westernjournal--2020-06-09--US Sees Lowest Number of New Coronavirus Cases in Ages

The lowest number of new coronavirus cases in the United States since March 25 was observed on Monday , showing a downward trend across the country .
About 17,250 cases of coronavirus were reported on Monday , the lowest number of new cases since about 11,919 cases were reported at the end of March , according to data from Johns Hopkins University .
This is seemingly good news for the country with the highest number of confirmed cases and deaths from coronavirus .
As of Tuesday morning , there have been 1.9 million cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Although the number of new cases across the country as a whole is trending downward , there are still many states that have reported an uptick in new cases , The Wall Street Journal reported .
In North Carolina , more people were hospitalized with COVID-19 on Monday than any other day during the pandemic .
An outbreak in Vermont also led to at least 62 new infections .
Meanwhile , the number of COVID-19 cases in Arkansas increased by 450 on Saturday , Forbes reported .
Confirmed cases also rose in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and Texas over the weekend , according to the Johns Hopkins five-day moving average .
“ In some places , we have made amazing progress , and there are other places where I remain very concerned about what ’ s going on , ” she said .
The downward trend in daily new cases comes in part because of progress in states that were hit the hardest by the novel coronavirus , including New York , New Jersey and Connecticut .
“ If you take out the impact of New York , New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you ’ d have a much more worrisome picture of what ’ s happening in the U.S. , ” El-Sadr said .
Upticks in new confirmed coronavirus cases also could be explained by an increase in testing .
RELATED : New York City To Name Multiple 'Crucial ' Streets 'Black Lives Matter' In order for states to reopen , the World Health Organization recommended a positive test rate of 5 percent or below .
There have been some questions about coronavirus metrics as some states are reporting “ probable cases ” and others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Pennsylvania and Colorado have had to remove hundreds of deaths from the official coronavirus death tolls .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

The lowest number of new coronavirus cases in the United States since March 25 was observed on Monday, showing a downward trend across the country.
About 17,250 cases of coronavirus were reported on Monday, the lowest number of new cases since about 11,919 cases were reported at the end of March, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
This is seemingly good news for the country with the highest number of confirmed cases and deaths from coronavirus.
As of Tuesday morning, there have been 1.9 million cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. and 111,014 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins.
Although the number of new cases across the country as a whole is trending downward, there are still many states that have reported an uptick in new cases, The Wall Street Journal reported.
In North Carolina, more people were hospitalized with COVID-19 on Monday than any other day during the pandemic.
An outbreak in Vermont also led to at least 62 new infections.
Meanwhile, the number of COVID-19 cases in Arkansas increased by 450 on Saturday, Forbes reported.
Confirmed cases also rose in California, Utah, Arizona, Florida and Texas over the weekend, according to the Johns Hopkins five-day moving average.
Do you think we will continue to see this downward trend? Yes No
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“It’s a very mixed picture,” infectious-disease specialist Wafaa El-Sadr told Fox News.
“In some places, we have made amazing progress, and there are other places where I remain very concerned about what’s going on,” she said.
The downward trend in daily new cases comes in part because of progress in states that were hit the hardest by the novel coronavirus, including New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
“If you take out the impact of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and so on, you’d have a much more worrisome picture of what’s happening in the U.S.,” El-Sadr said.
Upticks in new confirmed coronavirus cases also could be explained by an increase in testing.
In order for states to reopen, the World Health Organization recommended a positive test rate of 5 percent or below.
There have been some questions about coronavirus metrics as some states are reporting “probable cases” and others are not.
In particular, both Pennsylvania and Colorado have had to remove hundreds of deaths from the official coronavirus death tolls.
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westernjournal--2020-06-09--Rioters Burned His Company Down, Now He’s Taking His Business & Leaving Minneapolis

What , exactly , have the riots that followed the death of George Floyd accomplished ?
The riots are obviously different from the protests proper ; the protests are a separate thing entirely which shouldn ’ t be commingled with the riots but frequently are — and not by commentators on the right .
