westernjournal--2020-06-05--Official Says Antifa Has Been Planning Anti-Government Insurgency Long Before George Floyd Death

An anonymous law enforcement official , speaking to The Washington Times , has said that so-called “ anti-fascist ” groups have been planning unrest like the kind we ’ ve seen during recent riots for months , perhaps since as early as November .
The official , who the paper reported has “ access to intelligence behind the shadowy group , ” said the plans “ to foment a nationwide anti-government insurgency ” began “ as early as November as the U.S. presidential campaign season kicked off in earnest.
” The official didn ’ t confirm antifa groups ’ participation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ certainly seems that such a move would be in keeping with antifa ’ s modus operandi .
There ’ s been plenty of talk from officials about outsiders playing a significant part in violence during the riots that came following to the death of George Floyd , an unarmed black man who died in Minneapolis after a police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes .
In New York City , the top counterterrorism official said that unnamed outside anarchist groups — a possible reference to antifa groups — had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had seen during the riots .
“ Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence and Counterterrorism John Miller said there is a high level of confidence within the NYPD that these unnamed groups had organized scouts , medics , and supply routes of rocks , bottles and accelerants for breakaway groups to commit vandalism and violence , ” WNBC-TV reported May 31 .
“ There are strong indicators they planned for violence in advance using at times encrypted communications , he said.
” One of the reasons for the suspicions was this : By that point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made since May 28 involved people who lived in different states , like Texas , Nevada and Iowa , according to Miller .
“ Before the protests began , organizers of certain anarchists groups set out to raise bail money and people who would be responsible to be raising bail money , they set out to recruit medics and medical teams with gear to deploy in anticipation of violent interactions with police , ” he said .
“ They prepared to commit property damage and directed people who were following them that this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wealthier areas or at high-end stores run by corporate entities.
” He made no indication of what groups were responsible , but again , draw your own conclusions .
The Trump administration has also had antifa on its radar , with the president saying he would declare it a terror organization .
On Monday , Trump said that “ in recent days , our nation has been gripped by professional anarchists , violent mobs , arsonists , looters , criminals , rioters , antifa and others.
” While it ’ s questionable whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a terrorist organization — the law states that only foreign groups can be labeled as such — National Security Advisor Robert O ’ Brien says the administration is taking a hard look at the group .
“ The president and the attorney general want to know from [ FBI ] Director [ Christopher ] Wray what the FBI has been doing to track and dismantle and surveil and prosecute antifa , ” O ’ Brien said this week on CNN .
“ And if that hasn ’ t been happening , we want @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forward.
” Antifa ’ s presence in the United States has mostly been confined to the Pacific Northwest — particularly Portland , where their confrontations with fringe right-wing groups have gone viral in very ugly ways .
“ What makes the shadowy group unique is its willingness to use of violence , what Antifa organizers and sympathizers call ‘ direct ’ action in support of the anarchist and Marxist-Leninist agenda .
That often involves setting fires , looting , throwing bricks and bottles at police , and in one case the apparent use @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in attacking an opponent in the face , ” The Washington Times reported Wednesday .
And yet , there ’ s always the usual Twitter defense force of progressives who are always willing to defend the group .
You know the tweets : “ What part of ‘ anti-fascist ’ don ’ t you understand ?
” That ’ s what the property damage is for — telling the fascists what-for .
What part of that don ’ t you understand ?
Well , it seems the lack of understanding may be on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Brien pointed out , these are “ militant radicals who come into our cities and cross state lines.
” “ They ’ re organized and use Molotov cocktails and fireworks and gas to burn down our cities , especially businesses in minority neighborhoods , ” he said .
“ It ’ s got to be stopped.
” And , of course , the aim is to create enough chaos to make sure Trump doesn ’ t get re-elected .
“ President Trump ’ s election and revitalization of America are a threat to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are fomenting this violence to create havoc , despair and to target the Trump campaign for defeat in 2020 , ” Joe Myers , a former Defense Intelligence Agency official , told The Washington Times .
The question is , however , what role antifa played in these riots .
We don ’ t really know .
We have intimations and clues and quotes , but none of this is solid proof .
And that ’ s exactly what antifa wants : They ’ re a diffuse group of hoodlums that , unfortunately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overarching organization that law enforcement can go after .
For all we know , this is talk of a chimerical force that never coalesced to cause trouble .
For all we know , this was just a canard .
From the sound of things , however , it ’ s something much more than that .
It ’ s not about George Floyd and it never was .
And to make things worse , this could just be the beginning .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism @ @ @ @ @ @

An anonymous law enforcement official, speaking to The Washington Times, has said that so-called “anti-fascist” groups have been planning unrest like the kind we’ve seen during recent riots for months, perhaps since as early as November.
The official, who the paper reported has “access to intelligence behind the shadowy group,” said the plans “to foment a nationwide anti-government insurgency” began “as early as November as the U.S. presidential campaign season kicked off in earnest.”
The official didn’t confirm antifa groups’ participation in the recent protests, though it certainly seems that such a move would be in keeping with antifa’s modus operandi.
There’s been plenty of talk from officials about outsiders playing a significant part in violence during the riots that came following to the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died in Minneapolis after a police officer knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes.
In New York City, the top counterterrorism official said that unnamed outside anarchist groups — a possible reference to antifa groups — had been involved in much of the unlawfulness authorities had seen during the riots.
“Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence and Counterterrorism John Miller said there is a high level of confidence within the NYPD that these unnamed groups had organized scouts, medics, and supply routes of rocks, bottles and accelerants for breakaway groups to commit vandalism and violence,” WNBC-TV reported May 31.
“There are strong indicators they planned for violence in advance using at times encrypted communications, he said.”
One of the reasons for the suspicions was this: By that point, one out of every seven arrests made since May 28 involved people who lived in different states, like Texas, Nevada and Iowa, according to Miller.
“Before the protests began, organizers of certain anarchists groups set out to raise bail money and people who would be responsible to be raising bail money, they set out to recruit medics and medical teams with gear to deploy in anticipation of violent interactions with police,” he said.
Do you think antifa is a domestic terror organization? Yes No
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“They prepared to commit property damage and directed people who were following them that this should be done selectively and only in wealthier areas or at high-end stores run by corporate entities.”
He made no indication of what groups were responsible, but again, draw your own conclusions.
The Trump administration has also had antifa on its radar, with the president saying he would declare it a terror organization.
On Monday, Trump said that “in recent days, our nation has been gripped by professional anarchists, violent mobs, arsonists, looters, criminals, rioters, antifa and others.”
While it’s questionable whether or not antifa can be designated as a terrorist organization — the law states that only foreign groups can be labeled as such — National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien says the administration is taking a hard look at the group.
“The president and the attorney general want to know from [FBI] Director [Christopher] Wray what the FBI has been doing to track and dismantle and surveil and prosecute antifa,” O’Brien said this week on CNN. “And if that hasn’t been happening, we want to know what the plan is going forward.”
Antifa’s presence in the United States has mostly been confined to the Pacific Northwest — particularly Portland, where their confrontations with fringe right-wing groups have gone viral in very ugly ways.
“What makes the shadowy group unique is its willingness to use of violence, what Antifa organizers and sympathizers call ‘direct’ action in support of the anarchist and Marxist-Leninist agenda. That often involves setting fires, looting, throwing bricks and bottles at police, and in one case the apparent use of a milkshake laced with quick-dry cement in attacking an opponent in the face,” The Washington Times reported Wednesday.
And yet, there’s always the usual Twitter defense force of progressives who are always willing to defend the group.
You know the tweets: “What part of ‘anti-fascist’ don’t you understand?” That’s what the property damage is for — telling the fascists what-for. What part of that don’t you understand?
Well, it seems the lack of understanding may be on the other foot. As O’Brien pointed out, these are “militant radicals who come into our cities and cross state lines.”
“They’re organized and use Molotov cocktails and fireworks and gas to burn down our cities, especially businesses in minority neighborhoods,” he said. “It’s got to be stopped.”
And, of course, the aim is to create enough chaos to make sure Trump doesn’t get re-elected.
“President Trump’s election and revitalization of America are a threat to antifa’s nihilist goals. They are fomenting this violence to create havoc, despair and to target the Trump campaign for defeat in 2020,” Joe Myers, a former Defense Intelligence Agency official, told The Washington Times.
The question is, however, what role antifa played in these riots. We don’t really know. We have intimations and clues and quotes, but none of this is solid proof.
And that’s exactly what antifa wants: They’re a diffuse group of hoodlums that, unfortunately, knows better than to form an overarching organization that law enforcement can go after.
For all we know, this is talk of a chimerical force that never coalesced to cause trouble. For all we know, this was just a canard.
From the sound of things, however, it’s something much more than that.
It’s not about George Floyd and it never was.
And to make things worse, this could just be the beginning.
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westernjournal--2020-06-05--Every Congressional Candidate Trump Endorsed Won Their Primary – Dems Should Be Quaking in Their Boo

