not , he was penalized by getting the questions wrong and impacted his grade . ''
Emerson pointed out , however , the fact that Islamic terrorists refer to their understanding of Islamic teachings to justify their actions is widely known .
`` Nowhere does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ possible understanding of Islamic teachings , or that all Muslims believe the same things , '' Emerson argued .
He charged that the lawsuit `` was an attempt to stigmatize any discussion of how terrorists use Islamic texts , and to foreclose upon any possibility of understanding their perspectives , motives and goals . ''
The judge concluded Damask 's course did n't prevent Sabra from exercising his religion .
It merely exposed Sabra to `` attitudes and outlooks at odds '' with his own understanding of Islam , which is not a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lawsuit also objected to Damask 's use of terrorism and Middle East expert Walid Phares 's book , `` Future Jihad . ''
`` Within this mandatory reading assignment , '' the lawsuit states , `` Phares explains that jihad is not a 'spiritual phenomenon that would be and was abused by extremist ideologies , ' but rather a call for physical action .
Damask failed to articulate that other more acceptable , and in fact 'mainstream ' views of jihad have nothing to do with violence , but instead he improperly urged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Phares , however , pointed out that `` the [ Muslim ] Brotherhood scholars read terrorism differently than the U.S .
The Brotherhood and CAIR [ are ] trying to impose a vision of their own on all Muslims in America . ''
The judge , Brnovich , found that CAIR and Sabra wrongly claimed the students were forced to adopt Phares 's view of Islam .
The assignment `` merely asks students to identify the opinion of Walid Phares regarding Islam , not to adopt his position on Islam , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and leaders , including Muslim Brotherhood founder Hassan al Banna , Osama bin Laden mentor Abdallah Azzam and 13th century scholar Ibn Taymiyya , have insisted that there is only one meaning to jihad – `` fighting '' to impose Islam .
According to al Banna : `` In [ Muslim ] Tradition , there is a clear indication of the obligation to fight the People of the Book ( Jews and Christians ) , and of the fact that Allah doubles the reward of those who fight them .
Jihad is not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who do not embrace Islam . ''
Al Banna said it `` has become an individual obligation , which there is no evading , on every Muslim to prepare his equipment , to make up his mind to engage in jihad , and to get ready for it until the opportunity is ripe and God decrees a matter which is sure to be accomplished . ''
Emerson noted the case marks the latest in a long line of CAIR efforts to remove material it considers derogatory against Islam .
CAIR entered a formal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ image of Islam and Muslims in textbooks '' with the 57-nation global Organization of Islamic Cooperation 's Islamic Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization .
The OIC condemns connecting Islamic doctrine and terrorism in the minds of Westerners .
`` Education and engagement are key to challenging the growing phenomenon of Islamophobia , '' CAIR co-founder and Executive Director Nihad Awad said at the 2010 OIC conference .
But the SCC lawsuit , Emerson said , `` demonstrates the baseless foundations of these Islamophobia claims : apparently Awad and his cohorts see any material @ @ @ @ @ @ @ demand their removal from curricula . ''