Instead , it ’ s the left that says the protests are “ mostly peaceful ” in one breath and then , in the next , makes sure to remind you that Martin Luther King once said “ a riot is a language of the unheard.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ a bit more complicated than that .
New York Times writer Nikole Hannah-Jones — best known for helming the “ 1619 Project , ” The Times ’ historical project which seeks to argue the country ’ s founding can be traced not to 1776 but 1619 , when slaves were first brought to what ’ s now the United States — said that “ destroying property which can be replaced is not violence.
” “ We need to be really careful with our language .
Yes , it is disturbing to see property @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see people taking property from stores , ” she told CBS News .
“ But these are things .
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.
” Yes , what happened to George Floyd is worse than what could happen to any building and I don ’ t think you ’ re going to find too many people who are in opposition to that statement .
That said , I ’ m curious in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t a form of violence .
Violent or not , it ’ s certainly counterproductive , particularly in an economy that ’ s gone from roaring to tatters in the space of four months .
While recent May job numbers were good , that was only in a relative sense ; it ’ s unclear whether we ’ re in a deep recession or a new depression but we ’ re clearly in dire economic straits .
In the midst of this , plenty of property has been destroyed in cities around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city where George Floyd died after a police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine sickening minutes .
For Kris Wyrobek , president and owner of 7-Sigma , Inc. , that property will probably be replaced .
It won ’ t be replaced in Minneapolis .
Wyrobek , whose company produces precision rollers for high-speed printing systems , has been located in the city since 1987 .
He says he no longer trusts Minneapolis officials who let his plant burn during the riots .
“ Wyrobek said the plant , which usually @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about four hours early on the first night of the riots because he wanted to keep his workers out of harm ’ s way , ” the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported Monday .
“ He said a production supervisor and a maintenance worker who live in the neighborhood became alarmed when fire broke out at the $ 30 million Midtown Corner affordable housing apartment complex that was under construction next door.
” “ The fire engine was just sitting there , ” Wyrobek told the paper , “ but they wouldn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about relocating before the recent unrest ?
According to Wyrobek , “ not in my wildest nightmare.
” However , with his plant now heavily damaged thanks to the fire , he says he can ’ t rebuild in the city the company has called home for 33 years .
The plant provides about 50 jobs — if , of course , he can get the business operational again .
“ We are cautiously optimistic we can do that , ” Wyrobek said .
“ But we are certainly not able to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fear , will be the second great COVID-19 shock .
The first came after we locked everything down in a panic .
Whether that decision was the right one or not only history will judge , but we were right to be panicked .
Then we started seeing the economic realities and the unemployment it caused ; it was if we ’ d been plunged into the inkiest darkness but could dare not turn on the light switch .
The lights are coming on , albeit slowly .
And then , amid that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start smashing the bulbs .
Given that we ’ re just beginning to approach calm , we have no idea how far back we ’ ve been set on our road to economic normality .
There ’ s no reasonable way , however , that this won ’ t keep unemployment higher than it already would have been .
Small businesses , factories , food and beverage outlets — all of these were targeted in the riots and all of these obviously provided jobs — particularly in low-income neighborhoods , which are going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the while , city governments and liberal politicians made excuses for quite a bit of illegal behavior .
It wasn ’ t just that they were suddenly kosher with mass gatherings that were strictly forbidden just a week before , it ’ s that they copped powerlessness over looting and rioting .
Minneapolis ’ chief of police even admitted there wasn ’ t much they could — or were willing — to do about it : The state would eventually end up calling in the National Guard to restore order , but not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gone — and , according to its owner , never to return .
“ They don ’ t care about my business , ” Wyrobek said .
“ They didn ’ t protect our people .
We were all on our own.
” But remember , “ destroying property which can be replaced is not violence.
” It ’ s just a loss of 50 jobs — and 7-Sigma is only one of the many businesses that were damaged or destroyed in the riots .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ editorial standards .

What, exactly, have the riots that followed the death of George Floyd accomplished?