Every Congressional Candidate Trump Endorsed Won Their Primary – Dems Should Be Quaking in Their Boots

Numbers never lie — and neither do results .
In spite of the onslaught of doom and gloom analysis from the establishment media about President Donald Trump ’ s chances for re-election , conservatives have a reason to be confident going into the presidential elections this November .
The president has endorsed 64 Republican candidates in congressional , special and primary election races since the 2018 midterms — and all have won .
“ It couldn ’ t be more clear that Republicans across the ballot are campaigning on the President ’ s successful track record of keeping America First @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stated in a news release .
On Tuesday , 23 House and Senate candidates endorsed by Trump won their Republican primaries .
“ Thanks to the President ’ s bold conservative agenda , during his Administration we ’ ve seen an economic renaissance , the lowest unemployment rate for nearly every minority group before the economy was artificially interrupted by coronavirus , manufacturing return to America , new trade deals , a stronger national security , and thousands of new American jobs , ” Parscale continued .
“ The President ’ s unprecedented @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters already know , President Trump has never stopped fighting for them and will be reelected in 2020.
” The fact that every Republican candidate given Trump ’ s stamp of approval since the midterms has been victorious signals the immense support for the commander in chief ’ s agenda and shows how influential his endorsements are .
Biden and the rest of the Democrats are surely shaking in their boots .
Even so , pollsters are indicating that Biden may have a good chance of winning the election in November .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vice president in front of Trump when it comes to winning the electoral college .
The most recent numbers have Biden with 183 electoral votes and Trump with 125 and 230 toss-up votes .
But these are the same numbers that indicated former Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton would win in a landslide .
Obviously , those 2016 numbers were off .
The Trump campaign will continue on the path to victory as Republicans continue to come out on top , and that will hopefully provide the president with the momentum he needs to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Numbers never lie — and neither do results.
In spite of the onslaught of doom and gloom analysis from the establishment media about President Donald Trump’s chances for re-election, conservatives have a reason to be confident going into the presidential elections this November.
The president has endorsed 64 Republican candidates in congressional, special and primary election races since the 2018 midterms — and all have won.
“It couldn’t be more clear that Republicans across the ballot are campaigning on the President’s successful track record of keeping America First,” Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale stated in a news release.
On Tuesday, 23 House and Senate candidates endorsed by Trump won their Republican primaries.
“Thanks to the President’s bold conservative agenda, during his Administration we’ve seen an economic renaissance, the lowest unemployment rate for nearly every minority group before the economy was artificially interrupted by coronavirus, manufacturing return to America, new trade deals, a stronger national security, and thousands of new American jobs,” Parscale continued.
“The President’s unprecedented, undefeated endorsement record reflects what American voters already know, President Trump has never stopped fighting for them and will be reelected in 2020.”
Congressman Dusty Johnson (@DustyJohnson) is a phenomenal advocate for the people of South Dakota! He helped us deliver USMCA for our Farmers, and he is strong on the Border and our Second Amendment. Dusty has my Complete and Total Endorsement! #SDALhttps://t.co/H413O6RvwN — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 2, 2020
Do you think President Trump will be re-elected this November? Yes No
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Senator Mike Rounds (@RoundsforSenate) continues to deliver for South Dakota! Mike is working hard for our incredible Farmers and he is strong on Trade, Military, our Vets, and the Second Amendment. Mike has my Complete and Total Endorsement! #SDSenhttps://t.co/qM8LsXR9tN — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 2, 2020
The fact that every Republican candidate given Trump’s stamp of approval since the midterms has been victorious signals the immense support for the commander in chief’s agenda and shows how influential his endorsements are.
Biden and the rest of the Democrats are surely shaking in their boots.
Congressman Bill Johnson (@JohnsonLeads) is an incredible fighter for the Great State of Ohio! He’s a proud Veteran and a hard worker who Cares for our Veterans, Supports Small Business, and is Strong on the Border and Second Amendment…. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 23, 2020
Even so, pollsters are indicating that Biden may have a good chance of winning the election in November.
The RealClearPolitics average of polls has the former vice president in front of Trump when it comes to winning the electoral college.
The most recent numbers have Biden with 183 electoral votes and Trump with 125 and 230 toss-up votes.
But these are the same numbers that indicated former Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton would win in a landslide.
Obviously, those 2016 numbers were off.
The Trump campaign will continue on the path to victory as Republicans continue to come out on top, and that will hopefully provide the president with the momentum he needs to win in November.
Truth and Accuracy Submit a Correction → * Name
* Email
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* All fields are required. Success! We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.


westernjournal--2020-06-05--Watch: Tucker Carlson Breaks Down Police Shootings of Unarmed Black Men