A lobby group that was suppressing freedom of speech long before the "cancel culture" was coined has been stopped in its tracks, at least in one case, by a federal court.
U.S. District Court Judge Susan M. Brnovich dismissed a lawsuit by the Council on American-Islamic Relations aimed at censoring discussion at Arizona's Scottsdale Community College of links between Islamic doctrine and terrorism.
It was an important victory not only against the "lawfare" waged by radical Islamic groups such as CAIR but also for academic freedom, wrote Steve Emerson, executive director of the Investigative Project on Terrorism, on Thursday.
He said the fact that CAIR is taken seriously as a Muslim "human rights" or "civil rights" group by such media outlets as the New York Times and the Washington Post as well as the ACLU and many Democratic lawmakers "is a slap in the face to authentic human rights groups." CAIR, Emerson noted, was created in 1994 as part of a Muslim Brotherhood-run Hamas support network and was named an unindicted co-conspirator in the Hamas money laundering trials of the Holy Land Foundation. It has a long record of supporting and rationalizing Islamic terrorism.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
In the lawsuit, which was dismissed Aug. 18, CAIR sought an injunction to prevent the college and Professor Nicholas Damask from using course materials deemed to "have the primary effect of disapproving of Islam."
Emerson said the description of Damask's course materials isn't accurate, but "it is not illegal in the United States to disapprove of Islam or any other religion."
Nevertheless, SCC student Mohamed Sabra complained of three questions on Damask's exams.
The offending questions and answers were:
Q. Who do terrorists strive to emulate? A. Mohammed Q. Where is terrorism encouraged in Islamic doctrine and law? A. The Medina verses [i.e., the portion of the Qur'an traditionally understood as having been revealed later in Muhammad's prophetic career] Q. Terrorism is _______ in Islam. A. justified within the context of jihad.
Sabra's lawsuit asserted "the only objectively reasonable construction of Damask's actions is that his primary message is the disapproval of Islam. Damask's module quiz forced Sabra to agree to his radical interpretation of Islam. When Sabra did not, he was penalized by getting the questions wrong and impacted his grade."
Emerson pointed out, however, the fact that Islamic terrorists refer to their understanding of Islamic teachings to justify their actions is widely known.
"Nowhere does Damask assert that this is the only possible understanding of Islamic teachings, or that all Muslims believe the same things," Emerson argued.
He charged that the lawsuit "was an attempt to stigmatize any discussion of how terrorists use Islamic texts, and to foreclose upon any possibility of understanding their perspectives, motives and goals."
The judge concluded Damask's course didn't prevent Sabra from exercising his religion. It merely exposed Sabra to "attitudes and outlooks at odds" with his own understanding of Islam, which is not a violation of the First Amendment.
The lawsuit also objected to Damask's use of terrorism and Middle East expert Walid Phares's book, "Future Jihad."
The lawsuit labels Phares an "Islamophobe."
"Within this mandatory reading assignment," the lawsuit states, "Phares explains that jihad is not a 'spiritual phenomenon that would be and was abused by extremist ideologies,' but rather a call for physical action. Damask failed to articulate that other more acceptable, and in fact 'mainstream' views of jihad have nothing to do with violence, but instead he improperly urged students to accept his personal opinions."
Phares, however, pointed out that "the [Muslim] Brotherhood scholars read terrorism differently than the U.S. The Brotherhood and CAIR [are] trying to impose a vision of their own on all Muslims in America."
The judge, Brnovich, found that CAIR and Sabra wrongly claimed the students were forced to adopt Phares's view of Islam. The assignment "merely asks students to identify the opinion of Walid Phares regarding Islam, not to adopt his position on Islam," the judge wrote.
Numerous Islamic scholars and leaders, including Muslim Brotherhood founder Hassan al Banna, Osama bin Laden mentor Abdallah Azzam and 13th century scholar Ibn Taymiyya, have insisted that there is only one meaning to jihad – "fighting" to impose Islam.
According to al Banna: "In [Muslim] Tradition, there is a clear indication of the obligation to fight the People of the Book (Jews and Christians), and of the fact that Allah doubles the reward of those who fight them. Jihad is not against polytheists alone, but against all who do not embrace Islam."
Al Banna said it "has become an individual obligation, which there is no evading, on every Muslim to prepare his equipment, to make up his mind to engage in jihad, and to get ready for it until the opportunity is ripe and God decrees a matter which is sure to be accomplished."
'Redress the image of Islam'
Emerson noted the case marks the latest in a long line of CAIR efforts to remove material it considers derogatory against Islam.
CAIR entered a formal partnership in 2010 to "redress the image of Islam and Muslims in textbooks" with the 57-nation global Organization of Islamic Cooperation's Islamic Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization.
The OIC condemns connecting Islamic doctrine and terrorism in the minds of Westerners.
"Education and engagement are key to challenging the growing phenomenon of Islamophobia," CAIR co-founder and Executive Director Nihad Awad said at the 2010 OIC conference.
But the SCC lawsuit, Emerson said, "demonstrates the baseless foundations of these Islamophobia claims: apparently Awad and his cohorts see any material they find objectionable as 'Islamophobic' and demand their removal from curricula."


wnd--2020-09-19--Spider-like venom found in Australian stinging trees

( CNN ) Australia is synonymous with venomous spiders and snakes -- but scientists have discovered new toxins in what @ @ @ @ @ venomous '' plant .
A team of researchers from the University of Queensland have discovered @ @ @ @ @ is similar to the venom found in spiders and cone snails .
Unlike its American @ @ @ @ @ stung by a dendrocnide tree -- which means `` stinging tree '' -- can cause @ @ @ @ @ -- or even weeks .
Researchers hope the study , published Wednesday in the Science @ @ @ @ @ provide new information as to how pain-sensing nerves function , and help in developing painkillers @