The riots are obviously different from the protests proper; the protests are a separate thing entirely which shouldn’t be commingled with the riots but frequently are — and not by commentators on the right.
Instead, it’s the left that says the protests are “mostly peaceful” in one breath and then, in the next, makes sure to remind you that Martin Luther King once said “a riot is a language of the unheard.”
The intellectual prestidigitation can even get a bit more complicated than that. New York Times writer Nikole Hannah-Jones — best known for helming the “1619 Project,” The Times’ historical project which seeks to argue the country’s founding can be traced not to 1776 but 1619, when slaves were first brought to what’s now the United States — said that “destroying property which can be replaced is not violence.”
“We need to be really careful with our language. Yes, it is disturbing to see property being destroyed. It is disturbing to see people taking property from stores,” she told CBS News.
“But these are things. 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.”
Yes, what happened to George Floyd is worse than what could happen to any building and I don’t think you’re going to find too many people who are in opposition to that statement.
That said, I’m curious in what universe burning down a business isn’t a form of violence.
Violent or not, it’s certainly counterproductive, particularly in an economy that’s gone from roaring to tatters in the space of four months. While recent May job numbers were good, that was only in a relative sense; it’s unclear whether we’re in a deep recession or a new depression but we’re clearly in dire economic straits.
Should cities have done more to prevent rioting and looting? Yes No
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In the midst of this, plenty of property has been destroyed in cities around the country — including Minneapolis, the city where George Floyd died after a police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine sickening minutes.
For Kris Wyrobek, president and owner of 7-Sigma, Inc., that property will probably be replaced. It won’t be replaced in Minneapolis.
Wyrobek, whose company produces precision rollers for high-speed printing systems, has been located in the city since 1987. He says he no longer trusts Minneapolis officials who let his plant burn during the riots.
“Wyrobek said the plant, which usually operates until 11 p.m., shut down about four hours early on the first night of the riots because he wanted to keep his workers out of harm’s way,” the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported Monday.
“He said a production supervisor and a maintenance worker who live in the neighborhood became alarmed when fire broke out at the $30 million Midtown Corner affordable housing apartment complex that was under construction next door.”
“The fire engine was just sitting there,” Wyrobek told the paper, “but they wouldn’t do anything.”
Did he ever think about relocating before the recent unrest? According to Wyrobek, “not in my wildest nightmare.”
However, with his plant now heavily damaged thanks to the fire, he says he can’t rebuild in the city the company has called home for 33 years. The plant provides about 50 jobs — if, of course, he can get the business operational again.
“We are cautiously optimistic we can do that,” Wyrobek said. “But we are certainly not able to do that in Minneapolis.”
This, I fear, will be the second great COVID-19 shock.
The first came after we locked everything down in a panic. Whether that decision was the right one or not only history will judge, but we were right to be panicked. Then we started seeing the economic realities and the unemployment it caused; it was if we’d been plunged into the inkiest darkness but could dare not turn on the light switch.
The lights are coming on, albeit slowly. And then, amid that process, an aggrieved mob decided to start smashing the bulbs.
Given that we’re just beginning to approach calm, we have no idea how far back we’ve been set on our road to economic normality. There’s no reasonable way, however, that this won’t keep unemployment higher than it already would have been.
Small businesses, factories, food and beverage outlets — all of these were targeted in the riots and all of these obviously provided jobs — particularly in low-income neighborhoods, which are going to be the hardest hit.
All the while, city governments and liberal politicians made excuses for quite a bit of illegal behavior. It wasn’t just that they were suddenly kosher with mass gatherings that were strictly forbidden just a week before, it’s that they copped powerlessness over looting and rioting.
Minneapolis’ chief of police even admitted there wasn’t much they could — or were willing — to do about it:
The Minneapolis chief of police basically telling officers it’s too dangerous to go stop any of this looting. Gonna be a long night pic.twitter.com/HTJZxAp4gN — Jake Schneider (@jacobkschneider) May 28, 2020
The state would eventually end up calling in the National Guard to restore order, but not before 7-Sigma’s factory was essentially gone — and, according to its owner, never to return.
