The answer is Jesus

America needs Jesus .
No greater reminder of that fact can be seen than the recent protests in the streets of the nation .
The anger against what happened to George Floyd in Minneapolis last week is justified .
The violence and looting that came in the wake of protests is not .
A white officer knelt on the neck of a black man in his custody until he was dead – while being recorded on video by numerous bystanders .
But protests turned violent and destructive , and now they are taking place in major cities all over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wall Street Journal ( June 1 ) , Robert Woodson opines , `` Riots Invite Crime , Not Justice . ''
He adds , `` Blacks end up suffering more when hostility to police makes it impossible to maintain urban order . ''
Long-term positive change can be effected through peaceful means .
I think , for instance , of the peaceful African American lady who , with God 's help , led the peaceful wade-ins at Fort Lauderdale beaches in the early 1960s .
TRENDING : Man arrested for looting admits what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the late Eula Johnson , and I interviewed her in her home in 1991 – 30 years after the event .
I was delighted to learn that she was a regular viewer of the televised Christian services of the late Dr. D. James Kennedy , for whom I worked .
Here 's what happened .
Fort Lauderdale is known for its lush beaches and relaxed lifestyle .
Before 1962 , however , blacks were not allowed on the beaches .
They were allowed one little strip of beach , in Dania ( five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to which they had to be ferried .
But they could n't go to the more popular beaches in the area .
One Sunday on the 4th of July , after they attended church , Eula Johnson and Dr .
Von Mizell ( a local physician – just the second African American doctor in Fort Lauderdale ) concluded that it was time that their community have access to those beaches too .
She told me , `` We decided … to celebrate a little more independence than what we were enjoying .
People @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like we had no independence .
We would do our best to try to obtain some independence that we would have a right to celebrate the 4th of July . ''
So she , the doctor and a couple of others walked to the beach .
Word of their bold march preceded them .
Eula said , `` And we could hear them broadcasting over the radio , 'Negroes are lounging at the municipal beach in Fort Lauderdale . '
When we looked up , we saw [ opposing ] crowds .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out there .
The fire department was out there . ''
Despite the sea of angry white faces , thankfully , no violence took place .
Eula , then president of the NAACP-Broward , continued going to the beach with other blacks .
And so the city of Fort Lauderdale sued her for fear of losing valuable tourist dollars .
And in deciding the case , U.S. District Judge Ted Cabot not only ruled in Eula 's favor , but with a single decision , he struck down all of Fort Lauderdale 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ source of Eula 's strength ?
She said , `` God was with me .
I take my strength from the Spirit of God .
God is big enough to handle it . ''
While Fort Lauderdale sued her in the 1960s , later , it gave her a key to the city .
Today , one of the beachfront state parks in Fort Lauderdale where Eula was not allowed to be is now named the `` Dr .
Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park . ''
Rev .
Dr. Martin Luther King @ @ @ @ @ @ @ single person to peacefully work toward making America become more colorblind , once said that America 's problem is not with its creed – that all men are created equal .
It 's that we have not been living up to that creed .
His niece , evangelist Alveda King , told me in an interview that we could solve much of the racial conflict in this country if we would just accept what the Bible teaches : `` You go to Acts 17:26 , 'Of one blood God created all people to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Now , if we are separate races , we can not possibly be brothers and sisters .
So , we have to see ourselves as one race , one human race , created by God , and we 're supposed to live together in this world as brothers and sisters .
So , that 's a fundamental truth that America has not yet embraced . ''
Her Uncle Martin preached : `` We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools . ''
MLK also declared , `` Nonviolence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cowardice , but as Jesus demonstrated , nonviolent resistance transforms weakness into strength and breeds courage in the face of danger . ''
Positive , long-lasting change comes from doing the right thing by God 's help – not from stealing television sets from Target while claiming to `` demand justice '' for George Floyd .
God is the key to true healing in America .

America needs Jesus. No greater reminder of that fact can be seen than the recent protests in the streets of the nation.
The anger against what happened to George Floyd in Minneapolis last week is justified. The violence and looting that came in the wake of protests is not.
A white officer knelt on the neck of a black man in his custody until he was dead – while being recorded on video by numerous bystanders. But protests turned violent and destructive, and now they are taking place in major cities all over the nation.
In an editorial in The Wall Street Journal (June 1), Robert Woodson opines, "Riots Invite Crime, Not Justice." He adds, "Blacks end up suffering more when hostility to police makes it impossible to maintain urban order."
Long-term positive change can be effected through peaceful means. I think, for instance, of the peaceful African American lady who, with God's help, led the peaceful wade-ins at Fort Lauderdale beaches in the early 1960s.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
She was the late Eula Johnson, and I interviewed her in her home in 1991 – 30 years after the event. I was delighted to learn that she was a regular viewer of the televised Christian services of the late Dr. D. James Kennedy, for whom I worked.
Here's what happened. Fort Lauderdale is known for its lush beaches and relaxed lifestyle. Before 1962, however, blacks were not allowed on the beaches.
They were allowed one little strip of beach, in Dania (five miles south of Fort Lauderdale), to which they had to be ferried. But they couldn't go to the more popular beaches in the area.
One Sunday on the 4th of July, after they attended church, Eula Johnson and Dr. Von Mizell (a local physician – just the second African American doctor in Fort Lauderdale) concluded that it was time that their community have access to those beaches too.
She told me, "We decided … to celebrate a little more independence than what we were enjoying. People were talking about independence – I felt like we had no independence. We would do our best to try to obtain some independence that we would have a right to celebrate the 4th of July."
So she, the doctor and a couple of others walked to the beach. Word of their bold march preceded them. Eula said, "And we could hear them broadcasting over the radio, 'Negroes are lounging at the municipal beach in Fort Lauderdale.' When we looked up, we saw [opposing] crowds. The ambulances were out there. Policemen were out there. The fire department was out there."
Despite the sea of angry white faces, thankfully, no violence took place. Eula, then president of the NAACP-Broward, continued going to the beach with other blacks. And so the city of Fort Lauderdale sued her for fear of losing valuable tourist dollars. And in deciding the case, U.S. District Judge Ted Cabot not only ruled in Eula's favor, but with a single decision, he struck down all of Fort Lauderdale's Jim Crow laws.
What was the source of Eula's strength? She said, "God was with me. I take my strength from the Spirit of God. God is big enough to handle it."
While Fort Lauderdale sued her in the 1960s, later, it gave her a key to the city.
Today, one of the beachfront state parks in Fort Lauderdale where Eula was not allowed to be is now named the "Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park."
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who did more than any single person to peacefully work toward making America become more colorblind, once said that America's problem is not with its creed – that all men are created equal. It's that we have not been living up to that creed.
His niece, evangelist Alveda King, told me in an interview that we could solve much of the racial conflict in this country if we would just accept what the Bible teaches: "You go to Acts 17:26, 'Of one blood God created all people to live together on the earth.' Now, if we are separate races, we cannot possibly be brothers and sisters. So, we have to see ourselves as one race, one human race, created by God, and we're supposed to live together in this world as brothers and sisters. So, that's a fundamental truth that America has not yet embraced."
Her Uncle Martin preached: "We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools."
MLK also declared, "Nonviolence is not a symbol of weakness or cowardice, but as Jesus demonstrated, nonviolent resistance transforms weakness into strength and breeds courage in the face of danger."
Positive, long-lasting change comes from doing the right thing by God's help – not from stealing television sets from Target while claiming to "demand justice" for George Floyd. God is the key to true healing in America.


wnd--2020-06-02--COVID-19 and the universal health scare

COVID-19 and the universal health scare

Note : Dr. Singleton is a member of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons , AAPS .
Politicians are a strange lot .
Not content with merely being speaker of the House , Nancy Pelosi is moonlighting as surgeon general , opining on what medications the president should be taking .
Service to the public is a distant memory .
The new charge is to invent catchy phrases , like the `` new normal , '' to quietly coax us into obeying dictates , while ignoring facts and science .
It is not normal to base lifting the lockdowns @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( aka SARS-CoV-2 ) tests .
Predictably , positive tests ( with many folks never becoming symptomatic ) will continue to increase as more tests are done .
Given that the stated goal of lockdowns was to lessen the strain on hospital resources , using hospitalization trends makes more sense .
It is not normal for New York and Minnesota 's governor to insist that COVID-19 patients be admitted to nursing homes , even after it became clear that nursing homes were a hotspot for infections and up to 81 % of COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ healthy people to walk around wearing masks – particularly when it is not recommended by the sainted World Health Organization .
TRENDING : Man arrested for looting admits what it 's really all about It is not normal never to see your parents , children , or grandparents .
Older folks suffer from loneliness in the best of times .
It is not normal for children to stay home from school indefinitely .
When children do go back to school , it is not normal to tell them they have to wear masks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or eat with one another .
Meanwhile , the CDC 's latest report tells us that the infection fatality rate for those aged 0-49 years is 0.05 % .
The CDC 's latest numbers are what Stanford researchers predicted in April .
It is not normal to have cellphone apps that track your movements – though I suppose helicopter parents and stalkers would make good use of them .
It is not normal to propose `` immunity passes '' enabling the holders to move about society unimpeded .
Immunity passes make no scientific @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unreliable , the length of immunity to SARS-CoV-2 is unknown , and they invite social stigmatization .
The real `` new normal '' is politicians being blatant with their old games .
It is normal for California 's Gov .
Newsom to make a secret $ 1 billion deal with BYD , a Chinese-based electric bus maker , to manufacture N95 masks at $ 3.30 a piece .
Kudos to his fellow Democratic legislators for seeking transparency about his pandemic spending spree .
To his credit , Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti purchased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ masks from Honeywell at 79 cents a mask .
COVID-19 is a handy justification for Congress to promote a political ideology rather than propose targeted measures to assist those struggling with the consequences of the virus .
TheHEROES Act , the fourth stimulus bill , presents a path to universal basic income by paying some workers more to stay home than they would receive by returning to work .
The CARES Act suspended student loan payments , but the HEROES Act paves the way for free college tuition for all by forgiving up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every borrower .
Moreover , the HEROES Act contains a multitude of other agenda-driven programs like access to financial services and the marketplace for minority-owned cannabis-related businesses , diversity in banking , a Post Office bailout , $ 50 million to the Environmental Protection Agency for environmental justice grants , economic impact payments to illegal immigrants , permanent voting by mail and the clearly relevant requirement that the president inform Congress of the reasons for not filling a vacancy for an inspector general position .
The proposed Medicare Crisis Program Act of 2020 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost their health insurance due to the COVID-19 lockdown and its consequences .
We want to help those who lost their jobs , but why use a newly minted premium-free Medicare program as the vehicle ?
Is it to get people accustomed to Medicare covering all age groups ?
The CONTACT initiative requires the CDC to work with states to implement a national system for testing , contact tracing , surveillance , containment and mitigation of COVID-19 .
( Have we done this for the infectious and deadly flu ? )
.
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` least restrictive means '' in implementing public health measures .
However , `` when an individual is identified as a threat to the health and welfare of others , such as refusing medical treatment at a health care facility and refusing to self-quarantine , the government may take the individual into custody . ''
The government has been known to abuse its power – whether through cultivating fear , regulatory force , or by individual miscreants .
Frederick Douglass warned , `` Find out just what any people will quietly submit to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the injustice and wrong which will be imposed on them . ''
We can not let a declaration of a public health emergency become the new gauge of what it takes to break our spirit of liberty .