(CNN) Australia is synonymous with venomous spiders and snakes -- but scientists have discovered new toxins in what they label a "truly venomous" plant.
A team of researchers from the University of Queensland have discovered a previously unidentified neurotoxin that is similar to the venom found in spiders and cone snails.
Unlike its American and European counterparts, being stung by a dendrocnide tree -- which means "stinging tree" -- can cause pain that lasts for days -- or even weeks.
Researchers hope the study, published Wednesday in the Science Advances journal, will help provide new information as to how pain-sensing nerves function, and help in developing painkillers.
Read the full story ›


wnd--2020-09-19--Walmart to raise wages, paying staff up to $30 per hour

( WRDW ) If you ’ re one of the millions of workers affected by the pandemic and you ’ @ @ @ @ @ , you might want to consider Walmart .
The company says 165,000 hourly workers will @ @ @ @ @ in order to motivate and empower employees to assist customers better .
Next month , @ @ @ @ @ between $ 18 and $ 21 per hour , and pay could even go all @ @ @ @ @ 30 per hour at select supercenters .

(WRDW) If you’re one of the millions of workers affected by the pandemic and you’re looking for a job, you might want to consider Walmart.
The company says 165,000 hourly workers will be receiving a pay raise in order to motivate and empower employees to assist customers better.
Next month, hourly team members will start between $18 and $21 per hour, and pay could even go all the way up to $30 per hour at select supercenters.
Read the full story ›


wnd--2020-09-22--Watch: Trout dropped into mountain lakes by airplane

( KDVR ) -- Fish falling from the sky ?
That ’ s Colorado Parks and Wildlife ( CPW ) @ @ @ @ @ thousands of trout by dropping them from an airplane .
About 380,000 trout have been @ @ @ @ @ lakes in Boulder , Grand , Jackson and Larimer counties .
“ It ’ s @ @ @ @ @ Doug Sebring said .
“ We can get a large quantity of fish into high @ @ @ @ @ only accessible by foot or horseback .
”

(KDVR) -- Fish falling from the sky? That’s Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) pilots stocking mountain lakes with thousands of trout by dropping them from an airplane.
About 380,000 trout have been stocked by airplane into 330 lakes in Boulder, Grand, Jackson and Larimer counties.
“It’s efficient,” Fish Culturist Doug Sebring said. “We can get a large quantity of fish into high mountain lakes that are basically only accessible by foot or horseback.”
Read the full story ›


wnd--2020-09-22--Dems largely powerless to stop GOP from confirming court choice

( WASHINGTON POST ) -- Senate Democrats and their liberal allies confronted the reality Monday that they have no path @ @ @ @ @ 's pending Supreme Court nomination other than a political pressure campaign that peels away a @ @ @ @ @ .
Deep into their sixth year in the minority , Democrats can use some procedural @ @ @ @ @ the confirmation process , but if at least 50 Republicans approve of Trump 's pick @ @ @ @ @ Ruth Bader Ginsburg , that nominee is certain to be seated .
Publicly , Democrats @ @ @ @ @ fiber in the Judiciary Committee confirmation hearings and on the Senate floor as the liberal @ @ @ @ @ began planning how to mount a campaign that would try to turn Republicans against the @ @ @ @ @ ahead leaves no room for error , and even a perfectly executed pressure campaign could @ @ @

(WASHINGTON POST) -- Senate Democrats and their liberal allies confronted the reality Monday that they have no path to blocking President Donald Trump's pending Supreme Court nomination other than a political pressure campaign that peels away a minimum of four GOP votes.
Deep into their sixth year in the minority, Democrats can use some procedural tactics that might briefly slow the confirmation process, but if at least 50 Republicans approve of Trump's pick to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, that nominee is certain to be seated.
Publicly, Democrats vowed to fight with every fiber in the Judiciary Committee confirmation hearings and on the Senate floor as the liberal alliance of outside interest groups began planning how to mount a campaign that would try to turn Republicans against the nominee. But the process ahead leaves no room for error, and even a perfectly executed pressure campaign could fall short.
Read the full story ›


wnd--2020-09-22--Budweiser offers free beer to buyer of Florida condo lined with Bud cans

( FOX NEWS ) -- Crack open a cold one – as long as it ’ s not attached to @ @ @ @ @ home has hit the market in South Florida with a design aesthetic that reads part @ @ @ @ @ house .
The 2-bedroom , 2-bathroom condo boasts 815 square feet of space and is @ @ @ @ @ cans .

(FOX NEWS) -- Crack open a cold one – as long as it’s not attached to the wall.
A unique home has hit the market in South Florida with a design aesthetic that reads part condo, part college frat house.
The 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom condo boasts 815 square feet of space and is covered nearly floor-to-ceiling with Budweiser cans.
Read the full story ›


wnd--2020-09-22--Liberals blast Chris Matthews for praising Trump's 'true presidential behavior'

( FOX NEWS ) -- Former MSNBC host Chris Matthews was criticized by fellow liberals Monday over a tweet that @ @ @ @ @ to the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg .
Matthews , a fervent @ @ @ @ @ long-running show `` Hardball '' -- from which he was ousted back in March -- @ @ @ @ @ right to show respect for RBG .
`` True presidential behavior , '' Matthews went @ @ @ @ @ rare . ''
It was not immediately clear to what specific action or statement of @ @ @ @ @ .