“They don’t care about my business,” Wyrobek said. “They didn’t protect our people. We were all on our own.”
But remember, “destroying property which can be replaced is not violence.” It’s just a loss of 50 jobs — and 7-Sigma is only one of the many businesses that were damaged or destroyed in the riots.
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westernjournal--2020-06-09--Kayleigh McEnany, WH Slap Down AOC’s ‘Racist’ Attack on Press Secretary

Maybe AOC should try reading what McEnany actually says before she launches an attack that basically accuses the press secretary of racism — even subconscious racism .
In a social media dispute that flared up Monday , New York ’ s best-known democratic socialist tried to paint the Harvard Law graduate McEnany as too ignorant to know the office Ocasio-Cortez holds , apparently thanks to a Politico summary of McEnany ’ s comments during a White House news briefing .
“ @ PressSec wouldn ’ t be the first person to mistake a women of color for having a lower @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but Kayleigh – in case you haven ’ t picked up a newspaper in two years , I ’ m a Congresswoman , ” Ocasio-Cortez wrote .
“ The @ PressSec comment is steeped in a long , hurtful , & horrendous history of stripping women of color of titles and diminishing them to ‘ the help.
’ Perhaps she isn ’ t aware that what she did is mired in racist history .
If that is the case , I look forward to her apology tomorrow.
” First of all , since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ living under a rock since the 2018 election season , it ’ s a good chance she knew full well who the Bronx-Queens Democrat is even before becoming White House press secretary .
Second , Ocasio-Cortez appeared to be triggered by Politico reporter Jake Sherman ’ s suspiciously snarky Twitter post that implied McEnany had referred to AOC as simply an “ adviser ” to Joe Biden , the elderly , white male who ’ s somehow become the Democrats ’ presumptive presidential nominee for 2020 .
Also , since McEnany was referring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of a panel advising Biden on “ climate change , ” there ’ s an argument to be made that McEnany was complimenting AOC by elevating her beyond the ranks of an ordinary member of Congress to a powerful player in presidential politics .
Finally , as Alyssa Farah , White House director of strategic communications noted , Ocasio-Cortez was just dead wrong .
Had the congresswoman taken more than a minute to look , and resisted the urge to leap immediately at Sherman ’ s cc ’ ed Twitter bait , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her , as well as AOC ’ s equally obnoxious “ squad ” mate Rep. Rashida Tlaib , the Democratic congresswoman from Michigan .
The two women came up when McEnany was fielding a question about the Democrats ’ insane push to defund American police departments .
RELATED : As Left Pushes To Defund Police , Poll Reveals Only 16 % of Americans Support the Measure At a Friday night debate , according to the U.K .
Independent , Ocasio-Cortez called for the “ reduction of our NYPD budget and defunding a $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ books in the hands of our children and costs us very badly needed investment in NYCHA and public housing.
” Tlaib has also posted support for defunding police .
And that ’ s what McEnany was talking about when she brought up the congresswomen — including their titles .
She didn ’ t take long in responding to the Ocasio-Cortez tweet .
And it ’ s safe to say the response wasn ’ t the “ apology ” AOC was looking for .
“ The president is appalled by the ‘ defund the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to the transcript .
“ The fact that you have sitting congresswomen wanting to defund the police — notably Rashida Tlaib , notably Biden adviser Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — former Clinton and Eric Holder spokesperson Brian Fallon wanting to defund our police across this country , it is extraordinary.
” In other words , Ocasio-Cortez fired off Monday apparently on the basis of a reporter ’ s tweet that seemed designed to get a rise out of her , and she jumped right at it .
That ’ s not exactly the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials , but it ’ s the kind of action Americans have learned to expect from Democrats and “ progressives ” who have spent the Trump years demonstrating the maturity of middle schoolers .