The death of George Floyd in police custody , we ’ re told by the left , was no aberration .
It was part of something systemic — “ systemic ” being the word that undergirds so many of the arguments that have rattled around the media these past few days .
Democrat Sens .
Cory Booker of New Jersey and Kamala Harris of California provided one of the best ( and certainly most visible ) summations of this line of thinking in a joint news conference on Tuesday .
“ This is the story of life every single day @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in our country , African-American men , mostly unarmed , being murdered by police officers and no way of holding them accountable , ” Booker said , according to a transcript from Rev .
“ And so the challenge we face in this body is what are we going to do ?
Because that is the question that protestors are demanding.
” “ The reality of it is that the life of a black person in America , historically , and even most recently with Mr. Floyd , has never been treated as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ And it is time that we come to terms with the fact that America has never fully addressed the systemic racism that has existed in our country.
” There you have it : Across this nation , we ’ re to understand , there ’ s a system cemented in place diligently killing unarmed black men .
Why do those charged with carrying it out carry it out , then ?
That ’ s a bit less clear .
Ingrained prejudice ?
Abuse of power ?
Bad training ?
Something more sinister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ clear .
In fact , a lot of this argument is hazy .
For instance , how many unarmed black men are being killed by police officers each year ?
Hundreds ?
Dozens ?
What were the circumstances ?
Despite the frequency of this argument ’ s appearance , we never quite get specific details beyond the rhetoric .
We know the specifics of George Floyd ’ s death all too well , yes .
But beyond that — well , what ?
As it turns out , all of the deaths of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Fox News ’ Tucker Carlson on his Wednesday show .
Not the entire show , mind you .
Just a segment of it .
That ’ s because the “ so many people in our country , African-American men , mostly unarmed , being murdered by police officers ” that Booker described in his news conference amounted , in 2019 , to 10 African-American individuals — nine men and one woman .
And yet , as Carlson pointed out , the lawyer for Floyd ’ s family called the phenomenon a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s not even close to genocide .
It is laughable to suggest it is , ” the Fox News host said .
“ Since 2015 , The Washington Post has maintained a comprehensive database of fatal police shootings in this country , ” Carlson said during the segment .
“ Last year , The Post logged a total of 1,004 killings .
Of the 802 shootings in which the race of the police officer and the suspect was noted , 371 of the those killed were white ; 236 were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killed were not in fact , unarmed .
The vast majority were armed , and African-American suspects were significantly more likely to have a deadly weapon than white suspects .
Yet more white suspects were killed.
” RELATED : Tucker Carlson Said These 9 GOP Senators Should Lose Their Races Carlson went to provide a synopsis of each of the 10 cases where unarmed African-American individuals were fatally shot by police officers , none of which sounded as if it represented an instance of wider systemic racism designed to produce a “ genocide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first was a man called Channara Pheap .
He was killed by a Knoxville police called officer Dylan Williams , ” Carlson said .
“ According to Williams , Pheap attacked him , choked him and then used a Taser on him … before the officer shot him .
Five eyewitnesses corroborated the officer ’ s claim , and the officer was not charged .
“ The second case concerns a man called Marcus McVae .
He was by any description a career criminal from San Angelo , Texas .
He ’ d @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a public servant and organized criminal activity .
At the time he was killed he was wanted on drug dealing charges .
A Texas state trooper pulled him over .
McVae fled in his car , then he fled on foot into the woods .
There , he fought with a trooper , and was shot and killed .
The officer was not charged in that case .
“ Marzues Scott assaulted a shop employee .
When a female police officer arrived and ordered the suspect toward her car , he instead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ground .
At that point , she shot and killed him .
The entire incident was caught on body camera .
The officer was not charged .
“ Ryan Twyman was being approached by two LA County deputies when he backed into one of them with his vehicle .
The deputy was caught in the car door .
He and his partner opened fire .
The deputies were not charged in that case.
” And so on .
Two of the cases he described ended in charges .
In Fort Worth , Texas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Aaron Dean after one of her neighbors saw her door open and thought something might be amiss .
The neighbor called a nonemergency number and , when police arrived at the scene , Jefferson saw them approach .
She came to the window with a gun to observe what was happening .
Bodycam footage shows Dean shooting Jefferson through the window in a matter of seconds ; he has since been charged with homicide .
In another , Gregory Griffin was shot by Officer Jovanny Crespo during a car chase in Newark , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Griffin had pointed a gun at him — and a firearm was discovered inside Griffin ’ s vehicle — but Crespo is facing aggravated manslaughter charges .
As of July 1 , 2019 , there were roughly 44 million black Americans , according to U.S. Census data .
Ten of them were shot by police despite being unarmed that year .
In two cases , officers have been charged .
In only one of those — the alleged murder of Jefferson by Dean — did the situation potentially rise to the heinousness and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Floyd case .
In every other case , it ’ s not that the officers weren ’ t charged because of some white supremacist back-slapping criminal justice system that averts its gaze when an unarmed black individual is shot by a law enforcement officer .
The material facts don ’ t support this interpretation .
Nor does the wider set of data , either .
In a piece published in The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday , the Manhattan Institute ’ s Heather Mac Donald noted that even when you look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ factoring in the crime rate , black individuals are less likely to be killed .
“ In 2019 police officers fatally shot 1,004 people , most of whom were armed or otherwise dangerous .
African-Americans were about a quarter of those killed by cops last year ( 235 ) , a ratio that has remained stable since 2015 , ” Mac Donald wrote .
“ That share of black victims is less than what the black crime rate would predict , since police shootings are a function of how often officers encounter armed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the latest year for which such data have been published , African-Americans made up 53 % of known homicide offenders in the U.S. and commit about 60 % of robberies , though they are 13 % of the population .
“ The police fatally shot nine unarmed blacks and 19 unarmed whites in 2019 , according to a Washington Post database , down from 38 and 32 , respectively , in 2015 .
The Post defines ‘ unarmed ’ broadly to include such cases as a suspect in Newark , N.J. , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during a police chase .
In 2018 there were 7,407 black homicide victims .
Assuming a comparable number of victims last year , those nine unarmed black victims of police shootings represent 0.1 % of all African-Americans killed in 2019 .
By contrast , a police officer is 18½ times more likely to be killed by a black male than an unarmed black male is to be killed by a police officer.
” Instead , this is empty rhetoric about systemic racism leading to an inordinate number of black deaths at the hands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ over inconvenient developments for liberal and progressive politicians and pundits .
In this case , the indignation over George Floyd ’ s death led to mass gatherings , something considered so taboo just days before the Floyd killing that anyone who engaged in it was cast as a willing agent of death .
But these mass gatherings can be countenanced because the underlying cause is the systemic killing of black individuals by police .
Real unemployment is very likely over 20 percent thanks to the coronavirus lockdowns , and the areas hit the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On our television sets , we saw riots where the businesses hit the hardest were , again , retail and food and beverage .
We don ’ t know how much this will end up compounding the economic misery we ’ re in because this is a fresh development , but compound the misery it certainly will .
But that can be countenanced because the underlying cause of the destruction and looting of property was the systemic killing of black individuals by police .
Except that reason is a lie .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , too : Things are getting better for unarmed suspects of all races .
“ Last year was the safest year for unarmed suspects since The Washington Post began tracking police shootings , ” Carlson pointed out .
“ It was the safest year for both white and black suspects.
” The mass gatherings were either a grave danger that ’ ll set back our flattening of the curve to a profound extent or it ’ ll prove the lockdowns that decimated the economy were unnecessary in the first place .
The looting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more afraid of seeming draconian than in preserving what remains of their economies .
No amount of strident rhetoric claiming that officers are killing black men because of systemic racism will change these salient facts .
Illogic , alas , will not paint a fig leaf over these troublesome facts , even if that illogic is delivered with the kind of passion that presupposes a vague notion is nothing short of gospel truth .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