Note: Dr. Singleton is a member of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, AAPS.
Politicians are a strange lot. Not content with merely being speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi is moonlighting as surgeon general, opining on what medications the president should be taking. Service to the public is a distant memory. The new charge is to invent catchy phrases, like the "new normal," to quietly coax us into obeying dictates, while ignoring facts and science.
It is not normal to base lifting the lockdowns on the trend in positive novel coronavirus (aka SARS-CoV-2) tests. Predictably, positive tests (with many folks never becoming symptomatic) will continue to increase as more tests are done. Given that the stated goal of lockdowns was to lessen the strain on hospital resources, using hospitalization trends makes more sense.
It is not normal for New York and Minnesota's governor to insist that COVID-19 patients be admitted to nursing homes, even after it became clear that nursing homes were a hotspot for infections and up to 81% of COVID-19 deaths.
It is not normal for healthy people to walk around wearing masks – particularly when it is not recommended by the sainted World Health Organization.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
It is not normal never to see your parents, children, or grandparents. Older folks suffer from loneliness in the best of times.
It is not normal for children to stay home from school indefinitely. When children do go back to school, it is not normal to tell them they have to wear masks and might not be able to play or eat with one another. Meanwhile, the CDC's latest report tells us that the infection fatality rate for those aged 0-49 years is 0.05%. The CDC's latest numbers are what Stanford researchers predicted in April.
It is not normal to have cellphone apps that track your movements – though I suppose helicopter parents and stalkers would make good use of them.
It is not normal to propose "immunity passes" enabling the holders to move about society unimpeded. Immunity passes make no scientific sense given that the serology tests are unreliable, the length of immunity to SARS-CoV-2 is unknown, and they invite social stigmatization.
The real "new normal" is politicians being blatant with their old games. It is normal for California's Gov. Newsom to make a secret $1 billion deal with BYD, a Chinese-based electric bus maker, to manufacture N95 masks at $3.30 a piece. Kudos to his fellow Democratic legislators for seeking transparency about his pandemic spending spree. To his credit, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti purchased 24 million "Made in America" masks from Honeywell at 79 cents a mask.
COVID-19 is a handy justification for Congress to promote a political ideology rather than propose targeted measures to assist those struggling with the consequences of the virus. TheHEROES Act, the fourth stimulus bill, presents a path to universal basic income by paying some workers more to stay home than they would receive by returning to work. The CARES Act suspended student loan payments, but the HEROES Act paves the way for free college tuition for all by forgiving up to $10,000 of student loans for every borrower.
Moreover, the HEROES Act contains a multitude of other agenda-driven programs like access to financial services and the marketplace for minority-owned cannabis-related businesses, diversity in banking, a Post Office bailout, $50 million to the Environmental Protection Agency for environmental justice grants, economic impact payments to illegal immigrants, permanent voting by mail and the clearly relevant requirement that the president inform Congress of the reasons for not filling a vacancy for an inspector general position.
The proposed Medicare Crisis Program Act of 2020 would provide health insurance for those who lost their health insurance due to the COVID-19 lockdown and its consequences. We want to help those who lost their jobs, but why use a newly minted premium-free Medicare program as the vehicle? Is it to get people accustomed to Medicare covering all age groups?
The CONTACT initiative requires the CDC to work with states to implement a national system for testing, contact tracing, surveillance, containment and mitigation of COVID-19. (Have we done this for the infectious and deadly flu?). The CDC regulations instruct authorities to use the "least restrictive means" in implementing public health measures. However, "when an individual is identified as a threat to the health and welfare of others, such as refusing medical treatment at a health care facility and refusing to self-quarantine, the government may take the individual into custody."
The government has been known to abuse its power – whether through cultivating fear, regulatory force, or by individual miscreants. Frederick Douglass warned, "Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have the exact measure of the injustice and wrong which will be imposed on them."
We cannot let a declaration of a public health emergency become the new gauge of what it takes to break our spirit of liberty.


wnd--2020-06-02--Racism? No -- the problem is arrogance

Racism? No -- the problem is arrogance

In 1992 , I operated a small publishing business in Los Angeles .
It was destroyed as a result of riots that ensued after four police officers were acquitted of charges of excessive violence in the beating of Rodney King .
It changed my life .
I focused my resolve to work in public policy to change destructive realities that were taking our distressed communities , and the whole nation , in what I saw as the wrong direction .
That was almost 30 years ago .
Yet it 's still going on : chaos and destruction , supposedly justified @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the past week , I sat bunkered at night in my Washington , D.C. , apartment as the nation 's capital was being transformed into a war zone .
Domestic terrorists roamed the streets , destroying private property , wanting to destroy our nation , pretending to be rioting to save it .
They defaced the Lincoln Memorial and the World War II Memorial , and torched St. John 's Episcopal Church , where presidents have prayed since 1816 .
TRENDING : Man arrested for looting admits what it 's really all about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the issue in remarks he made in the White House Rose Garden , saying : `` America is founded on the rule of law .
It is the foundation of our prosperity , our freedom and our very way of life . ''
He then courageously ventured off the White House grounds , crossed Lafayette Square and stood in front of St. John 's Church , holding up a Bible , and declaring the greatness of our nation and his resolve to keep it safe .
I do not believe any president has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fashion since President Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981 .
Yet , the left-wing media mocked Trump .
No sane American – of any political persuasion – is not appalled at the horrible death of George Floyd at the hands of a policeman .
But the answer to flouting of the law by anyone demands that we recommit ourselves to universal respect and execution of the law , not throw it in the trash .
In an announcement from my organization , UrbanCURE , that called for a national `` Pastoral Prayer for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ George Floyd did not die as a black man but as a human being , under the protection of American laws , and the mortal assault on him inflicted a deep wound on every American , not just American blacks .
People who think it their duty now to express sympathy to black folk must learn how to recognize that the grief is their own and not that of some 'other ' looking for their generosity . ''
Regarding allegations of racism , I say : `` I do n't agree that our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the poison that entrenches resentment and division among us .
The daily hunt for racism from top to bottom of our nation 's institutions have institutionalized the perception of racism in the post-Civil Rights era . ''
`` They have systematically reduced the fundamentals of citizenship to race , in the guise of diversity and inclusion – and these illusive lies have sown increasing distrust and painful social distance in conflict with our reality , '' I say .
`` Most Americans are cordial to their neighbors , work hand in hand across @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be left alone . ''
Why this chaos today , 30 years after Los Angeles was torn up and my business destroyed ?
I say it is because respect for the law and every human being comes only with humility , and that humility comes only when we see that law rooted in God and every person created in His image .
But too much of our nation 's reality has been controlled arrogance , not humility : arrogance that we do n't need the God of our fathers and founders .
Those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that our answers lie in politics , their secular humanism and moral relativism .
The result is the destruction of life and property that true law , adhered to by true believers , protects .
Only a return to eternal truths will save us .