(FOX NEWS) -- Former MSNBC host Chris Matthews was criticized by fellow liberals Monday over a tweet that commended President Trump's response to the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Matthews, a fervent critic of Trump on his long-running show "Hardball" -- from which he was ousted back in March -- said the president was "right to show respect for RBG.
"True presidential behavior," Matthews went on. "Far too rare." It was not immediately clear to what specific action or statement of Trump's Matthews was referring.
Read the full story ›


wnd--2020-09-22--Former prosecutor: Cops in Floyd case 'did absolutely nothing wrong'

The available evidence in the George Floyd case exonerates the four Minneapolis police officers who were charged with second- and third-degree murder , a former federal and state prosecutor said in a Minneapolis radio interview Sunday .
`` The murder theory makes no sense at all .
These police officers -- let me say this very clearly -- these police officers did absolutely nothing wrong in their handling of this situation , '' said George Parry in an interview on WCCO radio 's `` Real Talk with Roshini '' Rajkumar .
Parry said the officer body cam footage released by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ video of Chauvin with his knee on Floyd 's neck -- shows the officers adhered to their training by the Minneapolis Police Department .
The neck restraint , he said , was part of the protocol to keep someone in a drug-induced state of excited delirium -- as was Floyd -- from harm by holding him in place .
`` I think they showed a great deal of compassion , actually , in the manner in which they handled Mr. Floyd , '' Parry said .
Significantly , the four officers were charged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released showing Floyd had more than three times the fatal dosage of fetanyl in his blood .
Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder , third-degree murder and manslaughter .
Officers Thomas Lane , J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao are charged with aiding and abetting both second-degree murder and manslaughter .
The lethal level of fentanyl , combined with his severe coronary artery disease , extreme agitation and other factors , placed Floyd at imminent risk of sudden death from cardiac arrhythmia , Parry said .
`` In many ways , this is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ death than an overdose , '' he said .
`` Either way , the police did not harm or kill him . ''
The autopsy , he noted , determined there were no life-threatening or serious injuries inflicted on Floyd , including to his neck or to his larynx .
For five years , Parry was the chief of the Police Brutality/Misconduct Unit of the Philadelphia District Attorney 's Office , which investigated and prosecuted use of deadly force by police .
During the interview , Rajkumar reported a lawyer for Lane is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a similar incident one year ago in which Floyd resisted officers in Chicago while in an agitated state .
Parry emphasized that the prosecution must prove to the jury beyond reasonable doubt that the officers acted with the intention of harming Floyd and causing his death in the May 25 incident .
A trial has been set for next March .
To accept the murder theory , Parry said , the jury would have to accept that the police officers `` against their own self-interest , in broad daylight before civilian witnesses with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recording every move and everything they said , ... nevertheless slowly and sadistically murdered George Floyd . ''
`` It makes no sense .
You would have to be stark , raving mad to engage in that kind of conduct in front of those witnesses , knowing that the event is being recorded , '' he told Rajkumar , who is a licensed attorney .
`` While they allegedly were in the act of [ murdering him ] , they twice summoned medical help to come render aid to their purported victim , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that .
That absolutely negates any notion of intent to cause harm .
`` That 's the completely illogical construct that the prosecution has boxed itself into , '' he said .
Then , `` when you get into the autopsy findings and the toxicology findings , that 's where the case totally falls apart . ''
The WCCO host , Rajkumar , observed : `` That is the crux of this .
People see that knee on the neck . ''
In fact , that happened later in the sequence of events @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was the first video people saw around the world , and that is what , it seems , in the public narrative , everyone wants to convict Derek Chauvin on , '' said Rajkumar .
Parry pointed out that Floyd , while he was still upright and mobile , shouted seven times `` I ca n't breathe '' and asked to be put on the ground .
`` That 's before anyone was kneeling on his neck . ''
He was shouting `` I ca n't breathe '' because , according to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with fluid , caused by the fentanyl .
`` The toxicology report is central to the whole case , '' Parry said .
`` This is an incompetent prosection .
This is an incompetent performance by the authorities . ''
`` If Mr. Floyd had been found dead in his home or anywhere else , and there were no other factors , it would be determined he overdosed , '' Parry said .
`` It was a massive , toxic overdose of fentanyl , '' he said .
Floyd was found to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blood while a fatal level can be as low as 3 nanograms .
Parry acknowledged that for regular users , the fatal level can be much higher , but studies have shown the median fatal overdose is 9.8 among regular users .
The WCCO host reported , exclusively , she said , a documentary on Floyd 's death will be released in coming weeks narrated by Parry .