As is usual with anything coming out of the Trump White House , McEnany ’ s tweet drew plenty of liberal responses as AOC ’ s supporters flocked to the congresswoman ’ s defense like the flying monkeys of “ The Wizard of Oz ” — but McEnany had plenty of backers , too .
And that last one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former press secretary Sarah Sanders , whose tenure was a textbook example of how the White House should handle an unrelentingly hostile press corps , McEnany has made it clear from the beginning that she wasn ’ t going to be intimidated by the divas in the briefing room .
Even the most vainly obtuse ( say , Jim Acosta ? )
should be learning by now that attacking McEnany without a decent cause is going to be an exercise in failure .
Maybe Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will learn the lesson too — assuming @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez thinks White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany doesn’t read the newspapers.
Maybe AOC should try reading what McEnany actually says before she launches an attack that basically accuses the press secretary of racism — even subconscious racism.
In a social media dispute that flared up Monday, New York’s best-known democratic socialist tried to paint the Harvard Law graduate McEnany as too ignorant to know the office Ocasio-Cortez holds, apparently thanks to a Politico summary of McEnany’s comments during a White House news briefing.
“@PressSec wouldn’t be the first person to mistake a women of color for having a lower position or title than she does, but Kayleigh – in case you haven’t picked up a newspaper in two years, I’m a Congresswoman,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote.
“The@PressSec comment is steeped in a long, hurtful, & horrendous history of stripping women of color of titles and diminishing them to ‘the help.’ Perhaps she isn’t aware that what she did is mired in racist history. If that is the case, I look forward to her apology tomorrow.”
The @PressSec comment is steeped in a long, hurtful, & horrendous history of stripping women of color of titles and diminishing them to “the help.” Perhaps she isn’t aware that what she did is mired in racist history. If that is the case, I look forward to her apology tomorrow. — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) June 8, 2020
First of all, since it’s unlikely McEnany has been living under a rock since the 2018 election season, it’s a good chance she knew full well who the Bronx-Queens Democrat is even before becoming White House press secretary.
Second, Ocasio-Cortez appeared to be triggered by Politico reporter Jake Sherman’s suspiciously snarky Twitter post that implied McEnany had referred to AOC as simply an “adviser” to Joe Biden, the elderly, white male who’s somehow become the Democrats’ presumptive presidential nominee for 2020.
Also, since McEnany was referring to Ocasio-Cortez’s status as co-chairwoman of a panel advising Biden on “climate change,” there’s an argument to be made that McEnany was complimenting AOC by elevating her beyond the ranks of an ordinary member of Congress to a powerful player in presidential politics.
Finally, as Alyssa Farah, White House director of strategic communications noted, Ocasio-Cortez was just dead wrong.
Verbatim quote by @PressSec: “POTUS is appalled by the ‘defund police’ movement. The fact that you have SITTING CONGRESSWOMEN wanting to defund the police—notably Rashida Tlaib, notably Biden advisor @AOC …” https://t.co/HH8bUxK3zF — Alyssa Farah (@Alyssafarah) June 8, 2020
Had the congresswoman taken more than a minute to look, and resisted the urge to leap immediately at Sherman’s cc’ed Twitter bait, she would have known McEnany had fully described her, as well as AOC’s equally obnoxious “squad” mate Rep. Rashida Tlaib, the Democratic congresswoman from Michigan.
The two women came up when McEnany was fielding a question about the Democrats’ insane push to defund American police departments.
At a Friday night debate, according to the U.K. Independent, Ocasio-Cortez called for the “reduction of our NYPD budget and defunding a $6 billion budget, that costs us books in the hands of our children and costs us very badly needed investment in NYCHA and public housing.”
Tlaib has also posted support for defunding police.
And that’s what McEnany was talking about when she brought up the congresswomen — including their titles.
She didn’t take long in responding to the Ocasio-Cortez tweet. And it’s safe to say the response wasn’t the “apology” AOC was looking for.
“Read the transcript, Congresswoman,” McEnany wrote in a Twitter post.
“The president is appalled by the ‘defund the police’ movement,” McEnany said, according to the transcript.