In 1992, I operated a small publishing business in Los Angeles. It was destroyed as a result of riots that ensued after four police officers were acquitted of charges of excessive violence in the beating of Rodney King.
It changed my life. I focused my resolve to work in public policy to change destructive realities that were taking our distressed communities, and the whole nation, in what I saw as the wrong direction.
That was almost 30 years ago. Yet it's still going on: chaos and destruction, supposedly justified by racial injustice. Why?
For the past week, I sat bunkered at night in my Washington, D.C., apartment as the nation's capital was being transformed into a war zone.
Domestic terrorists roamed the streets, destroying private property, wanting to destroy our nation, pretending to be rioting to save it. They defaced the Lincoln Memorial and the World War II Memorial, and torched St. John's Episcopal Church, where presidents have prayed since 1816.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
President Donald Trump touched the heart of the issue in remarks he made in the White House Rose Garden, saying: "America is founded on the rule of law. It is the foundation of our prosperity, our freedom and our very way of life."
He then courageously ventured off the White House grounds, crossed Lafayette Square and stood in front of St. John's Church, holding up a Bible, and declaring the greatness of our nation and his resolve to keep it safe.
I do not believe any president has presented himself outside in public in this fashion since President Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981. Yet, the left-wing media mocked Trump.
No sane American – of any political persuasion – is not appalled at the horrible death of George Floyd at the hands of a policeman.
But the answer to flouting of the law by anyone demands that we recommit ourselves to universal respect and execution of the law, not throw it in the trash.
In an announcement from my organization, UrbanCURE, that called for a national "Pastoral Prayer for America," I note: "George Floyd did not die as a black man but as a human being, under the protection of American laws, and the mortal assault on him inflicted a deep wound on every American, not just American blacks. People who think it their duty now to express sympathy to black folk must learn how to recognize that the grief is their own and not that of some 'other' looking for their generosity."
Regarding allegations of racism, I say: "I don't agree that our nation is racist. That mantra is the poison that entrenches resentment and division among us. The daily hunt for racism from top to bottom of our nation's institutions have institutionalized the perception of racism in the post-Civil Rights era."
"They have systematically reduced the fundamentals of citizenship to race, in the guise of diversity and inclusion – and these illusive lies have sown increasing distrust and painful social distance in conflict with our reality," I say. "Most Americans are cordial to their neighbors, work hand in hand across racial lines, and just want to be left alone."
Why this chaos today, 30 years after Los Angeles was torn up and my business destroyed?
I say it is because respect for the law and every human being comes only with humility, and that humility comes only when we see that law rooted in God and every person created in His image.
But too much of our nation's reality has been controlled arrogance, not humility: arrogance that we don't need the God of our fathers and founders. Those on the left have convinced too many that our answers lie in politics, their secular humanism and moral relativism.
The result is the destruction of life and property that true law, adhered to by true believers, protects.
Only a return to eternal truths will save us.


wnd--2020-06-02--The political class' nonsensical, dangerous race game

In the wake of riots that have spread across America , leaving shattered businesses and wounded communities in their wake , it feels as though our nation is collapsing around us .
That 's bizarre , considering that virtually all Americans agree with the following two propositions : first , that it is evil for a police officer to place his knee on the neck of a prone suspect struggling to breathe for eight long minutes ; second , that breaking store windows , stealing televisions and shoes , beating business owners and attacking police officers is wrong .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ face of police brutality and rioting and looting .
It does n't because members of our political class have decided that instead of rallying against obvious evil , Americans must be categorized as enlightened or benighted based on their answer to one question : Was America and is America rooted in racism and bigotry ?
If you answer in the negative , you are complicit in racism and bigotry , say our media , academic leaders and high-ranking members of the Democratic Party .
If you answer in the affirmative , you may @ @ @ @ @ @ @ aware , the sensitive and the decent .
This is a nonsensical and dangerous game .
But it 's a game pressed forward by the most powerful messaging institutions in our society : our media , who award Pulitzer Prizes to faux history like The 1619 Project , which argues that every American institution has been fatally corrupted by America 's original sin , slavery , and that every inequality of today can find its root in inequities of the past ; our celebrities , who proudly proclaim that rights to free speech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ merely facades for the continuing and malign maintenance of structural inequalities ; and too many of our politicians , who casually attribute every instance of police brutality to deep-seated American racism .
These are lies .
America 's history is replete with racism and oppression , but that 's because America did n't hold true to her founding ideals ; America 's philosophy is good and true , and her flaws are thanks to her failures to follow that philosophy .
It is a lie to attack Americans ' fundamental rights as outgrowths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ damnable calumny to liken the treatment of black Americans in 2020 to the treatment of black Americans in 1960 , let alone 1860 .
Yet we are told by our institutional elites that to point out these lies is to refuse responsibility , to provide cover for racism .
TRENDING : Man arrested for looting admits what it 's really all about Declaring America 's most fundamental structures corrupt and cancer-ridden is deeply dangerous .
Once a structure has been condemned , its foundations declared unstable , it can only be destroyed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ fealty to a particular political program inside that supposedly corrupt structure can fix the problem .
Former President Barack Obama , who declares that discrimination exists in `` almost every institution of our lives , '' and that `` the legacy of slavery , Jim Crow … that 's still part of our DNA that 's passed on , '' says that voting for local officials is the solution to police brutality and individual instances of racism .
Somehow , so long as we vote for the same Democratic politicians who have governed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , America 's founding sins can be extirpated .
Is anyone expected to believe this ?
Our elites can not set fire to the fundamentals of America and then hope to contain that fire to occasional trips to the voting booth .
So Americans are left with a choice .
We can either think of one another with charity and accuracy , acknowledging the sins of America 's past while recognizing that America remains a beacon of freedom and decency , or we can continue to follow the path of those who would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ latter course is n't sensitive or moral .
It places the very existence of our common republic at risk .

In the wake of riots that have spread across America, leaving shattered businesses and wounded communities in their wake, it feels as though our nation is collapsing around us. That's bizarre, considering that virtually all Americans agree with the following two propositions: first, that it is evil for a police officer to place his knee on the neck of a prone suspect struggling to breathe for eight long minutes; second, that breaking store windows, stealing televisions and shoes, beating business owners and attacking police officers is wrong. That seeming unanimity should mean unity in the face of police brutality and rioting and looting.
It doesn't.
It doesn't because members of our political class have decided that instead of rallying against obvious evil, Americans must be categorized as enlightened or benighted based on their answer to one question: Was America and is America rooted in racism and bigotry? If you answer in the negative, you are complicit in racism and bigotry, say our media, academic leaders and high-ranking members of the Democratic Party. If you answer in the affirmative, you may be categorized among the woke, the aware, the sensitive and the decent.
This is a nonsensical and dangerous game. But it's a game pressed forward by the most powerful messaging institutions in our society: our media, who award Pulitzer Prizes to faux history like The 1619 Project, which argues that every American institution has been fatally corrupted by America's original sin, slavery, and that every inequality of today can find its root in inequities of the past; our celebrities, who proudly proclaim that rights to free speech, property ownership and due process are merely facades for the continuing and malign maintenance of structural inequalities; and too many of our politicians, who casually attribute every instance of police brutality to deep-seated American racism.
These are lies. America's history is replete with racism and oppression, but that's because America didn't hold true to her founding ideals; America's philosophy is good and true, and her flaws are thanks to her failures to follow that philosophy. It is a lie to attack Americans' fundamental rights as outgrowths of persecution. And it's a damnable calumny to liken the treatment of black Americans in 2020 to the treatment of black Americans in 1960, let alone 1860. Yet we are told by our institutional elites that to point out these lies is to refuse responsibility, to provide cover for racism.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
Declaring America's most fundamental structures corrupt and cancer-ridden is deeply dangerous. Once a structure has been condemned, its foundations declared unstable, it can only be destroyed. There is no way to argue that fealty to a particular political program inside that supposedly corrupt structure can fix the problem. Former President Barack Obama, who declares that discrimination exists in "almost every institution of our lives," and that "the legacy of slavery, Jim Crow … that's still part of our DNA that's passed on," says that voting for local officials is the solution to police brutality and individual instances of racism. Somehow, so long as we vote for the same Democratic politicians who have governed nearly every major American city for decades, America's founding sins can be extirpated. Is anyone expected to believe this? Our elites cannot set fire to the fundamentals of America and then hope to contain that fire to occasional trips to the voting booth.
So Americans are left with a choice. We can either think of one another with charity and accuracy, acknowledging the sins of America's past while recognizing that America remains a beacon of freedom and decency, or we can continue to follow the path of those who would tear us apart. To follow the latter course isn't sensitive or moral. It places the very existence of our common republic at risk.


Get up off your knees!

You have done nothing wrong .
Being white is not a crime .
Being a Trump voter is not a crime .
Being a police officer sworn to `` protect and serve '' every day is not a crime .
Being a non-white police officer proud to uphold and enforce law and order is not a crime .
Being a black or brown or yellow American who rejects excusing criminal behavior is not a crime .
Rejecting collective guilt is not a crime .
Refusing to acknowledge `` white privilege '' when you were born poor , or in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ psychological challenges , is not a crime .
Embracing the historic American nation , instead of erasing it , is not a crime .
Enforcing your private property rights is not a crime .
Teaching your wife and children to use a gun in self-defense is not a crime .
Owning an AR-15 or two is not a crime .
TRENDING : Man arrested for looting admits what it 's really all about Do not let the media , Hollywood , academics or politicians gaslight you .
Stop internalizing lies .
Who are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Who are the makers and keepers of peace ?
Who are the sowers and reapers of hate ?
The Proud Boys , who have guarded their communities and country for the past three years , were the lone citizen soldiers in the battle against Antifa that no one else on the ground wanted to fight .
The group and its leader , Gavin McInnes , have suffered greatly for trying to stop the violence now raging nationwide .
McInnes has been deplatformed everywhere and falsely labeled a `` white supremacist . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ have lost their jobs after being doxxed by Antifa vigilantes .
Two Proud Boys are in prison , railroaded by New York Democrats , after a Kafkaesque trial in which the cop-hating Antifa `` victims '' who lured the Proud Boys into an October 2018 street brawl refused to press charges or testify .
Their crime ?
These unapologetic Americans stood on their feet , not on their knees .
Journalists and photographers who documented Antifa violence for the past three years , such as Andy Ngo , Chelly Bouferrache and Brandon Brown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ physical assaults , death threats and harassment .
Many others have gone into hiding and suffer in silence .
Their crime ?
Exposing Antifa anarchy , standing eye to eye against their assailants , on their feet , not on their knees .
Working-class Irish , German and Polish-American men of Fishtown , a northeast Philadelphia suburb , came together this week to prevent their neighborhood from being pillaged and burned in the name of `` social justice '' like the rest of the City of Brotherly Riots .
They banded together outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bats and golf clubs , and faced down Black Lives Matter protesters who were there to taunt and provoke the cops .
Turn off CNN and tune into the facts on the ground .
At least 25 Philadelphia cops have been hurt during mob violence this week .
It 's an all-out war on the thin blue line .
At least 150 cops have been assaulted – four nearly murdered – in New York City as of Tuesday afternoon .
Two Buffalo , New York , law enforcement officers were run over late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ members of the U.S. Park Police were injured ; a Cincinnati cop was grazed by a bullet aimed at his head ; four St. Louis officers were shot ; one retired St. Louis police captain was killed ; a Las Vegas Metro cop was shot ; and a federal officer was shot and killed in Oakland – all in the name of peace , tolerance and reparations .
Yet , against this bloody and retributive backdrop , Democratic leaders in Philadelphia who have coddled looters all week condemned the peacekeeping Fishtown Brigade as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Their crime ?
Standing tall on their feet , not on their knees .
Scot Mendelson , a world record-holding powerlifter , protected his Southern California gym on Monday afternoon .
`` If you 're going to destroy something that somebody worked so hard to build , well , you know what , maybe you should be put down , '' he told Fox 11 Los Angeles .
`` You walk through my door , you threaten my life , I 'm aiming for the head . ''
Mendelson 's crime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feet , not on his knees .
Proud and good people hold their chins and guns up in a crisis .
It is how Korean grocers responded when the police abandoned them during the Los Angeles riots in 1992 .
It is how armed small-business owners of all colors are now facing an onslaught of crazed , greedy and evil barbarians hell-bent on destroying every enforcement bulwark that protects our civil society – from our borders to our neighborhoods to the White House .
Weakness is not strength .
Confessing sins for which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It makes me sick to my stomach to see virtue-signaling police chiefs kneeling before barking rioters calling them `` pigs . ''
I am nauseated by the sight of sobbing white people groveling for forgiveness before sadistic Black Lives Matter demagogues – as if this will appease the unappeasable .
It will not and never will .
America , straighten your spines .
Unbow your heads .
No home or nation was ever saved by kowtowing to invaders or ransackers .
Unless you are praying to God , get up off your @ @