The death of George Floyd in police custody, we’re told by the left, was no aberration. It was part of something systemic — “systemic” being the word that undergirds so many of the arguments that have rattled around the media these past few days.
Democrat Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Kamala Harris of California provided one of the best (and certainly most visible) summations of this line of thinking in a joint news conference on Tuesday.
“This is the story of life every single day. And we have so many people in our country, African-American men, mostly unarmed, being murdered by police officers and no way of holding them accountable,” Booker said, according to a transcript from Rev. “And so the challenge we face in this body is what are we going to do? Because that is the question that protestors are demanding.”
“The reality of it is that the life of a black person in America, historically, and even most recently with Mr. Floyd, has never been treated as fully human,” Harris said. “And it is time that we come to terms with the fact that America has never fully addressed the systemic racism that has existed in our country.”
There you have it: Across this nation, we’re to understand, there’s a system cemented in place diligently killing unarmed black men.
Why do those charged with carrying it out carry it out, then? That’s a bit less clear. Ingrained prejudice? Abuse of power? Bad training? Something more sinister? That part is never quite made clear.
In fact, a lot of this argument is hazy. For instance, how many unarmed black men are being killed by police officers each year? Hundreds? Dozens? What were the circumstances?
Despite the frequency of this argument’s appearance, we never quite get specific details beyond the rhetoric. We know the specifics of George Floyd’s death all too well, yes. But beyond that — well, what?
As it turns out, all of the deaths of unarmed black men could be broken down by Fox News’ Tucker Carlson on his Wednesday show. Not the entire show, mind you. Just a segment of it.
Is systemic racism a myth? Yes No
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That’s because the “so many people in our country, African-American men, mostly unarmed, being murdered by police officers” that Booker described in his news conference amounted, in 2019, to 10 African-American individuals — nine men and one woman.
And yet, as Carlson pointed out, the lawyer for Floyd’s family called the phenomenon a “genocide.”
“This is not genocide. It’s not even close to genocide. It is laughable to suggest it is,” the Fox News host said.
“Since 2015, The Washington Post has maintained a comprehensive database of fatal police shootings in this country,” Carlson said during the segment.
“Last year, The Post logged a total of 1,004 killings. Of the 802 shootings in which the race of the police officer and the suspect was noted, 371 of the those killed were white; 236 were black. The vast majority of those killed were not in fact, unarmed. The vast majority were armed, and African-American suspects were significantly more likely to have a deadly weapon than white suspects. Yet more white suspects were killed.”
Carlson went to provide a synopsis of each of the 10 cases where unarmed African-American individuals were fatally shot by police officers, none of which sounded as if it represented an instance of wider systemic racism designed to produce a “genocide” by police officers.
“The first was a man called Channara Pheap. He was killed by a Knoxville police called officer Dylan Williams,” Carlson said.
“According to Williams, Pheap attacked him, choked him and then used a Taser on him … before the officer shot him. Five eyewitnesses corroborated the officer’s claim, and the officer was not charged.
“The second case concerns a man called Marcus McVae. He was by any description a career criminal from San Angelo, Texas. He’d been convicted of aggravated assault, assault on a public servant and organized criminal activity. At the time he was killed he was wanted on drug dealing charges. A Texas state trooper pulled him over. McVae fled in his car, then he fled on foot into the woods. There, he fought with a trooper, and was shot and killed. The officer was not charged in that case.
“Marzues Scott assaulted a shop employee. When a female police officer arrived and ordered the suspect toward her car, he instead charged her and knocked her to the ground. At that point, she shot and killed him. The entire incident was caught on body camera. The officer was not charged.
“Ryan Twyman was being approached by two LA County deputies when he backed into one of them with his vehicle. The deputy was caught in the car door. He and his partner opened fire. The deputies were not charged in that case.”
And so on.
Two of the cases he described ended in charges.
In Fort Worth, Texas, Atatiana Jefferson was shot by Officer Aaron Dean after one of her neighbors saw her door open and thought something might be amiss. The neighbor called a nonemergency number and, when police arrived at the scene, Jefferson saw them approach. She came to the window with a gun to observe what was happening. Bodycam footage shows Dean shooting Jefferson through the window in a matter of seconds; he has since been charged with homicide.
In another, Gregory Griffin was shot by Officer Jovanny Crespo during a car chase in Newark, New Jersey. Crespo said he thought Griffin had pointed a gun at him — and a firearm was discovered inside Griffin’s vehicle — but Crespo is facing aggravated manslaughter charges.
As of July 1, 2019, there were roughly 44 million black Americans, according to U.S. Census data. Ten of them were shot by police despite being unarmed that year. In two cases, officers have been charged. In only one of those — the alleged murder of Jefferson by Dean — did the situation potentially rise to the heinousness and indifference to human life that we saw in the Floyd case.
In every other case, it’s not that the officers weren’t charged because of some white supremacist back-slapping criminal justice system that averts its gaze when an unarmed black individual is shot by a law enforcement officer. The material facts don’t support this interpretation.
Nor does the wider set of data, either. In a piece published in The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday, the Manhattan Institute’s Heather Mac Donald noted that even when you look at the shootings of armed suspects, factoring in the crime rate, black individuals are less likely to be killed.
“In 2019 police officers fatally shot 1,004 people, most of whom were armed or otherwise dangerous. African-Americans were about a quarter of those killed by cops last year (235), a ratio that has remained stable since 2015,” Mac Donald wrote.
“That share of black victims is less than what the black crime rate would predict, since police shootings are a function of how often officers encounter armed and violent suspects. In 2018, the latest year for which such data have been published, African-Americans made up 53% of known homicide offenders in the U.S. and commit about 60% of robberies, though they are 13% of the population.
“The police fatally shot nine unarmed blacks and 19 unarmed whites in 2019, according to a Washington Post database, down from 38 and 32, respectively, in 2015. The Post defines ‘unarmed’ broadly to include such cases as a suspect in Newark, N.J., who had a loaded handgun in his car during a police chase. In 2018 there were 7,407 black homicide victims. Assuming a comparable number of victims last year, those nine unarmed black victims of police shootings represent 0.1% of all African-Americans killed in 2019. By contrast, a police officer is 18½ times more likely to be killed by a black male than an unarmed black male is to be killed by a police officer.”
Instead, this is empty rhetoric about systemic racism leading to an inordinate number of black deaths at the hands of police used to throw a blanket over inconvenient developments for liberal and progressive politicians and pundits.
In this case, the indignation over George Floyd’s death led to mass gatherings, something considered so taboo just days before the Floyd killing that anyone who engaged in it was cast as a willing agent of death. But these mass gatherings can be countenanced because the underlying cause is the systemic killing of black individuals by police.
Real unemployment is very likely over 20 percent thanks to the coronavirus lockdowns, and the areas hit the hardest are retail and food and beverage. On our television sets, we saw riots where the businesses hit the hardest were, again, retail and food and beverage.
We don’t know how much this will end up compounding the economic misery we’re in because this is a fresh development, but compound the misery it certainly will. But that can be countenanced because the underlying cause of the destruction and looting of property was the systemic killing of black individuals by police.
Except that reason is a lie. And it was a lie for another reason, too: Things are getting better for unarmed suspects of all races.
“Last year was the safest year for unarmed suspects since The Washington Post began tracking police shootings,” Carlson pointed out. “It was the safest year for both white and black suspects.”
The mass gatherings were either a grave danger that’ll set back our flattening of the curve to a profound extent or it’ll prove the lockdowns that decimated the economy were unnecessary in the first place.
The looting is simply proof that liberal politicians are more afraid of seeming draconian than in preserving what remains of their economies.
No amount of strident rhetoric claiming that officers are killing black men because of systemic racism will change these salient facts.
Illogic, alas, will not paint a fig leaf over these troublesome facts, even if that illogic is delivered with the kind of passion that presupposes a vague notion is nothing short of gospel truth.
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westernjournal--2020-06-05--Mass. AG Wants America To Burn, Says ‘America Is Burning. But That’s How Forests Grow’

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey appeared to suggest Tuesday that the violent riots engulfing America in civil unrest will be beneficial to the nation in the long run .
During an unsettling speech via Zoom to the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday , the Democratic politician addressed the topic of riots that have sprung up in the days following the death of George Floyd , who died May 25 in Minneapolis after a police officer knelt on his neck for roughly nine minutes during an arrest “ Yes , America is burning .
But that ’ s how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who later tweeted out that quote from her speech .
“ I spoke about how we must seize the opportunity we have right now to build anew in ways that rid us of the institutionalized racism that ’ s led to America burning today , ” she added on Twitter .
Racism was a theme throughout her speech , according to CommonWealth Magazine .
“ Racism has been embedded in our country from the time that Europeans plundered our first Americans and Africans were stolen from their land , shackled and brought to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ I won ’ t talk about rebuilding .
Instead , I ’ ll talk about building anew in ways that rid us of the institutionalized racism that ’ s led to America burning today.
” As mass riots continue to wreak havoc on society , Healey ’ s comments could add more fuel to the fire — in some cases literally .
Restaurants , locally owned retail businesses , homes , police stations and churches have severely damaged by looters and arsonists during rioting sessions .
In Boston , the capital of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lit flares and set a Dunkin ’ Donuts on fire , in addition to vandalizing several other businesses , WFXT reported .
In the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area , almost 500 businesses have been vandalized as of Friday , and 67 have been completely destroyed by flames , the Star Tribune reported .
It ’ s not just businesses that have suffered — violent riots have taken human lives as well , including , tragically , the life of a retired African-American police captain in St. Louis .
Floyd ’ s loved ones @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pleas to have his memory not be linked to violence have largely been ignored .
“ If I ’ m not over here messing up my community , then what are y ’ all doing ?
What are y ’ all doing ?
Y ’ all are doing nothing !
” Terrence Floyd , George ’ s brother , said at a recent prayer vigil , according to the Daily Caller .
“ Because that ’ s not going to bring my brother back at all , ” he added .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ just like when you drink , but when it comes down , you ’ re going to wonder what you did.
” But many rioters don ’ t seem to care .
And with flames and destruction becoming the norm in the wake of riot outbursts , Healey ’ s antagonistic rhetoric is far from acceptable , especially from someone in such a powerful position .
Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry , chairman of the Republican Attorneys General Association , released a statement condemning her remarks .
“ The wrongful death of any @ @ @ @ @ @ @ includes George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery , and now the numerous law enforcement officers and business owners who have been killed or assaulted as a result of these riots and domestic terrorism .
Criminal elements have infiltrated peaceful protests , and those individuals breaking the law must be held accountable , ” he said .
“ Maura Healey ’ s inflammatory rhetoric is part of the problem , not a solution .
An AG is elected to uphold the rule of law and protect life and property , not to violate their oath @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and condoning lawlessness , ” Landry added .
“ AG Healey has an obligation to quell fear , not incite further damage and destruction .
I call upon Maura Healey as DAGA co-chair to take down her campaign graphic and to quit fanning the flames of emotion for political gain.
” Violence will never lead to positive change .
For the attorney general of Massachusetts to suggest otherwise is entirely inexcusable .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey appeared to suggest Tuesday that the violent riots engulfing America in civil unrest will be beneficial to the nation in the long run.
During an unsettling speech via Zoom to the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, the Democratic politician addressed the topic of riots that have sprung up in the days following the death of George Floyd, who died May 25 in Minneapolis after a police officer knelt on his neck for roughly nine minutes during an arrest
“Yes, America is burning. But that’s how forests grow,” said Healey, who later tweeted out that quote from her speech.
“I spoke about how we must seize the opportunity we have right now to build anew in ways that rid us of the institutionalized racism that’s led to America burning today,” she added on Twitter.
Today in my address to the @bostonchamber, I spoke about how we must seize the opportunity we have right now to build anew in ways that rid us of the institutionalized racism that’s led to America burning today. pic.twitter.com/bJSXMahHyy — Maura Healey (@maura_healey) June 2, 2020
Racism was a theme throughout her speech, according to CommonWealth Magazine.
“Racism has been embedded in our country from the time that Europeans plundered our first Americans and Africans were stolen from their land, shackled and brought to our shore,” she said.
“I won’t talk about rebuilding. Instead, I’ll talk about building anew in ways that rid us of the institutionalized racism that’s led to America burning today.”
Should AG Healey be held responsible for her words? Yes No
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As mass riots continue to wreak havoc on society, Healey’s comments could add more fuel to the fire — in some cases literally.
Restaurants, locally owned retail businesses, homes, police stations and churches have severely damaged by looters and arsonists during rioting sessions.
In Boston, the capital of Healey’s own state, rioters lit flares and set a Dunkin’ Donuts on fire, in addition to vandalizing several other businesses, WFXT reported.
In the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area, almost 500 businesses have been vandalized as of Friday, and 67 have been completely destroyed by flames, the Star Tribune reported.
It’s not just businesses that have suffered — violent riots have taken human lives as well, including, tragically, the life of a retired African-American police captain in St. Louis.
Floyd’s loved ones have called for peace, but their pleas to have his memory not be linked to violence have largely been ignored.
“If I’m not over here messing up my community, then what are y’all doing? What are y’all doing? Y’all are doing nothing!” Terrence Floyd, George’s brother, said at a recent prayer vigil, according to the Daily Caller.
“Because that’s not going to bring my brother back at all,” he added.
“It may feel good for the moment, just like when you drink, but when it comes down, you’re going to wonder what you did.”
But many rioters don’t seem to care.
And with flames and destruction becoming the norm in the wake of riot outbursts, Healey’s antagonistic rhetoric is far from acceptable, especially from someone in such a powerful position.
Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, chairman of the Republican Attorneys General Association, released a statement condemning her remarks.
“The wrongful death of any innocent life is a tragedy. That includes George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery, and now the numerous law enforcement officers and business owners who have been killed or assaulted as a result of these riots and domestic terrorism. Criminal elements have infiltrated peaceful protests, and those individuals breaking the law must be held accountable,” he said.
“Maura Healey’s inflammatory rhetoric is part of the problem, not a solution. An AG is elected to uphold the rule of law and protect life and property, not to violate their oath and incite additional violence by inflaming emotions and condoning lawlessness,” Landry added.
“AG Healey has an obligation to quell fear, not incite further damage and destruction. I call upon Maura Healey as DAGA co-chair to take down her campaign graphic and to quit fanning the flames of emotion for political gain.”
Violence will never lead to positive change.
For the attorney general of Massachusetts to suggest otherwise is entirely inexcusable.
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westernjournal--2020-06-05--Trump Admin Defies the Odds, 2.5M Jobs Added in May Despite 8M in Expected Losses