The available evidence in the George Floyd case exonerates the four Minneapolis police officers who were charged with second- and third-degree murder, a former federal and state prosecutor said in a Minneapolis radio interview Sunday.
"The murder theory makes no sense at all. These police officers -- let me say this very clearly -- these police officers did absolutely nothing wrong in their handling of this situation," said George Parry in an interview on WCCO radio's "Real Talk with Roshini" Rajkumar.
Parry said the officer body cam footage released by the prosecution -- long after the viral video of Chauvin with his knee on Floyd's neck -- shows the officers adhered to their training by the Minneapolis Police Department.
The neck restraint, he said, was part of the protocol to keep someone in a drug-induced state of excited delirium -- as was Floyd -- from harm by holding him in place.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
"I think they showed a great deal of compassion, actually, in the manner in which they handled Mr. Floyd," Parry said.
Significantly, the four officers were charged two days before the toxicology report was released showing Floyd had more than three times the fatal dosage of fetanyl in his blood. Chauvin is charged with second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter. Officers Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao are charged with aiding and abetting both second-degree murder and manslaughter.
The lethal level of fentanyl, combined with his severe coronary artery disease, extreme agitation and other factors, placed Floyd at imminent risk of sudden death from cardiac arrhythmia, Parry said.
"In many ways, this is an even more likely explanation for his death than an overdose," he said. "Either way, the police did not harm or kill him."
Did police officers do anything wrong in the George Floyd case? 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. 7% (71 Votes) 93% (975 Votes)
The autopsy, he noted, determined there were no life-threatening or serious injuries inflicted on Floyd, including to his neck or to his larynx.
For five years, Parry was the chief of the Police Brutality/Misconduct Unit of the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office, which investigated and prosecuted use of deadly force by police.
During the interview, Rajkumar reported a lawyer for Lane is trying to enter into evidence video of a similar incident one year ago in which Floyd resisted officers in Chicago while in an agitated state.
Prosecution stuck with 'completely illogical' case
Parry emphasized that the prosecution must prove to the jury beyond reasonable doubt that the officers acted with the intention of harming Floyd and causing his death in the May 25 incident.
A trial has been set for next March.
To accept the murder theory, Parry said, the jury would have to accept that the police officers "against their own self-interest, in broad daylight before civilian witnesses with cellphone cameras, and on body cameras recording every move and everything they said, ... nevertheless slowly and sadistically murdered George Floyd."
"It makes no sense. You would have to be stark, raving mad to engage in that kind of conduct in front of those witnesses, knowing that the event is being recorded," he told Rajkumar, who is a licensed attorney.
"While they allegedly were in the act of [murdering him], they twice summoned medical help to come render aid to their purported victim," Parry noted. "Nobody does that. That absolutely negates any notion of intent to cause harm.
"That's the completely illogical construct that the prosecution has boxed itself into," he said.
Then, "when you get into the autopsy findings and the toxicology findings, that's where the case totally falls apart."
The WCCO host, Rajkumar, observed: "That is the crux of this. People see that knee on the neck."
In fact, that happened later in the sequence of events, she said.
"But that was the first video people saw around the world, and that is what, it seems, in the public narrative, everyone wants to convict Derek Chauvin on," said Rajkumar.
Parry pointed out that Floyd, while he was still upright and mobile, shouted seven times "I can't breathe" and asked to be put on the ground.
"That's before anyone was kneeling on his neck."
He was shouting "I can't breathe" because, according to the autopsy report, his lungs were filled with fluid, caused by the fentanyl.
"The toxicology report is central to the whole case," Parry said. "This is an incompetent prosection. This is an incompetent performance by the authorities."
See the interview:
"If Mr. Floyd had been found dead in his home or anywhere else, and there were no other factors, it would be determined he overdosed," Parry said.
"It was a massive, toxic overdose of fentanyl," he said.
Floyd was found to have had 11 nanograms of fentanyl in his blood while a fatal level can be as low as 3 nanograms. Parry acknowledged that for regular users, the fatal level can be much higher, but studies have shown the median fatal overdose is 9.8 among regular users.
The WCCO host reported, exclusively, she said, a documentary on Floyd's death will be released in coming weeks narrated by Parry.
Articles by George Parry:
"Who Killed George Floyd"
"The George Floyd Fall Guys"


wnd--2020-09-22--'Happy Scientist' indicted for possessing thousands of child-porn images

( KUTV ) -- A Kane County man , known on YouTube as 'The Happy Scientist , ' was arrested @ @ @ @ @ sexual exploitation of a minor after investigators reportedly found “ thousands upon thousands ” of @ @ @ @ @ John Robert Krampf , 64 , was charged earlier this month after a search warrant @ @ @ @ @ Crimes Against Children Task Force at his Kanab home in relation to possessing child abuse @ @ @ @ @ in federal court on Thursday on one count of possession of child pornography and one @ @ @ @ @ pornography .