Dear law-abiding Americans:
You have done nothing wrong.
Being white is not a crime. Being a Trump voter is not a crime. Being a police officer sworn to "protect and serve" every day is not a crime. Being a non-white police officer proud to uphold and enforce law and order is not a crime. Being a black or brown or yellow American who rejects excusing criminal behavior is not a crime.
Rejecting collective guilt is not a crime. Refusing to acknowledge "white privilege" when you were born poor, or in a broken home, or with physical or psychological challenges, is not a crime. Embracing the historic American nation, instead of erasing it, is not a crime.
Enforcing your private property rights is not a crime. Teaching your wife and children to use a gun in self-defense is not a crime. Owning an AR-15 or two is not a crime.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
Do not let the media, Hollywood, academics or politicians gaslight you. Stop internalizing lies. Who are the criminals? Who are the heroes? Who are the makers and keepers of peace? Who are the sowers and reapers of hate?
The Proud Boys, who have guarded their communities and country for the past three years, were the lone citizen soldiers in the battle against Antifa that no one else on the ground wanted to fight. The group and its leader, Gavin McInnes, have suffered greatly for trying to stop the violence now raging nationwide. McInnes has been deplatformed everywhere and falsely labeled a "white supremacist." Scores of Proud Boys of all colors have lost their jobs after being doxxed by Antifa vigilantes. Two Proud Boys are in prison, railroaded by New York Democrats, after a Kafkaesque trial in which the cop-hating Antifa "victims" who lured the Proud Boys into an October 2018 street brawl refused to press charges or testify.
Their crime? These unapologetic Americans stood on their feet, not on their knees.
Journalists and photographers who documented Antifa violence for the past three years, such as Andy Ngo, Chelly Bouferrache and Brandon Brown in Portland, Oregon, have endured physical assaults, death threats and harassment. Many others have gone into hiding and suffer in silence.
Their crime? Exposing Antifa anarchy, standing eye to eye against their assailants, on their feet, not on their knees.
Working-class Irish, German and Polish-American men of Fishtown, a northeast Philadelphia suburb, came together this week to prevent their neighborhood from being pillaged and burned in the name of "social justice" like the rest of the City of Brotherly Riots. They banded together outside the 26th police precinct, armed with bats and golf clubs, and faced down Black Lives Matter protesters who were there to taunt and provoke the cops.
Turn off CNN and tune into the facts on the ground. At least 25 Philadelphia cops have been hurt during mob violence this week. It's an all-out war on the thin blue line. At least 150 cops have been assaulted – four nearly murdered – in New York City as of Tuesday afternoon. Two Buffalo, New York, law enforcement officers were run over late Monday night. In addition, 51 members of the U.S. Park Police were injured; a Cincinnati cop was grazed by a bullet aimed at his head; four St. Louis officers were shot; one retired St. Louis police captain was killed; a Las Vegas Metro cop was shot; and a federal officer was shot and killed in Oakland – all in the name of peace, tolerance and reparations.
Yet, against this bloody and retributive backdrop, Democratic leaders in Philadelphia who have coddled looters all week condemned the peacekeeping Fishtown Brigade as a "mob" of "vigilantes."
Their crime? Standing tall on their feet, not on their knees.
Scot Mendelson, a world record-holding powerlifter, protected his Southern California gym on Monday afternoon. "If you're going to destroy something that somebody worked so hard to build, well, you know what, maybe you should be put down," he told Fox 11 Los Angeles. "You walk through my door, you threaten my life, I'm aiming for the head."
Mendelson's crime? Standing muscle-bound and honor-bound on his feet, not on his knees.
Proud and good people hold their chins and guns up in a crisis. It is how Korean grocers responded when the police abandoned them during the Los Angeles riots in 1992. It is how armed small-business owners of all colors are now facing an onslaught of crazed, greedy and evil barbarians hell-bent on destroying every enforcement bulwark that protects our civil society – from our borders to our neighborhoods to the White House.
Weakness is not strength. Confessing sins for which you bear no guilt is not noble. It makes me sick to my stomach to see virtue-signaling police chiefs kneeling before barking rioters calling them "pigs." I am nauseated by the sight of sobbing white people groveling for forgiveness before sadistic Black Lives Matter demagogues – as if this will appease the unappeasable. It will not and never will.
America, straighten your spines. Unbow your heads. No home or nation was ever saved by kowtowing to invaders or ransackers. Unless you are praying to God, get up off your knees.


wnd--2020-06-03--Journalist justifies looting, damage: 'Not violence' but 'symbolic taking'

( NEWSBUSTERS ) -- The New York Times Magazine ’ s ahistorical “ 1619 Project ” author has been all over media outlets this week commenting on the riots and protests over the death of George Floyd .
On Tuesday , she made some disturbing arguments justifying violence , to PBS ’ s Christiane Amanpour and on CBS News Live .
Amanpour actually responded as if she agreed with the NYT journalist condoning looting and property damage .
While she was on CBS News Live , the NYT ’ s Nikole Hannah-Jones argued that “ destroying property ” was “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was “ immoral ” to call it so .
She also claimed that destroying property was justified .
She said these inflammatory things in response to CBS News host Anne Marie-Green inviting her to give the “ full context ” on how we talk about the rioting and looting going on .
“ I think we need to be very careful with our language , ” Jones warned before adding that it was “ disturbing ” to see property damage and looting , but they shouldn ’ t be classified as violent : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what it 's really all about

(NEWSBUSTERS) -- The New York Times Magazine’s ahistorical “1619 Project” author has been all over media outlets this week commenting on the riots and protests over the death of George Floyd. On Tuesday, she made some disturbing arguments justifying violence, to PBS’s Christiane Amanpour and on CBS News Live. Amanpour actually responded as if she agreed with the NYT journalist condoning looting and property damage.
While she was on CBS News Live, the NYT’s Nikole Hannah-Jones argued that “destroying property” was “not violence.” She even claimed it was “immoral” to call it so. She also claimed that destroying property was justified. She said these inflammatory things in response to CBS News host Anne Marie-Green inviting her to give the “full context” on how we talk about the rioting and looting going on.
"Violence is when an agent of the state kneels on a man's neck until all of the life is leached out of his body. Destroying property, which can be replaced, is not violence. To use the same language to describe those two things is not moral" -@nhannahjones on CBSN pic.twitter.com/GGteXRFwAr — CBS News (@CBSNews) June 2, 2020
“I think we need to be very careful with our language,” Jones warned before adding that it was “disturbing” to see property damage and looting, but they shouldn’t be classified as violent:
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
Read the full story ›


wnd--2020-06-03--Tiger Woods enrages left by saying what they've deemed off-limits in George Floyd response

Tiger Woods was quickly criticized after he broke his silence about the death of George Floyd and released a statement Monday evening on Twitter .
The 44-year-old golfer said that his `` heart goes out to George Floyd , his loved ones and all of us who are hurting right now .
`` I have always had the utmost respect for our law enforcement , '' Woods said .
`` They train so diligently to understand how , when and where to use force . ''
TRENDING : Man arrested for looting admits what it 's really all about He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Angeles riots in 1992 that education is the best way to move forward .
`` We can make our points without burning the very neighborhoods that we live in , '' Woods wrote .
`` I hope that through constructive , honest conversations we can build a safer , unified society . ''
Fans and other Twitter users were quick to criticize his statement .
`` Soft .
You golf with the guy who is declaring war on his citizens for standing up for a cause , '' one user wrote .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well for promoting his golf courses . ''
Another added : `` As a fan this statement is very disappointing .
How can we have an honest conversation when you 're not even being honest . ''
Woods joined the growing list of athletes who have expressed their thoughts on Floyd 's death and the protests .
`` I am deeply saddened , truly pained and plain angry , '' Michael Jordan said in a statement .
`` Every one of us needs to be part of the solution , and we must @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Magic Johnson , Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James have also released statements or written about the situation .
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal .

Tiger Woods was quickly criticized after he broke his silence about the death of George Floyd and released a statement Monday evening on Twitter.
The 44-year-old golfer said that his "heart goes out to George Floyd, his loved ones and all of us who are hurting right now.
"I have always had the utmost respect for our law enforcement," Woods said.
"They train so diligently to understand how, when and where to use force."
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
He added that he learned from the Los Angeles riots in 1992 that education is the best way to move forward.
"We can make our points without burning the very neighborhoods that we live in," Woods wrote.
"I hope that through constructive, honest conversations we can build a safer, unified society."
Fans and other Twitter users were quick to criticize his statement.
"Soft. You golf with the guy who is declaring war on his citizens for standing up for a cause," one user wrote. "The @PGATOUR should be ashamed as well for promoting his golf courses."
Soft. You golf with the guy who is declaring war on his citizens for standing up for a cause. The @PGATOUR should be ashamed as well for promoting his golf courses. — CMB (@corymichael72) June 2, 2020
Another added: "As a fan this statement is very disappointing. How can we have an honest conversation when you're not even being honest."
As a fan this statement is very disappointing. How can we have an honest conversation when you’re not even being honest. — Michele Kara Moran (@MicheleKaraMor1) June 2, 2020
Other users expressed similar sentiments:
Tiger Woods was always a screwball and a liar (just ask the family he spent his adult life womanizing around) but now you can add gutless WORM to the list. No surprises there.
And no green jacket can cover up that. https://t.co/CZhsZewQnK — Black Authority (@TheBlackChannel) June 2, 2020
I love you, Brother, but you've got to do better than this. You just said absolutely nothing on the official letterhead. Hopefully, this was someone who works for you... not you. — Thespis Brown (@edwinleegibson) June 2, 2020
Weak and spineless statement, Tiger. — I ❤ Danes (@DeutscheDogges) June 2, 2020
Woods joined the growing list of athletes who have expressed their thoughts on Floyd's death and the protests.
"I am deeply saddened, truly pained and plain angry," Michael Jordan said in a statement.
"Every one of us needs to be part of the solution, and we must work together to ensure justice for all."
Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James have also released statements or written about the situation.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.


wnd--2020-06-04--Which hate speech gets encouragement from the Left

[ Editor 's note : This story originally was published by Real Clear Policy . ]
As America ’ s left abandons its working-class roots and embraces identity politics , outlawing “ hate speech ” will become not merely one among many items on its policy wish-list , but the lynchpin upon which its political success and moral promise depends .
TRENDING : Police : 'Stashes ' of bricks staged near protests were 'to be used during a riot' Many still underestimate how possible it is for “ hate speech ” to be banned in America , and how enormous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
We all have already see the growing list of cavalier assaults on speech : from Kamala Harris ’ Senate resolution proposing to outlaw the phrase “ Wuhan Virus ” ; to New York City ’ s attempt to fine anyone using the phrase “ illegal alien ” $ 250,000 ; to Big Tech ’ s one-way speech banning ratchet ; to the ever-expanding closedmindedness of our campuses .
These are not merely isolated instances of outlandish far-left ploys — they are the direct and necessary outgrowths of identity politics .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ implying that it is the politics of all identities .
To the contrary , it a winner-takes-all politics of the victimized or marginalized — who demand liberation , celebration , and equal self-respect — against the so-called oppressor group , which in the American context is defined especially as whites .
The oppressor identity must be condemned , punished — and silenced .
As I recently explained in a detailed report , for its most influential advocates , “ hate speech ” is speech which harms the so-called marginalized .
Indeed , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ regulation is one-sided : The marginalized are permitted to speak freely , while the oppressor group must be silenced .
On this logic , Malcolm X ’ s expression “ white devil ” is as tolerable as it is to say today that the “ greatest terrorist threat in this country is white men.
” As leading criminalization advocate Mari Matsuda writes , society must tolerate speech “ that comes from an experience of oppression.
” In fact , such speech should not merely be tolerated , but encouraged when directed against the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ posit , the liberation of marginalized groups comes to depend on disrupting or undermining the power and identity of the oppressor , then “ hate speech ” toward it is courageous , heroic , and necessary .
An “ angry , hateful poem by a person from a historically subjugated group ” should be interpreted as “ a victim ’ s struggle for self-identity in response to racism , ” writes Matsuda .
Not surprisingly , in Europe and Canada , where “ hate speech ” is already criminalized , the public square @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Christianity , heterosexuality , and the legacy populations of those nations .
Their “ hate speech ” laws do not stop such speech because they are not supposed to .
America is already half-way there .
What speech then is prohibited to the oppressor group ?
First , and needless to say , it is racial epithets — but this is not at all what ’ s at stake for criminalization advocates , it is merely the public argument used .
More important is silencing all criticisms of marginalized groups , which they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ judge as harmful to their self-respect .
Perhaps most astonishingly , this logic even extends even to facts that may call into question the self-respect of the marginalized .
As leading criminalization advocates Richard Delgado and Gene Stefancic write , speaking of the statistically documented disparities in educational preparedness of affirmative action recipients is deplorable “ hate speech.
” Labeling as “ hate speech ” factual , provable claims would extend to any number of issues that conflict with the self-respect of the marginalized .
One already sees this conflict underway between medical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ logic , so too would broader factual disputes be judged impermissible .
As Delgado and Stefancic write , because “ even a determined judiciary will not be able to enforce equality and racial justice ” by banning “ hate speech , ” ridding society of the underlying sentiments contained in it requires that the oppressor group ’ s culture and opinion of itself be reshaped so that positive depictions of marginalized groups predominate in the minds of oppressor group and in society .
Identitarians , in other words , must replace the oppressor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new mythologies about the marginalized — while also removing these from scrutiny or criticism .
It would thus become impermissible to dispute the truthfulness of the narratives of the marginalized : for instance , that all of history is patriarchal oppression designed to subjugate women , or that gender is a social construct to be freely chosen , or that the United States is founded fundamentally on white supremacy , as the New York Times ’ 1619 Project claims .
Banning hate speech requires nothing short of a revolution which marks the end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mind , but also what remains of political self-rule in America : all essential political question which may harm the self-respect of the marginalized must be removed from the legitimate spheres of political deliberation .
For example , any serious political deliberations of immigration — legal or not — harms the self-respect of marginalized immigrants .
The only legitimate discussion therefore becomes how to increase it .
Defenses of the traditional family harms the self-respect of both feminists and the LGBTQ .
Discussion of crime rates harm the self-respect of groups who commit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sphere of permissible political speech narrows to the point of irrelevance , even seemingly neutral topics like welfare also become off limits .
As some academics write : “ race-neutral [ political ] campaign themes ” like welfare policy “ carry demonstrably racially loaded undertones.
” Almost nothing is left in the sphere of political deliberation — even tax policy likely harms some marginalized group .
Most Americans do not yet understand how far along this powerful movement has progressed , nor the stakes involved .
Today , only 53 % of college @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support the freedom of speech .
Judicial and regulatory precedents are already on the books .
While these will be exploited in the coming years by activists and the administrative state , so too will Big Tech companies , whose platforms have become an essential venue for political deliberation , continue to implement bans following this logic .
The conflict between identity politics and republican self-government will become more obvious and pronounced in the coming years .
The freedom of speech , unlike most policy disputes , is a civilization level issue : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and only it can cool the fanatical hatreds and false theories underneath identity politics .
But Americans should not count on the courts to save them .
A new political class with courage and an understanding of the stake is needed .
Arthur Milikh is associate director of The Heritage Foundation ’ s B. Kenneth Simon Center for American Studies and AWC Family Foundation Fellow .
[ Editor 's note : This story originally was published by Real Clear Policy . ]