The country ’ s unemployment rate dropped to 13.3 percent and 2.5 million jobs were added in May amid the coronavirus pandemic , shattering economists ’ expectations .
According to the monthly employment report released Friday by the Labor Department ’ s Bureau of Labor Statistics , the unemployment rate fell below last month ’ s record-high of 14.7 percent .
The drop is in contrast to projections from some economists , who estimated that the jobless rate would climb to nearly 20 percent .
“ Really Big Jobs Report .
Great going President Trump ( kidding but true ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ delivered remarks from the White House Rose Garden on Friday morning to celebrate the shocking numbers .
“ This is a very big day for our country , ” Trump said , noting the country is still dealing with the coronavirus pandemic while also commenting on ongoing civil unrest in American cities .
During his remarks , the president promised the unemployment rate would continue to drop , and encouraged businesses by painting an optimistic future .
According to CNBC , economists who Dow Jones surveyed had estimated 8.3 million additional jobs would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unemployment rate to a Great Depression-era 19.5 percent .
But instead of millions more jobless claims , 2.5 million workers were added to payrolls , as states started to gradually reopen their economies after many businesses deemed “ nonessential ” and forced to close beginning in March .
“ As it turned out , May ’ s numbers showed the U.S. may well be on the road to recovery after its fastest plunge in history , ” CNBC ’ s Jeff Cox reported .
Scott Clemons , chief investment strategist at the private @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Friday jobs report is evidence that the damage of prolonged shutdowns of businesses was not as severe as previously believed .
“ It seems the damage from the nationwide lockdown was not as severe or as lasting as we feared a month ago , ” Clemons said .
Investors seemed to share Clemson ’ s confidence , as the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained nearly 900 points Friday to sit at almost 27,200 as of midday Eastern Time on Friday .
A White House media release noted that most of the jobs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the sectors of leisure and hospitality ( 1.2 million ) , construction ( 464,000 ) , education and health services ( 424,000 ) , retail trade ( 368,000 ) and manufacturing ( 225,000 ) .
“ These job gains surprised forecasters , given many States were only beginning to reopen their economies during the reports ’ survey reference periods , ” the release continued .
The White House is celebrating the jobs report , but it also projects the unemployment rate to continue to decline .
“ While May ’ s jobs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s economic comeback , there is still much more room to grow .
Three months ago in February , the unemployment rate was 9.8 percentage points lower ( 3.5 percent ) and there were 19.6 million more jobs , ” the White House said in the statement .
“ But the economy beating expectations by 10 million jobs and the unemployment rate falling instead of rising show that the transition back to strong economic growth began earlier than many expected.
” We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our @ @ @ @ @ @ @

The country’s unemployment rate dropped to 13.3 percent and 2.5 million jobs were added in May amid the coronavirus pandemic, shattering economists’ expectations.
According to the monthly employment report released Friday by the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate fell below last month’s record-high of 14.7 percent.
The drop is in contrast to projections from some economists, who estimated that the jobless rate would climb to nearly 20 percent.
President Donald Trump celebrated the dramatic turnaround Friday morning on Twitter.
“Really Big Jobs Report. Great going President Trump (kidding but true)!” he tweeted.
Really Big Jobs Report. Great going President Trump (kidding but true)! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 5, 2020
Trump also delivered remarks from the White House Rose Garden on Friday morning to celebrate the shocking numbers.
“This is a very big day for our country,” Trump said, noting the country is still dealing with the coronavirus pandemic while also commenting on ongoing civil unrest in American cities.
During his remarks, the president promised the unemployment rate would continue to drop, and encouraged businesses by painting an optimistic future.
According to CNBC, economists who Dow Jones surveyed had estimated 8.3 million additional jobs would be lost in May, bringing the unemployment rate to a Great Depression-era 19.5 percent.
But instead of millions more jobless claims, 2.5 million workers were added to payrolls, as states started to gradually reopen their economies after many businesses deemed “nonessential” and forced to close beginning in March.
“As it turned out, May’s numbers showed the U.S. may well be on the road to recovery after its fastest plunge in history,” CNBC’s Jeff Cox reported.
Scott Clemons, chief investment strategist at the private bank Brown Brothers Harriman, told CNBC the Friday jobs report is evidence that the damage of prolonged shutdowns of businesses was not as severe as previously believed.
“It seems the damage from the nationwide lockdown was not as severe or as lasting as we feared a month ago,” Clemons said.
Investors seemed to share Clemson’s confidence, as the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained nearly 900 points Friday to sit at almost 27,200 as of midday Eastern Time on Friday.
A White House media release noted that most of the jobs gained back from April to May were in the sectors of leisure and hospitality (1.2 million), construction (464,000), education and health services (424,000), retail trade (368,000) and manufacturing (225,000).
Do you think the economy will fully recover if President Trump is re-elected? Yes No
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“These job gains surprised forecasters, given many States were only beginning to reopen their economies during the reports’ survey reference periods,” the release continued.
The White House is celebrating the jobs report, but it also projects the unemployment rate to continue to decline.
“While May’s jobs report is unquestionably positive news for America’s economic comeback, there is still much more room to grow. Three months ago in February, the unemployment rate was 9.8 percentage points lower (3.5 percent) and there were 19.6 million more jobs,” the White House said in the statement.
“But the economy beating expectations by 10 million jobs and the unemployment rate falling instead of rising show that the transition back to strong economic growth began earlier than many expected.”
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westernjournal--2020-06-05--Biden Loses Support from Nat’l Police Groups as Anti-Police Sentiment Grows