(KUTV) -- A Kane County man, known on YouTube as 'The Happy Scientist,' was arrested on 10 felony counts of sexual exploitation of a minor after investigators reportedly found “thousands upon thousands” of pornographic images involving children.
John Robert Krampf, 64, was charged earlier this month after a search warrant was served by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force at his Kanab home in relation to possessing child abuse material.
Krampf was indicted in federal court on Thursday on one count of possession of child pornography and one count of receipt of child pornography.
Read the full story ›


wnd--2020-09-22--Ammo store bans mask-wearing customers, calls Whitmer a 'b*tch'

Fenix Ammunition is flaunting Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer ’ s order that requires customers to wear masks in businesses , @ @ @ @ @ n't allowed inside the store unless they remove their protective face coverings .
“ DUE @ @ @ @ @ VIOLENT ATTACKS BY MASK-WEARING THUGS , WE WILL NOT PROVIDE SERVICE TO ANY PERSON WEARING @ @ @ @ @ a sign taped to the business .
“ FURTHERMORE , THE NATURE OF OUR BUSINESS @ @ @ @ @ CUSTOMERS .
YOU MUST REMOVE YOUR MASK UPON ENTERING THIS PREMISES , OR YOU WILL @ @ @ @ @

(DETROIT METRO TIMES) -- At a Novi ammunition store, masks aren’t just optional – they’re prohibited.
Fenix Ammunition is flaunting Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s order that requires customers to wear masks in businesses, notifying customers that they aren't allowed inside the store unless they remove their protective face coverings.
“DUE TO THE NATIONWIDE RISE IN VIOLENT ATTACKS BY MASK-WEARING THUGS, WE WILL NOT PROVIDE SERVICE TO ANY PERSON WEARING A MASK,” reads a sign taped to the business. “FURTHERMORE, THE NATURE OF OUR BUSINESS NECESSITATES POSITIVE IDENTIFICATION OF OUR CUSTOMERS. YOU MUST REMOVE YOUR MASK UPON ENTERING THIS PREMISES, OR YOU WILL NOT BE SERVED.”
Read the full story ›


wnd--2020-09-21--'Noble sentiments and ideas' that launched U.S. headed for repudiation or affirmation