[Editor's note: This story originally was published by Real Clear Policy.]
By Arthur Milikh
Real Clear Policy
As America’s left abandons its working-class roots and embraces identity politics, outlawing “hate speech” will become not merely one among many items on its policy wish-list, but the lynchpin upon which its political success and moral promise depends.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
Many still underestimate how possible it is for “hate speech” to be banned in America, and how enormous is the movement already pushing to accomplish it. We all have already see the growing list of cavalier assaults on speech: from Kamala Harris’ Senate resolution proposing to outlaw the phrase “Wuhan Virus”; to New York City’s attempt to fine anyone using the phrase “illegal alien” $250,000; to Big Tech’s one-way speech banning ratchet; to the ever-expanding closedmindedness of our campuses. These are not merely isolated instances of outlandish far-left ploys — they are the direct and necessary outgrowths of identity politics.
The phrase identity politics is a misnomer, implying that it is the politics of all identities. To the contrary, it a winner-takes-all politics of the victimized or marginalized — who demand liberation, celebration, and equal self-respect — against the so-called oppressor group, which in the American context is defined especially as whites. The oppressor identity must be condemned, punished — and silenced.
As I recently explained in a detailed report, for its most influential advocates, “hate speech” is speech which harms the so-called marginalized. Indeed, the very purpose of “hate speech” regulation is one-sided: The marginalized are permitted to speak freely, while the oppressor group must be silenced. On this logic, Malcolm X’s expression “white devil” is as tolerable as it is to say today that the “greatest terrorist threat in this country is white men.” As leading criminalization advocate Mari Matsuda writes, society must tolerate speech “that comes from an experience of oppression.”
In fact, such speech should not merely be tolerated, but encouraged when directed against the oppressor group. If, as identitarians posit, the liberation of marginalized groups comes to depend on disrupting or undermining the power and identity of the oppressor, then “hate speech” toward it is courageous, heroic, and necessary. An “angry, hateful poem by a person from a historically subjugated group” should be interpreted as “a victim’s struggle for self-identity in response to racism,” writes Matsuda.
Not surprisingly, in Europe and Canada, where “hate speech” is already criminalized, the public square is filled with speech which freely maligns Christianity, heterosexuality, and the legacy populations of those nations. Their “hate speech” laws do not stop such speech because they are not supposed to. America is already half-way there.
What speech then is prohibited to the oppressor group? First, and needless to say, it is racial epithets — but this is not at all what’s at stake for criminalization advocates, it is merely the public argument used. More important is silencing all criticisms of marginalized groups, which they (or their white liberal advocates) judge as harmful to their self-respect.
Perhaps most astonishingly, this logic even extends even to facts that may call into question the self-respect of the marginalized. As leading criminalization advocates Richard Delgado and Gene Stefancic write, speaking of the statistically documented disparities in educational preparedness of affirmative action recipients is deplorable “hate speech.” Labeling as “hate speech” factual, provable claims would extend to any number of issues that conflict with the self-respect of the marginalized. One already sees this conflict underway between medical doctors and transgender activists.
On this logic, so too would broader factual disputes be judged impermissible. As Delgado and Stefancic write, because “even a determined judiciary will not be able to enforce equality and racial justice” by banning “hate speech,” ridding society of the underlying sentiments contained in it requires that the oppressor group’s culture and opinion of itself be reshaped so that positive depictions of marginalized groups predominate in the minds of oppressor group and in society.
Identitarians, in other words, must replace the oppressor’s cultural images and narratives with new mythologies about the marginalized — while also removing these from scrutiny or criticism. It would thus become impermissible to dispute the truthfulness of the narratives of the marginalized: for instance, that all of history is patriarchal oppression designed to subjugate women, or that gender is a social construct to be freely chosen, or that the United States is founded fundamentally on white supremacy, as the New York Times’ 1619 Project claims.
Banning hate speech requires nothing short of a revolution which marks the end not only of the freedom of the mind, but also what remains of political self-rule in America: all essential political question which may harm the self-respect of the marginalized must be removed from the legitimate spheres of political deliberation.
For example, any serious political deliberations of immigration — legal or not — harms the self-respect of marginalized immigrants. The only legitimate discussion therefore becomes how to increase it. Defenses of the traditional family harms the self-respect of both feminists and the LGBTQ. Discussion of crime rates harm the self-respect of groups who commit crimes at higher rates.
As the sphere of permissible political speech narrows to the point of irrelevance, even seemingly neutral topics like welfare also become off limits. As some academics write: “race-neutral [political] campaign themes” like welfare policy “carry demonstrably racially loaded undertones.” Almost nothing is left in the sphere of political deliberation — even tax policy likely harms some marginalized group.
Most Americans do not yet understand how far along this powerful movement has progressed, nor the stakes involved. Today, only 53% of college students — a bare majority — still support the freedom of speech. Judicial and regulatory precedents are already on the books. While these will be exploited in the coming years by activists and the administrative state, so too will Big Tech companies, whose platforms have become an essential venue for political deliberation, continue to implement bans following this logic.
The conflict between identity politics and republican self-government will become more obvious and pronounced in the coming years. The freedom of speech, unlike most policy disputes, is a civilization level issue: only it can guard republican self-government, and only it can cool the fanatical hatreds and false theories underneath identity politics. But Americans should not count on the courts to save them. A new political class with courage and an understanding of the stake is needed.
Arthur Milikh is associate director of The Heritage Foundation’s B. Kenneth Simon Center for American Studies and AWC Family Foundation Fellow.
[Editor's note: This story originally was published by Real Clear Policy.]


wnd--2020-06-04--Time for the FBI to disclose, discharge, and disinfect

[ Editor 's note : This story originally was published by Real Clear Politics . ]
When Christopher Wray was named director of the FBI in August 2017 , he had two crucial tasks : clean the Augean Stables , which had been fouled by James Comey , and restore public confidence in the bureau .
Comey presided over a carnival of misconduct .
Comey and his deputy , Andrew McCabe , supervised all of it and handpicked most of the other agents involved .
Wray ’ s job was to muck out this mess , disclose the wrongdoing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ back public support .
To put it bluntly : he has failed at the job .
He has failed the country , the president , and his fellow agents .
Firing Wray before the election would be too incendiary .
It would instantly descend into a partisan food fight , like all American politics these days , and would cloud the important work of U.S. Attorney John Durham .
But if Wray can not be fired immediately , neither should he be allowed to block the public from seeing what went wrong at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what he has been doing , and it needs to stop .
TRENDING : Police : 'Stashes ' of bricks staged near protests were 'to be used during a riot' Wray shouldn ’ t be allowed to hide or slow-walk the evidence that American citizens have every right to see .
Remember , it was the current FBI team , not Jim Comey , that said it couldn ’ t find Peter Strzok and Lisa Page ’ s devastating text messages .
It was the Justice Department ’ s Inspector General , Michael @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who discovered the “ lost ” messages and thousands more .
They were released by Rod Rosenstein , who was effectively running DoJ at the time .
The FBI brass were not happy .
They weren ’ t happy , either , when the House Intelligence Committee , led by Devin Nunes , finished its 2018 report showing how the FBI and Department of Justice abused the secret intelligence court .
That court approves warrants under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act ( aimed at terrorists and spies working against America ) .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the act was also aimed at the Republican Party .
Targeting the Trump campaign without extremely strong justification is a grave violation of our constitutional norms .
It jeopardizes the fairness of our elections and turns federal law enforcement into a partisan instrument .
The Nunes report exposed it .
Director Wray strenuously opposed the report ’ s release , saying it would harm “ national security.
” What it really harmed was the FBI ’ s reputation for honesty , adherence to standard procedures , and lawful behavior .
Rebuilding that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Although he was unable to block the report , Democrats on the intelligence committee did everything they could to discredit it and smear Nunes personally .
They were led by Adam Schiff , Nunes ’ fellow Californian , who issued a partisan counter-report and appeared on television constantly , denouncing Nunes and defending the FBI investigation , including the FISA warrants .
The Democrats ’ main line of attack was that Trump had colluded with the Russians ( “ The evidence is in plain sight , ” Schiff said ) , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this criminal and possibly treasonous behavior , and that the FBI and DoJ carried out their work “ by the book , ” as approved by the FISA court .
The mainstream media adopted that version of events as its own .
This shared narrative did more than defend the Obama administration and its top law enforcement and intelligence officials .
It implied that Trump was not legitimately elected since he won only by working with a foreign enemy .
Now , after reams of evidence have come out , we know how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ FBI and DoJ really was .
He knew all along that there was no actual evidence to back up the “ Russia collusion ” smear .
All Obama ’ s senior appointees in law enforcement and intelligence told the House Intelligence Committee they had no evidence the Trump campaign was colluding , cooperating , or coordinating with Russia .
Yes , the Kremlin did try to meddle in the election , but not with Trump ’ s help .
That testimony was given under oath , behind closed doors .
When the doors @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Schiff himself stood before the cameras and said the opposite .
It is also increasingly clear that the multi-pronged effort to spy on Trump ’ s campaign was riddled with irregularities and legal problems .
Those began with the flimsy memo that authorized the spying to begin with .
Newly revealed documents undermine the rationale for the investigation , the Schiff report , and two years of clueless media hype .
Nunes ’ report stands vindicated .
It laid out a valuable roadmap to the improper surveillance .
How did Director Wray respond @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Did he tell his agents it was a dark day for the FBI but one that would brighten as the bureau faced up to its errors and undertook fundamental reforms ?
No .
Did he apologize for the FBI ’ s illegal actions and promise to do better ?
No .
He simply reassured bureau employees that their “ work will endure ” and that others ’ “ talk is cheap.
” How did Schiff and the Democratic House leadership react ?
By blocking the release of all secret testimony for more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rationale that disclosing it would harm national security .
That was untrue because all classified materials would be deleted .
What the testimony would really harm was congressional Democrats , the Obama administration , and the mainstream media , which had worked together to promote the collusion story .
That ’ s why , after Democrats won the House , they refused to release the testimony .
It finally came out this spring , but only because Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell threatened to release it if Schiff did not .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the truth is hidden by adroit slight-of-hand , extended to exculpatory evidence found by Special Counsel Robert Mueller and his deputy , Andrew Weissmann .
The Mueller report didn ’ t disclose anything that would weaken their case against Trump or his associates .
Their aim was clear : set the table for impeachment .
They played the same dirty tricks when they prosecuted Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn , refusing to give his first team of lawyers the exculpatory information uncovered by the FBI and the special counsel , and only partially doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by his second attorney , the tenacious Sidney Powell .
We still don ’ t have such key documents as the FBI agents ’ first-hand report of their interview with Flynn .
The bureau claims it can ’ t find it .
The nation ’ s premier law enforcement agency sounds like shameless seventh-graders .
The dog ate their homework .
How can citizens possibly understand the misdeeds of the FBI and Mueller team if essential information remains secret ?
The American people deserve to know what went wrong and why .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Comey , Chris Wray , Andy McCabe , Peter Strzok , Lisa Page , Loretta Lynch , John Brennan , James Clapper , Bob Mueller , or Andrew Weissmann .
It was collected on our behalf ; it belongs to us ; and we deserve to see it .
Let the Director of National Intelligence , John Ratcliffe , scrub it of any classified material and then let Attorney General William Barr or the bureau disclose it .
If those disclosures make the FBI , DoJ , or Office of Special Counsel look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it .
Director Wray hasn ’ t merely obstructed the release of documents .
He has failed to give a public accounting of what went wrong at his agency and a full-throated promise to correct it .
That ’ s essential if the FBI ’ s culture is to change for the better .
One measure of that culture ’ s corruption is that no whistleblowers came forward during the darkest days .
Since the FBI has been unwilling to come clean on its own , Barr needs to appoint someone who will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spot opened up this week when the FBI ’ s general counsel was forced out .
Dana Boente had signed one of the false FISA warrants and resisted all pressure for disclosure .
He was part of the problem .
His replacement should be part of the solution .
That will only happen if Barr makes the appointment himself and picks someone who is committed to transparency , not to covering up scandals .
America needs an FBI it can trust .
It will only have it if the bureau is finally willing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disinfect.
” It ’ s time to start spraying the countertops .