Could Joe Biden be losing support from national police groups ?
A report from Politico says the presumptive Democratic Party presidential nominee could face an uphill battle with a group that in the past had his back .
The Thursday article from Marc Caputo and Natasha Korecki lays out why Biden always has been a favorite of law enforcement : the former vice president has “ long prided himself on being a union-friendly Democrat with a good relationship with rank-and-file cops.
” This apparently hadn ’ t changed much despite the Democratic Party ’ s move to the left on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fissures are beginning to show to a greater extent over the death of George Floyd — particularly given that Biden appears to now be using police as a rhetorical punching bag .
Biden spoke in Philadelphia on Tuesday in his first major public address that didn ’ t involve a remote segment from his Wilmington , Delaware , basement .
The speech was essentially a soft relaunch of his campaign ; while Biden-watchers could glean little new out of the address , there was a more jagged edge to his attacks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ According to The New York Times , Biden told an audience at City Hall that the United States needed “ leadership that can recognize pain and deep grief of communities that have had a knee on their neck for a long time ” — a knee , it didn ’ t take much guessing , that he was implying was being provided in concert by law enforcement and President Donald Trump .
While Biden decried violence and looting , you could probably have guessed what was to come shortly thereafter .
“ Nor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sworn to protect and serve all people , to escalate tension , resort to excessive violence , ” he said .
Biden has also called for a national police oversight commission to be established in his first 100 days in office , something that won ’ t be greeted with unmixed delight down at the precinct .
Bill Johnson , executive director of the National Association of Police Organizations — which acts as an umbrella group for national Police Benevolent Association chapters across the nation — didn ’ t have a positive assessment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Clearly , he ’ s made a lot of changes the way candidates do during the primary process , but he kept moving left and fell off the deep end , ” Johnson told Politico .
He also took an unveiled jab at Biden ’ s senescence .
“ For Joe Biden , police are shaking their heads because he used to be a stand-up guy who backed law enforcement , ” Johnson said .
“ But it seems in his old age , for whatever reason , he ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comes to supporting law enforcement.
” The fact that this is coming from the National Association of Police Organizations is telling .
Police tend to be a right-of-center group for reasons that don ’ t necessarily need explaining .
However , as Caputo and Korecki report , NAPO endorsed the Obama-Biden ticket in 2008 and 2012 due to Biden ’ s presence on it .
RELATED : As Rioting Rocks US , BET Founder Pushes for Staggering Amount Paid in Reparations There have been other fissures before the primary process and Biden ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rise of anti-police movements such as Black Lives Matter — and the Democrats ’ embrace of those movements — have been difficult for police unions to swallow .
At the same time , the police officer constituency has moved right .
“ There are two evolutions in two directions .
On law-and-order issues , Biden was right of center : the ’ 94 crime bill , the Brady law and enhanced penalties .
But as time has gone by , his positions have moderated , moderated , moderated to where we are today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a law-and-order guy in the sense that law enforcement sees it , ” said Jim Pasco , both the executive director of the Fraternal Order of Police and the former in-house lobbyist for the Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms and Explosives , where he worked with Biden on the crime bill .
That crime bill has become one of Biden ’ s biggest weaknesses among progressives , who view the tougher penalties it imposed as having caused mass incarceration among minority communities .
The bill isn ’ t something that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s pretty far down on his resumé and in small font with a lot of qualifiers .
And then there ’ s the matter of the police electorate , which — like most of America — is becoming more polarized .
“ Also , as time has gone by , the law enforcement community — especially the rank and file — has become far more conservative , ” Pasco said .
“ Today , the FOP and other labor groups are far less open to addressing gun control issues , things that traditionally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closely and successfully with them on.
” As Caputo and Korecki point out , these are issues that are going to help him massively with younger progressive voters .
The question they leave unaddressed is how that calculus will work in the general election .
Counting on progressive voters to turn out didn ’ t work in the Democratic primaries , where early victories for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in caucus states quickly became as useless as Zimbabwean currency when it became clear getting progressive voters to the ballot box was a Sisyphean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren finished third in her home state .
If these progressive voters do come out , it ’ s already clear who they ’ ll be casting a ballot for , assuming Marianne Williamson doesn ’ t harness some love-energy and mount a third-party spoiler run .
Public sector union voters do turn out , however , and that ’ s a problem when they ’ re not voting for Democrats like they usually do .
Law enforcement officers qualify as blue-collar voters , the demographic that tipped the 2016 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Midwest .
Biden wasn ’ t supposed to repeat that mistake ; he was a working-class Catholic with a strong Pennsylvania organization .
Pushing him further left does him no favors in trying to recapture those flyover states that cost the Democrats big four years ago .
And then there ’ s the law-and-order factor .
The Trump campaign has been quick to condemn the death of George Floyd , but also the rioting that ’ s ensued and the politicians that have elided over it , if not excused it .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ riots and looting have caused , but the economic damage is yet to be assessed .
Given the dire economic conditions brought about by the novel coronavirus , any compounding of the problem by the riots will fall squarely back on those who didn ’ t think stopping them was that important .
If the law enforcement community turns on Biden en masse , the law-and-order issue is going to loom a lot larger than it looks now .
On this and so many other issues , Biden has been able to walk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ voters Hillary Clinton lost and to the progressive youth vote the Democrats view as the future .
What we saw in Philadelphia — and what we hear coming out of the National Association of Police Organizations — could be an indication that Flying Wallenda act is about to end in a fall .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Could Joe Biden be losing support from national police groups? A report from Politico says the presumptive Democratic Party presidential nominee could face an uphill battle with a group that in the past had his back.
The Thursday article from Marc Caputo and Natasha Korecki lays out why Biden always has been a favorite of law enforcement: the former vice president has “long prided himself on being a union-friendly Democrat with a good relationship with rank-and-file cops.”
This apparently hadn’t changed much despite the Democratic Party’s move to the left on issues of law enforcement.
However, the fissures are beginning to show to a greater extent over the death of George Floyd — particularly given that Biden appears to now be using police as a rhetorical punching bag.
Biden spoke in Philadelphia on Tuesday in his first major public address that didn’t involve a remote segment from his Wilmington, Delaware, basement. The speech was essentially a soft relaunch of his campaign; while Biden-watchers could glean little new out of the address, there was a more jagged edge to his attacks, particularly as it pertained to policing.
According to The New York Times, Biden told an audience at City Hall that the United States needed “leadership that can recognize pain and deep grief of communities that have had a knee on their neck for a long time” — a knee, it didn’t take much guessing, that he was implying was being provided in concert by law enforcement and President Donald Trump.
While Biden decried violence and looting, you could probably have guessed what was to come shortly thereafter.
“Nor is it acceptable for our police, sworn to protect and serve all people, to escalate tension, resort to excessive violence,” he said.
Biden has also called for a national police oversight commission to be established in his first 100 days in office, something that won’t be greeted with unmixed delight down at the precinct.
Bill Johnson, executive director of the National Association of Police Organizations — which acts as an umbrella group for national Police Benevolent Association chapters across the nation — didn’t have a positive assessment of where Biden was at the moment.
“Clearly, he’s made a lot of changes the way candidates do during the primary process, but he kept moving left and fell off the deep end,” Johnson told Politico.
He also took an unveiled jab at Biden’s senescence.
“For Joe Biden, police are shaking their heads because he used to be a stand-up guy who backed law enforcement,” Johnson said. “But it seems in his old age, for whatever reason, he’s writing a sad final chapter when it comes to supporting law enforcement.”
The fact that this is coming from the National Association of Police Organizations is telling. Police tend to be a right-of-center group for reasons that don’t necessarily need explaining. However, as Caputo and Korecki report, NAPO endorsed the Obama-Biden ticket in 2008 and 2012 due to Biden’s presence on it.
There have been other fissures before the primary process and Biden’s shift left, obviously. The rise of anti-police movements such as Black Lives Matter — and the Democrats’ embrace of those movements — have been difficult for police unions to swallow. At the same time, the police officer constituency has moved right.
“There are two evolutions in two directions. On law-and-order issues, Biden was right of center: the ’94 crime bill, the Brady law and enhanced penalties. But as time has gone by, his positions have moderated, moderated, moderated to where we are today, where he would not be considered a law-and-order guy in the sense that law enforcement sees it,” said Jim Pasco, both the executive director of the Fraternal Order of Police and the former in-house lobbyist for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, where he worked with Biden on the crime bill.
That crime bill has become one of Biden’s biggest weaknesses among progressives, who view the tougher penalties it imposed as having caused mass incarceration among minority communities. The bill isn’t something that he’s disavowed, but it’s pretty far down on his resumé and in small font with a lot of qualifiers.
Will Joe Biden be our next president? Yes No
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And then there’s the matter of the police electorate, which — like most of America — is becoming more polarized.
“Also, as time has gone by, the law enforcement community — especially the rank and file — has become far more conservative,” Pasco said. “Today, the FOP and other labor groups are far less open to addressing gun control issues, things that traditionally they supported and that Biden worked very closely and successfully with them on.”
As Caputo and Korecki point out, these are issues that are going to help him massively with younger progressive voters. The question they leave unaddressed is how that calculus will work in the general election.
Counting on progressive voters to turn out didn’t work in the Democratic primaries, where early victories for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders in caucus states quickly became as useless as Zimbabwean currency when it became clear getting progressive voters to the ballot box was a Sisyphean task.
Other progressives fared worse; Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren finished third in her home state.
If these progressive voters do come out, it’s already clear who they’ll be casting a ballot for, assuming Marianne Williamson doesn’t harness some love-energy and mount a third-party spoiler run.
Public sector union voters do turn out, however, and that’s a problem when they’re not voting for Democrats like they usually do.
Law enforcement officers qualify as blue-collar voters, the demographic that tipped the 2016 election to Trump, particularly in the Midwest.
Biden wasn’t supposed to repeat that mistake; he was a working-class Catholic with a strong Pennsylvania organization. Pushing him further left does him no favors in trying to recapture those flyover states that cost the Democrats big four years ago.
And then there’s the law-and-order factor.
The Trump campaign has been quick to condemn the death of George Floyd, but also the rioting that’s ensued and the politicians that have elided over it, if not excused it.
We’ve seen the physical damage the riots and looting have caused, but the economic damage is yet to be assessed.
Given the dire economic conditions brought about by the novel coronavirus, any compounding of the problem by the riots will fall squarely back on those who didn’t think stopping them was that important.
If the law enforcement community turns on Biden en masse, the law-and-order issue is going to loom a lot larger than it looks now.
On this and so many other issues, Biden has been able to walk a tightrope between appealing to the working-class voters Hillary Clinton lost and to the progressive youth vote the Democrats view as the future.
What we saw in Philadelphia — and what we hear coming out of the National Association of Police Organizations — could be an indication that Flying Wallenda act is about to end in a fall.
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Fanning the Flames