[ Editor 's note : This story originally was published by Real Clear Education . ]
By Liberty and Justice for All Real Clear Education Over the next several years , the noble sentiments and ideas that gave birth to the United States will either be repudiated or reaffirmed .
The fateful choice before us will result either in the death of a grand hope or a recommitment to an extraordinary political experiment whose full flowering we have yet to realize .
The choice will involve either contempt and despair or gratitude and the self-respect worthy of a free people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and who proceed with hope toward a dignified future .
In the name of justice and equality , those animated by contempt and despair seek to destroy longstanding but fragile American institutions through which justice and equality can be secured .
Destruction of these imperfect but necessary institutions will not hasten the advent of justice and equality but rather accelerate our collapse into barbarism and degradation .
Groups of Americans who today advocate endless racial contempt , who systematically distort our history for political gain , who scapegoat and silence whole groups of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violence and the destruction of property invite us not to justice and equality but to an ugly future whose only certainty is fear .
In the face of this threat , the American institutions we must now reaffirm are these : · Free speech .
Too many of our media outlets have become shameful caricatures intent on purveying one-sided narratives rather than on wrestling with difficult issues about which reasonable citizens will disagree .
They inflame rather than inform .
They contort public debate rather than contribute to it .
Rather than defend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have become instruments of a despicable “ cancel culture , ” bereft of forgiveness and intolerant of opposing views .
· Representative government .
Our Constitution establishes a democratic republic .
Our elected representatives are tasked with making laws for the common good .
If citizens are dissatisfied with the results , they must elect different representatives rather than take the law into their own hands .
Abandoning representative government does not hasten equality ; it invites tyranny .
“ Defunding ” ( as opposed to intelligently reforming ) the police , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , does not hasten justice ; it invites anarchy and abandons the most vulnerable to the worst depredations .
· Federalism .
Our country is diverse .
We can not produce a unity amidst diversity by forcing all citizens to fit the singular mold that politically correct speech imposes .
A diverse polity can exist only within the framework of federalism , which allows true pluralism to thrive .
· Market commerce .
The United States was conceived as a middle-class commercial republic in which entrepreneurial citizens can succeed and fail—then succeed again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has produced remarkable prosperity and lifted millions out of poverty .
Naïve calls for state control of industry and the abolition of private property , if implemented , will return us to the nightmare that hundreds of millions endured in the last century .
The middle class and those who wish to join it are threatened today by two additional obstacles : crony capitalism , which concentrates wealth in fewer and fewer hands , and woke capitalism , by which the political left extorts corporate support for social justice causes , thus deflecting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of producing truly useful products and services .
Policymakers and concerned citizens must emphatically resist these trends and instead promote avenues to help the poor join the middle class .
· Education .
The necessary task of preparing the next generation to preserve and expand our inheritance has been replaced by the morally bankrupt task of repudiating those figures and accomplishments of our past which do not pass ideological purity tests .
Rather than learn the difficult moral lesson that amidst the imperfections of the human heart there are noble longings for goodness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ young people are taught that any imperfection repudiates those noble longings .
By this we teach our children to search out and honor grievances rather than greatness .
This is not education ; it is indoctrination , and its result is to make life small , petty , and hopeless .
· Family .
An affirmation of the traditional family—the belief that men and women should be encouraged to marry and have sons and daughters— can not be thought a crime .
Civilization perishes unless such unions are encouraged .
The noble longing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not all are cast in the same mold , must not be realized by belittling the family .
Strong families headed by married couples have been the key to success in black America ever since slavery was abolished a century and a half ago , and this remains the key today for all Americans .
· Religion .
Civilization is fragile .
If religious institutions and beliefs are marginalized and mocked , the indispensable civilizational supports for a free and decent life will quickly vanish .
In a plural society like America , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paths to truth .
But a truly plural society can not abide the deliberate attempt to undermine , and even destroy , churches and synagogues .
A pluralism that denies the legitimacy of religious faith and practice will not produce a “ diverse ” America ; it will , instead , produce a tyrannical America in which the freedom of conscience is lost , the inherent dignity of the individual is denied , and the strongest support for just and moral living is erased .
As Alexis de Tocqueville noted , despotism can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can not .
Those who attack these American institutions insist that their foundations have been corrupt from the beginning .
They insist that racism , injustice , and oppression are inextricably linked to our national identity , and therefore everything born of the American experiment is tainted by sin .
In their revolutionary fervor , they wish to sweep aside everything identified with our history and establish a new social and political order on novel and untainted foundations .
They show no humility or self-restraint .
They display limitless contempt for opposing views @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disdain the rule of law , attack market commerce , hide behind the privilege their university indoctrination has authorized , excoriate the family , and attack those very religious traditions which have produced a moral horizon transcending tribalism and given rise to the concern for justice and equality for all .
Their philosophy of pure negation can not sustain a political order that affirms liberty , human dignity , and moral and civic equality , rightly and humanely understood .
This crisis is acute , and the hour is late .
Like our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and reform our institutions in light of enduring principles of justice .
That is the task of self-governing people who know they live in an imperfect world and yet are not deterred by its challenges .
We invite all citizens of good will to join us so that together we can strive for liberty and justice for all .
Over 1,000 and counting have signed Liberty and Justice for All ’ s open letter — a mix of conservatives , liberals , and unclassifiable academics , writers and citizens .
[ Editor 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Real Clear Education . ]