[Editor's note: This story originally was published by Real Clear Politics.]
By Charles Lipson
Real Clear Politics
When Christopher Wray was named director of the FBI in August 2017, he had two crucial tasks: clean the Augean Stables, which had been fouled by James Comey, and restore public confidence in the bureau. Comey presided over a carnival of misconduct. Comey and his deputy, Andrew McCabe, supervised all of it and handpicked most of the other agents involved.
Wray’s job was to muck out this mess, disclose the wrongdoing, fire the bad guys, and win back public support. To put it bluntly: he has failed at the job. He has failed the country, the president, and his fellow agents.
Firing Wray before the election would be too incendiary. It would instantly descend into a partisan food fight, like all American politics these days, and would cloud the important work of U.S. Attorney John Durham. But if Wray cannot be fired immediately, neither should he be allowed to block the public from seeing what went wrong at the bureau. That’s exactly what he has been doing, and it needs to stop.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
Wray shouldn’t be allowed to hide or slow-walk the evidence that American citizens have every right to see. Remember, it was the current FBI team, not Jim Comey, that said it couldn’t find Peter Strzok and Lisa Page’s devastating text messages. It was the Justice Department’s Inspector General, Michael Horowitz, not Wray’s agents, who discovered the “lost” messages and thousands more. They were released by Rod Rosenstein, who was effectively running DoJ at the time. The FBI brass were not happy.
They weren’t happy, either, when the House Intelligence Committee, led by Devin Nunes, finished its 2018 report showing how the FBI and Department of Justice abused the secret intelligence court. That court approves warrants under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (aimed at terrorists and spies working against America). Under Comey and his Justice Department allies, the act was also aimed at the Republican Party. Targeting the Trump campaign without extremely strong justification is a grave violation of our constitutional norms. It jeopardizes the fairness of our elections and turns federal law enforcement into a partisan instrument. The Nunes report exposed it.
Director Wray strenuously opposed the report’s release, saying it would harm “national security.” What it really harmed was the FBI’s reputation for honesty, adherence to standard procedures, and lawful behavior. Rebuilding that reputation was precisely why Wray was appointed. Although he was unable to block the report, Democrats on the intelligence committee did everything they could to discredit it and smear Nunes personally. They were led by Adam Schiff, Nunes’ fellow Californian, who issued a partisan counter-report and appeared on television constantly, denouncing Nunes and defending the FBI investigation, including the FISA warrants.
The Democrats’ main line of attack was that Trump had colluded with the Russians (“The evidence is in plain sight,” Schiff said), that the FBI had every right to investigate this criminal and possibly treasonous behavior, and that the FBI and DoJ carried out their work “by the book,” as approved by the FISA court. The mainstream media adopted that version of events as its own. This shared narrative did more than defend the Obama administration and its top law enforcement and intelligence officials. It implied that Trump was not legitimately elected since he won only by working with a foreign enemy.
Now, after reams of evidence have come out, we know how groundless Schiff’s defense of the FBI and DoJ really was. He knew all along that there was no actual evidence to back up the “Russia collusion” smear. All Obama’s senior appointees in law enforcement and intelligence told the House Intelligence Committee they had no evidence the Trump campaign was colluding, cooperating, or coordinating with Russia. Yes, the Kremlin did try to meddle in the election, but not with Trump’s help. That testimony was given under oath, behind closed doors. When the doors were opened, the same officials and Schiff himself stood before the cameras and said the opposite.
It is also increasingly clear that the multi-pronged effort to spy on Trump’s campaign was riddled with irregularities and legal problems. Those began with the flimsy memo that authorized the spying to begin with. Newly revealed documents undermine the rationale for the investigation, the Schiff report, and two years of clueless media hype. Nunes’ report stands vindicated. It laid out a valuable roadmap to the improper surveillance.
How did Director Wray respond when the Nunes report became public? Did he tell his agents it was a dark day for the FBI but one that would brighten as the bureau faced up to its errors and undertook fundamental reforms? No. Did he apologize for the FBI’s illegal actions and promise to do better? No. He simply reassured bureau employees that their “work will endure” and that others’ “talk is cheap.”
How did Schiff and the Democratic House leadership react? By blocking the release of all secret testimony for more than two years. They used the specious rationale that disclosing it would harm national security. That was untrue because all classified materials would be deleted. What the testimony would really harm was congressional Democrats, the Obama administration, and the mainstream media, which had worked together to promote the collusion story. That’s why, after Democrats won the House, they refused to release the testimony. It finally came out this spring, but only because Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell threatened to release it if Schiff did not.
This game of three-card monte, where the truth is hidden by adroit slight-of-hand, extended to exculpatory evidence found by Special Counsel Robert Mueller and his deputy, Andrew Weissmann. The Mueller report didn’t disclose anything that would weaken their case against Trump or his associates. Their aim was clear: set the table for impeachment.
They played the same dirty tricks when they prosecuted Lt. Gen. Mike Flynn, refusing to give his first team of lawyers the exculpatory information uncovered by the FBI and the special counsel, and only partially doing so in the face of relentless effort by his second attorney, the tenacious Sidney Powell. We still don’t have such key documents as the FBI agents’ first-hand report of their interview with Flynn. The bureau claims it can’t find it. The nation’s premier law enforcement agency sounds like shameless seventh-graders. The dog ate their homework.
How can citizens possibly understand the misdeeds of the FBI and Mueller team if essential information remains secret? The American people deserve to know what went wrong and why. We paid for this information -- not Jim Comey, Chris Wray, Andy McCabe, Peter Strzok, Lisa Page, Loretta Lynch, John Brennan, James Clapper, Bob Mueller, or Andrew Weissmann. It was collected on our behalf; it belongs to us; and we deserve to see it. Let the Director of National Intelligence, John Ratcliffe, scrub it of any classified material and then let Attorney General William Barr or the bureau disclose it. If those disclosures make the FBI, DoJ, or Office of Special Counsel look bad, even criminal, so be it.
Director Wray hasn’t merely obstructed the release of documents. He has failed to give a public accounting of what went wrong at his agency and a full-throated promise to correct it. That’s essential if the FBI’s culture is to change for the better. One measure of that culture’s corruption is that no whistleblowers came forward during the darkest days.
Since the FBI has been unwilling to come clean on its own, Barr needs to appoint someone who will do it for them. The perfect spot opened up this week when the FBI’s general counsel was forced out. Dana Boente had signed one of the false FISA warrants and resisted all pressure for disclosure. He was part of the problem. His replacement should be part of the solution. That will only happen if Barr makes the appointment himself and picks someone who is committed to transparency, not to covering up scandals.
America needs an FBI it can trust. It will only have it if the bureau is finally willing to “disclose, discharge, and disinfect.” It’s time to start spraying the countertops.