For more A.F .
Branco cartoons , go to WesternJournal.com/opinion/cartoons .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all @ @ @ @ @ our editorial standards .

Bradley Cooper's latest role has not gone down well with everyone, particularly with regard to his use of a prosthetic nose.


westernjournal--2020-06-05--Former Obama Admin Nat’l Security Official Helps Alleged Firebombing NYC Lawyer Get Out of Jail

Good news !
We ’ ve managed to find our new low when it comes to liberals bailing out “ protesters ” who felt the need to express their anger over George Floyd ’ s death and systemic racism in , um , allegedly very extra-legal ways .
Lawyer Urooj Rahman , 31 , is now free pursuant to a $ 250,000 bond after she was arrested early Saturday for allegedly throwing a lit Molotov cocktail through the window of a New York City Police Department cruiser , according to the Washington Free Beacon .
The person who helped free @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Obama administration intelligence official who worked in the Departments of Defense and State .
No big deal .
“ The former official , Salmah Rizvi , told a judge the alleged firebomber is her ‘ best friend , ' ” the Free Beacon reported .
“ Rizvi , now an attorney at the D.C.-based law firm Ropes & Gray , helped secure the release of fellow lawyer Urooj Rahman by agreeing to be a suretor for her bail .
That means Rizvi is liable for the full cost of the $ 250,000 bail @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s orders.
” The government objected to the release of Rahman , a graduate of Fordham Law School and a human rights lawyer .
So , obviously Rahman is innocent until found guilty in a court of law , and far be it from me to cast aspersions on her current status of being technically innocent .
Let me cast aspersions on every other aspect of her case .
Rahman was one of two lawyers who were arrested by police early Saturday morning in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn .
Police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by her co-defendant , Colinford King Mattis , a Princeton-educated lawyer .
Police video surveillance shows her getting out of the vehicle and moving toward the police cruiser , according to The New York Times .
“ As she neared , she lit a fuse hanging out of a Bud Light beer bottle and threw it through an already broken window of the police vehicle , igniting its console .
The complaint said she returned to the minivan and the pair fled , ” The Times reported .
“ The police saw Ms. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the two lawyers as they tried to get away , officials said .
A patrol car stopped them several blocks away and they were arrested.
” The van was found to be laden with materials to make more Molotov cocktails , police said .
The case drew national attention , not in the least because it was two individuals with immigrant parents — yet both privileged through education and employment — who allegedly engaged in May ’ 68-style street warfare .
I ’ m not entirely certain that having a former Obama administration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sympathy for Rahman , but there you go .
RELATED : If You Find This Mark on Your House , Antifa May Have Singled It Out “ Urooj Rahman is my best friend and I am an associate at the law firm Ropes & Gray in Washington , D.C. , ” Rizvi told the court , according to a transcript .
“ I earn $ 255,000 a year.
” According to her bio on Ropes & Gray ’ s website , Rizvi “ is an associate in the litigation & enforcement practice group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , complex civil litigation , class action litigation , international risk assessments , antitrust due diligence , and anti-corruption and anti-money laundering compliance structuring.
” She “ also maintains an active civil rights and human rights pro bono practice , focused on prison reform , LGBTQ equality , and immigration , ” for whatever that ’ s worth .
Rizvi was a recipient of a scholarship from the Islamic Scholarship Fund , whose website notes that she “ worked fulltime for the U.S .
Departments of State and Defense as a lead linguist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including Arabic , Urdu , Punjabi and gaining expertise in international security and diplomacy .
Her high-value work would often inform the President ’ s Daily Briefs.
” “ We don ’ t believe that this is the time to be releasing on bond for someone like the defendant into the community , ” he told the court .
Judge Steven Gold disagreed , saying that he believed home detention to be sufficient for the time being .
Rahman , who stands charged with causing damage to a police vehicle by fire and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with her movements tracked by GPS .
She was also forced to forfeit all travel documents .
If convicted , she could face up to 20 years behind bars According to Gothamist , a further filing by prosecutors continued to appeal against home detention , arguing to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals that electronic monitoring was “ insufficient to protect the community and to guard against the risk of flight , ” civil unrest was still ongoing and , as two high-powered attorneys from prestigious schools , both Rahman and Mattis were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they were allegedly doing .
So let me say upfront that I ’ m no expert in the friendship between Rahman and Rizvi , and that not being in jail beats being in jail .
That said , of all of the haphazard bail releases we ’ ve seen across a country in which massive funds have been amassed to spring alleged lawbreakers from jail — because , um , fight the power — this is arguably the most tone-deaf .
The likelihood that Rahman would be convicted were her case to go @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , this isn ’ t just looting Macy ’ s or spray-painting a Black Lives Matter slogan on a building .
This is firebombing a police car .
And an Obama administration official helped secure her release — even as the unrest continues .
That kind of logic , even if you ’ re trying to free your best friend , is very difficult to defend .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Good news! We’ve managed to find our new low when it comes to liberals bailing out “protesters” who felt the need to express their anger over George Floyd’s death and systemic racism in, um, allegedly very extra-legal ways.
Lawyer Urooj Rahman, 31, is now free pursuant to a $250,000 bond after she was arrested early Saturday for allegedly throwing a lit Molotov cocktail through the window of a New York City Police Department cruiser, according to the Washington Free Beacon.
The person who helped free her? Oh, just a former Obama administration intelligence official who worked in the Departments of Defense and State. No big deal.
“The former official, Salmah Rizvi, told a judge the alleged firebomber is her ‘best friend,'” the Free Beacon reported.
“Rizvi, now an attorney at the D.C.-based law firm Ropes & Gray, helped secure the release of fellow lawyer Urooj Rahman by agreeing to be a suretor for her bail. That means Rizvi is liable for the full cost of the $250,000 bail if Rahman fails to obey the court’s orders.”
The government objected to the release of Rahman, a graduate of Fordham Law School and a human rights lawyer.
So, obviously Rahman is innocent until found guilty in a court of law, and far be it from me to cast aspersions on her current status of being technically innocent. Let me cast aspersions on every other aspect of her case.
Rahman was one of two lawyers who were arrested by police early Saturday morning in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn. Police say she was in a minivan driven by her co-defendant, Colinford King Mattis, a Princeton-educated lawyer.
Police video surveillance shows her getting out of the vehicle and moving toward the police cruiser, according to The New York Times.
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“As she neared, she lit a fuse hanging out of a Bud Light beer bottle and threw it through an already broken window of the police vehicle, igniting its console. The complaint said she returned to the minivan and the pair fled,” The Times reported.
“The police saw Ms. Rahman throw the Molotov cocktail and followed the two lawyers as they tried to get away, officials said. A patrol car stopped them several blocks away and they were arrested.”
The van was found to be laden with materials to make more Molotov cocktails, police said.
The case drew national attention, not in the least because it was two individuals with immigrant parents — yet both privileged through education and employment — who allegedly engaged in May ’68-style street warfare.
I’m not entirely certain that having a former Obama administration official guarantee her bail will help bolster sympathy for Rahman, but there you go.
“Urooj Rahman is my best friend and I am an associate at the law firm Ropes & Gray in Washington, D.C.,” Rizvi told the court, according to a transcript. “I earn $255,000 a year.”
According to her bio on Ropes & Gray’s website, Rizvi “is an associate in the litigation & enforcement practice group. Her focus areas include internal investigations, complex civil litigation, class action litigation, international risk assessments, antitrust due diligence, and anti-corruption and anti-money laundering compliance structuring.”
She “also maintains an active civil rights and human rights pro bono practice, focused on prison reform, LGBTQ equality, and immigration,” for whatever that’s worth.
Rizvi was a recipient of a scholarship from the Islamic Scholarship Fund, whose website notes that she “worked fulltime for the U.S. Departments of State and Defense as a lead linguist and analyst, mastering multiple foreign languages including Arabic, Urdu, Punjabi and gaining expertise in international security and diplomacy. Her high-value work would often inform the President’s Daily Briefs.”
Federal prosecutor Ian Richardson, meanwhile, argued against Rhaman’s release.
“We don’t believe that this is the time to be releasing on bond for someone like the defendant into the community,” he told the court.
Judge Steven Gold disagreed, saying that he believed home detention to be sufficient for the time being.
Rahman, who stands charged with causing damage to a police vehicle by fire and explosives, is currently under home arrest with her movements tracked by GPS. She was also forced to forfeit all travel documents.
If convicted, she could face up to 20 years behind bars
According to Gothamist, a further filing by prosecutors continued to appeal against home detention, arguing to the Second Circuit Court of Appeals that electronic monitoring was “insufficient to protect the community and to guard against the risk of flight,” civil unrest was still ongoing and, as two high-powered attorneys from prestigious schools, both Rahman and Mattis were fully aware of the severity of what they were allegedly doing.
So let me say upfront that I’m no expert in the friendship between Rahman and Rizvi, and that not being in jail beats being in jail.
That said, of all of the haphazard bail releases we’ve seen across a country in which massive funds have been amassed to spring alleged lawbreakers from jail — because, um, fight the power — this is arguably the most tone-deaf.
The likelihood that Rahman would be convicted were her case to go to trial is extraordinarily high.
Furthermore, this isn’t just looting Macy’s or spray-painting a Black Lives Matter slogan on a building. This is firebombing a police car. And an Obama administration official helped secure her release — even as the unrest continues.
That kind of logic, even if you’re trying to free your best friend, is very difficult to defend.
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westernjournal--2020-06-05--Arrest Made in Cold Case 33 Years After Woman’s Body Found Beaten and Set On Fire