[Editor's note: This story originally was published by Real Clear Education.]
By Liberty and Justice for All
Real Clear Education
Over the next several years, the noble sentiments and ideas that gave birth to the United States will either be repudiated or reaffirmed. The fateful choice before us will result either in the death of a grand hope or a recommitment to an extraordinary political experiment whose full flowering we have yet to realize. The choice will involve either contempt and despair or gratitude and the self-respect worthy of a free people who know long labors lie before them and who proceed with hope toward a dignified future.
In the name of justice and equality, those animated by contempt and despair seek to destroy longstanding but fragile American institutions through which justice and equality can be secured. Destruction of these imperfect but necessary institutions will not hasten the advent of justice and equality but rather accelerate our collapse into barbarism and degradation.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
Groups of Americans who today advocate endless racial contempt, who systematically distort our history for political gain, who scapegoat and silence whole groups of citizens, who brazenly justify and advocate violence and the destruction of property invite us not to justice and equality but to an ugly future whose only certainty is fear.
In the face of this threat, the American institutions we must now reaffirm are these:
· Free speech. Too many of our media outlets have become shameful caricatures intent on purveying one-sided narratives rather than on wrestling with difficult issues about which reasonable citizens will disagree. They inflame rather than inform. They contort public debate rather than contribute to it. Rather than defend freedom of speech and association, they have become instruments of a despicable “cancel culture,” bereft of forgiveness and intolerant of opposing views.
· Representative government. Our Constitution establishes a democratic republic. Our elected representatives are tasked with making laws for the common good. If citizens are dissatisfied with the results, they must elect different representatives rather than take the law into their own hands. Abandoning representative government does not hasten equality; it invites tyranny. “Defunding” (as opposed to intelligently reforming) the police, who uphold the laws our political representatives make, does not hasten justice; it invites anarchy and abandons the most vulnerable to the worst depredations.
· Federalism. Our country is diverse. We cannot produce a unity amidst diversity by forcing all citizens to fit the singular mold that politically correct speech imposes. A diverse polity can exist only within the framework of federalism, which allows true pluralism to thrive.
· Market commerce. The United States was conceived as a middle-class commercial republic in which entrepreneurial citizens can succeed and fail—then succeed again. This arrangement, however imperfect, has produced remarkable prosperity and lifted millions out of poverty. Naïve calls for state control of industry and the abolition of private property, if implemented, will return us to the nightmare that hundreds of millions endured in the last century. The middle class and those who wish to join it are threatened today by two additional obstacles: crony capitalism, which concentrates wealth in fewer and fewer hands, and woke capitalism, by which the political left extorts corporate support for social justice causes, thus deflecting entrepreneurial energy away from the important task of producing truly useful products and services. Policymakers and concerned citizens must emphatically resist these trends and instead promote avenues to help the poor join the middle class.
· Education. The necessary task of preparing the next generation to preserve and expand our inheritance has been replaced by the morally bankrupt task of repudiating those figures and accomplishments of our past which do not pass ideological purity tests. Rather than learn the difficult moral lesson that amidst the imperfections of the human heart there are noble longings for goodness, truth, and beauty, our young people are taught that any imperfection repudiates those noble longings. By this we teach our children to search out and honor grievances rather than greatness. This is not education; it is indoctrination, and its result is to make life small, petty, and hopeless.
· Family. An affirmation of the traditional family—the belief that men and women should be encouraged to marry and have sons and daughters—cannot be thought a crime. Civilization perishes unless such unions are encouraged. The noble longing for a plural society, in which not all are cast in the same mold, must not be realized by belittling the family. Strong families headed by married couples have been the key to success in black America ever since slavery was abolished a century and a half ago, and this remains the key today for all Americans.
· Religion. Civilization is fragile. If religious institutions and beliefs are marginalized and mocked, the indispensable civilizational supports for a free and decent life will quickly vanish. In a plural society like America, people are free to pursue their own paths to truth. But a truly plural society cannot abide the deliberate attempt to undermine, and even destroy, churches and synagogues. A pluralism that denies the legitimacy of religious faith and practice will not produce a “diverse” America; it will, instead, produce a tyrannical America in which the freedom of conscience is lost, the inherent dignity of the individual is denied, and the strongest support for just and moral living is erased. As Alexis de Tocqueville noted, despotism can do without religious faith, but freedom cannot.
Those who attack these American institutions insist that their foundations have been corrupt from the beginning. They insist that racism, injustice, and oppression are inextricably linked to our national identity, and therefore everything born of the American experiment is tainted by sin. In their revolutionary fervor, they wish to sweep aside everything identified with our history and establish a new social and political order on novel and untainted foundations. They show no humility or self-restraint. They display limitless contempt for opposing views. They sympathize with vile tyrannies, disdain the rule of law, attack market commerce, hide behind the privilege their university indoctrination has authorized, excoriate the family, and attack those very religious traditions which have produced a moral horizon transcending tribalism and given rise to the concern for justice and equality for all. Their philosophy of pure negation cannot sustain a political order that affirms liberty, human dignity, and moral and civic equality, rightly and humanely understood.
This crisis is acute, and the hour is late. Like our forebears, we aim both to conserve and reform our institutions in light of enduring principles of justice. That is the task of self-governing people who know they live in an imperfect world and yet are not deterred by its challenges.
We invite all citizens of good will to join us so that together we can strive for liberty and justice for all.
Over 1,000 and counting have signed Liberty and Justice for All’s open letter — a mix of conservatives, liberals, and unclassifiable academics, writers and citizens.
[Editor's note: This story originally was published by Real Clear Education.]