wnd--2020-06-04--The renewable energy projects nobody wants

[ Editor 's note : This story originally was published by Real Clear Energy . ]
New York has some of America ’ s most ambitious climate goals .
By 2030 , the state is supposed to be deriving 70 percent of its electricity from renewables and have 100 percent carbon-free power by 2040 .
But renewable-energy projects are facing stiff opposition from rural New York communities that don ’ t want wind and solar projects in their neighborhoods .
The raging land-use battles in New York over renewable-energy siting aren ’ t just about property rights and home rule @ @ @ @ @ @ @ class .
New York is becoming a wind-energy plantation for New England .
Furthermore , some of the state ’ s poorest counties are being targeted by some of the biggest wind projects .
TRENDING : Police : 'Stashes ' of bricks staged near protests were 'to be used during a riot' The rural opposition has been so strong that earlier this year , New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo added a provision , known as Article 23 , to the state budget that effectively strips local communities of their ability to stop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their jurisdictions .
In response , several communities , including Cambria , Yates , and Somerset , passed resolutions declaring themselves “ sanctuary towns ” against the encroachment of large-scale renewable projects .
In addition , Niagara and Orleans counties passed resolutions opposing Article 23 .
John Riggi , who was elected to the Yates Town Council in 2016 on an anti-wind-energy platform , told me Cuomo has launched a “ thinly veiled eminent domain process ... this is about property taking , with the state doing the bidding of the wind and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ idea of wind energy they just don ’ t want any wind turbines in New England .
So they are putting them in New York .
For proof of that , consider the 126-megawatt Cassadaga Wind Project , now being built in Chautauqua County , New York ’ s westernmost county .
The project includes 37 turbines , each standing about 500 feet high , spread over 40,000 acres ( 62 square miles ) .
The project is owned by Innogy , a subsidiary of the Essen , German-based utility E.On .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York Public Service Commission in 2018 with only a passing mention of the fact that the electricity it produces will not be credited to New York ’ s renewable-energy goals .
Instead , it will be counted toward the goals set by Massachusetts , Connecticut , and Rhode Island .
According to the American Wind Energy Association , no wind projects are being built in any of those three states .
Nor are any being built in New Hampshire , or Vermont , the home state of all-renewable-energy advocate and US senator , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a spokesperson for Innogy confirmed that the buyer of the power to be produced by Cassadaga “ is a group of seven New England utilities procured through the New England Clean Energy request for proposals ” in 2016 .
How will the juice from New York get to New England ?
It won ’ t .
Instead , the Innogy spokesperson told me that the energy produced by the turbines at Cassadaga “ will be used to serve local energy requirements in areas surrounding the project .
Export to areas outside New York @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nevertheless , thanks to the magic of renewable-energy credits , New England utilities will get to claim the wind energy that ’ s being produced in Chautauqua County , as their own .
The Innogy spokesperson said the utilities , “ can purchase the energy generated from Cassadaga Wind without having a direct point-to-point transmission connection.
” When completed , the Cassadaga project will increase the amount of renewable energy that is being generated in New York but that will be credited to New England .
My review of data published by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Power Pool found that of the nearly 4 million megawatt-hours of wind energy produced in New York in 2018 , the state exported 1.2 million megawatt-hours , or 30 percent , to New England .
When the Cassadaga wind project begins operating , it will likely add another 364,000 megawatt-hours per year in renewable-energy credits to that export total .
The politics of renewable energy can be seen as left versus right .
But when it comes to siting large renewable-energy projects , the divide is increasingly about rich versus poor .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tony communities , like near Hillary Clinton ’ s house in Chappaqua , or Westchester County , ” says Joni Riggle , a resident of Chautauqua County , who opposes the Cassadaga project .
“ The people who live in those places have the financial clout to fight Big Wind.
” Gary Abraham , a Great Valley-based lawyer who represents several citizens ’ groups that are fighting large-scale renewable projects told me that “ siting wind-energy projects is like siting landfills .
Nobody wants them.
” That ’ s why they are being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which has a median household income of $ 44,304 .
For comparison , the median household income in New York state is $ 67,844 .
In Westchester , it ’ s $ 94,811 .
The U.S. median household income is $ 61,937 , or about 40 % higher than the median in Chautauqua County .
Last year , about 100 Chautauqua County residents filed a lawsuit against the owners of the recently completed Arkwright Wind Power Project .
They are claiming that noise from the 78-megawatt facility , which is owned by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their sleep .
They are also claiming it has reduced the value of their homes .
One of the biggest pending wind projects proposed for New York is the Alle-Catt Wind Farm .
First proposed in 2015 , Alle-Catt is being developed by Chicago-based Invenergy , which wants to put 117 wind turbines with a total of 340 megawatts of generation capacity in Allegany , Cattaraugus , and Wyoming counties .
Those three are among the poorest counties in New York .
Opposition to the project has been stout , particularly in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ November , opponents of the Alle-Catt project won control of the town boards in Freedom and Farmersville , and those boards have passed measures aimed at fending off the giant wind project .
In February , a subsidiary of Invenergy sued the Freedom Town Board after it voted to invalidate a local wind law .
The Alle-Catt project will also have major impacts on wildlife .
On May 26 , Jonathan Townsend , the manager of the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History , located in Jamestown , published an oped in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he pointed out that the Alle-Catt project will be built near several bat roosting sites .
Townsend said the new wind project is “ projected to kill between 26,000-39,500 bats ” including rare species like the northern long-eared bat .
For another example of how wind companies target low-income counties , look at Apex Clean Energy ’ s efforts to build the Lighthouse Wind project in Niagara and Orleans Counties .
Local opposition to that project has been fierce and the battle over the 200-megawatt project has been raging for four years .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of $ 51,656 .
Orleans County ’ s median household income is $ 49,223 .
Back in Chautauqua County , Joni Riggle , a 65-year-old retired nurse , lives with her husband in a modest house on a rural road north of Sinclairville .
Three turbines are slated to be built across the street from their home , the closest one will be 2,200 feet away .
Over the past four years , Riggle has become something of an expert on New York ’ s electric grid and the politics of renewable energy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ County because , she said , “ they know we are vulnerable.
” Robert Bryce ’ s sixth book , A Question of Power : Electricity and the Wealth of Nations , was published in March by PublicAffairs .
His documentary , Juice : How Electricity Explains the World , will be available on iTunes on June 2 .
[ Editor 's note : This story originally was published by Real Clear Energy . ]

[Editor's note: This story originally was published by Real Clear Energy.]
By Robert Bryce
Real Clear Energy
New York has some of America’s most ambitious climate goals. By 2030, the state is supposed to be deriving 70 percent of its electricity from renewables and have 100 percent carbon-free power by 2040. But renewable-energy projects are facing stiff opposition from rural New York communities that don’t want wind and solar projects in their neighborhoods.
The raging land-use battles in New York over renewable-energy siting aren’t just about property rights and home rule, they are also about geography and class. New York is becoming a wind-energy plantation for New England. Furthermore, some of the state’s poorest counties are being targeted by some of the biggest wind projects.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
The rural opposition has been so strong that earlier this year, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo added a provision, known as Article 23, to the state budget that effectively strips local communities of their ability to stop big renewable-energy projects from being built in their jurisdictions. In response, several communities, including Cambria, Yates, and Somerset, passed resolutions declaring themselves “sanctuary towns” against the encroachment of large-scale renewable projects. In addition, Niagara and Orleans counties passed resolutions opposing Article 23.
John Riggi, who was elected to the Yates Town Council in 2016 on an anti-wind-energy platform, told me Cuomo has launched a “thinly veiled eminent domain process... this is about property taking, with the state doing the bidding of the wind and solar companies.”
New Englanders like the idea of wind energy they just don’t want any wind turbines in New England. So they are putting them in New York.
For proof of that, consider the 126-megawatt Cassadaga Wind Project, now being built in Chautauqua County, New York’s westernmost county. The project includes 37 turbines, each standing about 500 feet high, spread over 40,000 acres (62 square miles). The project is owned by Innogy, a subsidiary of the Essen, German-based utility E.On.
The Cassadaga project was approved by the New York Public Service Commission in 2018 with only a passing mention of the fact that the electricity it produces will not be credited to New York’s renewable-energy goals. Instead, it will be counted toward the goals set by Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. According to the American Wind Energy Association, no wind projects are being built in any of those three states. Nor are any being built in New Hampshire, or Vermont, the home state of all-renewable-energy advocate and US senator, Bernie Sanders.
In an email, a spokesperson for Innogy confirmed that the buyer of the power to be produced by Cassadaga “is a group of seven New England utilities procured through the New England Clean Energy request for proposals” in 2016. How will the juice from New York get to New England? It won’t. Instead, the Innogy spokesperson told me that the energy produced by the turbines at Cassadaga “will be used to serve local energy requirements in areas surrounding the project. Export to areas outside New York would require dedicated point-to-point transmission lines.”
Nevertheless, thanks to the magic of renewable-energy credits, New England utilities will get to claim the wind energy that’s being produced in Chautauqua County, as their own. The Innogy spokesperson said the utilities, “can purchase the energy generated from Cassadaga Wind without having a direct point-to-point transmission connection.”
When completed, the Cassadaga project will increase the amount of renewable energy that is being generated in New York but that will be credited to New England. My review of data published by the Department of Energy and the New England Power Pool found that of the nearly 4 million megawatt-hours of wind energy produced in New York in 2018, the state exported 1.2 million megawatt-hours, or 30 percent, to New England. When the Cassadaga wind project begins operating, it will likely add another 364,000 megawatt-hours per year in renewable-energy credits to that export total.
The politics of renewable energy can be seen as left versus right. But when it comes to siting large renewable-energy projects, the divide is increasingly about rich versus poor. “Wind developers don’t target the tony communities, like near Hillary Clinton’s house in Chappaqua, or Westchester County,” says Joni Riggle, a resident of Chautauqua County, who opposes the Cassadaga project. “The people who live in those places have the financial clout to fight Big Wind.”
Gary Abraham, a Great Valley-based lawyer who represents several citizens’ groups that are fighting large-scale renewable projects told me that “siting wind-energy projects is like siting landfills. Nobody wants them.” That’s why they are being built in places like Chautauqua County, which has a median household income of $44,304.
For comparison, the median household income in New York state is $67,844. In Westchester, it’s $94,811. The U.S. median household income is $61,937, or about 40% higher than the median in Chautauqua County.
Last year, about 100 Chautauqua County residents filed a lawsuit against the owners of the recently completed Arkwright Wind Power Project. They are claiming that noise from the 78-megawatt facility, which is owned by the Portuguese company EDP Renewables, is disturbing their sleep. They are also claiming it has reduced the value of their homes.
One of the biggest pending wind projects proposed for New York is the Alle-Catt Wind Farm. First proposed in 2015, Alle-Catt is being developed by Chicago-based Invenergy, which wants to put 117 wind turbines with a total of 340 megawatts of generation capacity in Allegany, Cattaraugus, and Wyoming counties. Those three are among the poorest counties in New York.
Opposition to the project has been stout, particularly in the towns of Freedom and Farmersville. Last November, opponents of the Alle-Catt project won control of the town boards in Freedom and Farmersville, and those boards have passed measures aimed at fending off the giant wind project. In February, a subsidiary of Invenergy sued the Freedom Town Board after it voted to invalidate a local wind law.
The Alle-Catt project will also have major impacts on wildlife. On May 26, Jonathan Townsend, the manager of the Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History, located in Jamestown, published an oped in the Orlean Times Herald, in which he pointed out that the Alle-Catt project will be built near several bat roosting sites. Townsend said the new wind project is “projected to kill between 26,000-39,500 bats” including rare species like the northern long-eared bat.
For another example of how wind companies target low-income counties, look at Apex Clean Energy’s efforts to build the Lighthouse Wind project in Niagara and Orleans Counties. Local opposition to that project has been fierce and the battle over the 200-megawatt project has been raging for four years. Niagara County has a median household income of $51,656. Orleans County’s median household income is $49,223.
Back in Chautauqua County, Joni Riggle, a 65-year-old retired nurse, lives with her husband in a modest house on a rural road north of Sinclairville. Three turbines are slated to be built across the street from their home, the closest one will be 2,200 feet away. Over the past four years, Riggle has become something of an expert on New York’s electric grid and the politics of renewable energy. Wind-energy companies target places like Chautauqua County because, she said, “they know we are vulnerable.”
Robert Bryce’s sixth book, A Question of Power: Electricity and the Wealth of Nations, was published in March by PublicAffairs. His documentary, Juice: How Electricity Explains the World, will be available on iTunes on June 2.
[Editor's note: This story originally was published by Real Clear Energy.]