It ’ s maddening when something horrible happens to someone and justice can not be served .
When killers get off the hook , it hurts the family and friends of the deceased as well as the community .
Unfortunately , many crimes go unpunished — but thankfully , we have made many advancements with modern technology that have allowed authorities to not only solve modern-day crimes more swiftly but even turn the lens back on cold cases , reassess the evidence and find those responsible .
DNA testing has opened up a world of doors , and samples stored @ @ @ @ @ @ @ light on old cases , thanks to the sheer number of people who have added themselves to the DNA “ network.
” That ’ s especially helpful to the people who have worked diligently on cases that went cold , never quite finding enough evidence or the right kind to catch the culprit .
In the past year or so , Phoenix Police teamed up with the Maricopa County , Arizona , Attorney ’ s Office to take another look at a stomach-turning case that went unsolved over three decades ago .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case extensively , but the case eventually went cold , ” the department said , according to KSAZ-TV .
“ Additional work was done to advance the case and in 2019 , detectives from the Phoenix Police Department Cold Case Homicide Unit began working with detectives from the Maricopa County Attorney ’ s Office.
” On Feb. 21 , 1987 , Marilyn Johns , a woman in her early 40s , was found in an alley in Phoenix .
Over 85 percent of her body was covered in third-degree burns , and she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to a report on the City of Phoenix ’ s website .
She was taken to a hospital for treatment but was too far gone .
Johns died March 5 , 1987 .
At the time , investigators were unable to name a responsible party , but with the development of DNA testing , a way was made .
Phoenix Police Crime Laboratory scientists helped isolated a suspect by analyzing DNA left at the scene of the crime .
RELATED : Former MMA Fighter Accused of Murdering 2 in Texas , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 52 , Darron Joseph Miniefield would have been just 20 years old at the time of the crime .
He was arrested , charged with first-degree murder and held without bail Tuesday .
According to court records referenced by KTVK-TV , Miniefield was convicted of assault and murder in 1990 and was released 20 years later .
While justice has been a long time coming , if Miniefield is determined to be guilty , the family will finally have some closure .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our @ @ @ @ @ @ @

It’s maddening when something horrible happens to someone and justice cannot be served. When killers get off the hook, it hurts the family and friends of the deceased as well as the community.
Unfortunately, many crimes go unpunished — but thankfully, we have made many advancements with modern technology that have allowed authorities to not only solve modern-day crimes more swiftly but even turn the lens back on cold cases, reassess the evidence and find those responsible.
DNA testing has opened up a world of doors, and samples stored away for years have often shed new light on old cases, thanks to the sheer number of people who have added themselves to the DNA “network.”
That’s especially helpful to the people who have worked diligently on cases that went cold, never quite finding enough evidence or the right kind to catch the culprit.
In the past year or so, Phoenix Police teamed up with the Maricopa County, Arizona, Attorney’s Office to take another look at a stomach-turning case that went unsolved over three decades ago.
“The detectives originally assigned, worked the case extensively, but the case eventually went cold,” the department said, according to KSAZ-TV.
“Additional work was done to advance the case and in 2019, detectives from the Phoenix Police Department Cold Case Homicide Unit began working with detectives from the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.”
On Feb. 21, 1987, Marilyn Johns, a woman in her early 40s, was found in an alley in Phoenix. Over 85 percent of her body was covered in third-degree burns, and she’d been beaten and sexually assaulted, according to a report on the City of Phoenix’s website.
She was taken to a hospital for treatment but was too far gone. Johns died March 5, 1987.
At the time, investigators were unable to name a responsible party, but with the development of DNA testing, a way was made.
Phoenix Police Crime Laboratory scientists helped isolated a suspect by analyzing DNA left at the scene of the crime.
They found a match.
33 years later, the family of Marilyn Johns gets closure. With the help of @marcoattorney, we made an arrest in a 1987 homicide. Officers took Darron Miniefield into custody on first degree murder charges. Full story: https://t.co/BEgRc5wdfG — Phoenix Police (@PhoenixPolice) June 4, 2020
Now 52, Darron Joseph Miniefield would have been just 20 years old at the time of the crime. He was arrested, charged with first-degree murder and held without bail Tuesday.
According to court records referenced by KTVK-TV, Miniefield was convicted of assault and murder in 1990 and was released 20 years later.
Darron Miniefield, 57, was booked on first degree murder for allegedly beating, assaulting and setting a woman on fire in an alley in 1987.https://t.co/A5Jad2Lk50 — KTAR News 92.3 (@KTAR923) June 5, 2020
While justice has been a long time coming, if Miniefield is determined to be guilty, the family will finally have some closure.
Truth and Accuracy Submit a Correction → * Name
* Email
* Message
* All fields are required. Success! We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.