“The fact that you have sitting congresswomen wanting to defund the police — notably Rashida Tlaib, notably Biden adviser Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — former Clinton and Eric Holder spokesperson Brian Fallon wanting to defund our police across this country, it is extraordinary.”
In other words, Ocasio-Cortez fired off Monday apparently on the basis of a reporter’s tweet that seemed designed to get a rise out of her, and she jumped right at it.
That’s not exactly the behavior voters should expect of their elected officials, but it’s the kind of action Americans have learned to expect from Democrats and “progressives” who have spent the Trump years demonstrating the maturity of middle schoolers.
As is usual with anything coming out of the Trump White House, McEnany’s tweet drew plenty of liberal responses as AOC’s supporters flocked to the congresswoman’s defense like the flying monkeys of “The Wizard of Oz” — but McEnany had plenty of backers, too.
Oh the transcript….details, details???????? — Wanda Campbell (@wanda732005) June 9, 2020
@AOC… tryna manufacture some drama. ?♂? — faux pas (@therealfauxpas) June 9, 2020
When AOC tweets, first she types “woman of color” and then she adds words in front and back to make it a complete sentence. She can’t say anything without bringing up that she’s a woman of color! ? Identity politics is cancer! — Hirvd (@Hiraaaad) June 8, 2020
I’ll go slow, try to keep up…she said sitting congressWOMEN (meaning multiple), then gives examples of those congressWOMEN, the second of which, AOC, is ALSO an advisor to Biden. AOC has TWO JOBS, congresswoman AND Biden advisor, BOTH mentioned. Got it? — Becky Frady (@CRNA_Pred) June 9, 2020
If nothing else, it has become clear that if you cross this press secretary, you’re going to get put in your place very quickly. Good! — The Bradley Files (@bradley_files) June 8, 2020
And that last one is key.
Do you think Ocasio-Cortez will learn something from this exchange? Yes No
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Following the example of former press secretary Sarah Sanders, whose tenure was a textbook example of how the White House should handle an unrelentingly hostile press corps, McEnany has made it clear from the beginning that she wasn’t going to be intimidated by the divas in the briefing room.
Even the most vainly obtuse (say, Jim Acosta?) should be learning by now that attacking McEnany without a decent cause is going to be an exercise in failure.
Maybe Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will learn the lesson too — assuming she reads enough about it.
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westernjournal--2020-06-09--Watch Sen. Tim Scott, Trey Gowdy Rip Into ‘Defund Police’ Push: ‘Dumbest Idea I Have Ever Heard’

We are now to understand that one of the ways to solve the death of George Floyd in police custody and the systemic racism it ’ s apparently shone a light upon is apparently to defund the police .
I ’ m not sure how this works , and neither are many of its proponents .
The essential mechanism , one guesses , is punishment .
Because of systemic racism , law enforcement is being sent to bed without dinner .
That ’ ll teach ’ em .
Whether there ’ s another mechanism by which they would get this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only way this plan would work , if it had some chance of working — isn ’ t explained and isn ’ t likely , because that money ’ s apparently going to other liberal priorities with all due rapidity .
“ The reduction of our NYPD budget and defunding a $ 6 billion budget , that costs us books in the hands of our children and costs us very badly needed investment in [ New York City Housing Authority ] and public housing , ” Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1 billion reduction in the New York Police Department ’ s budget and has been one of the loudest voices in the call to defund police — said during a debate last week .
This is a bad enough idea that even New York Mayor Bill de Blasio , no fan of his own police department , isn ’ t getting behind it , although he ’ s making some minor tweaks to the budget in response to the pressure .
“ I do not believe it ’ s a good idea to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s here to keep us safe , ” he said at a media briefing last week , according to the New York Post .
De Blasio has to be polite ; he ’ s long ridden the tiger of progressive discontent , and to fully dismount now , at a time when the beast is especially hungry , is an unwise idea .
Republicans are under no such constraints — and , as South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott said in an appearance on Fox News Sunday , it ’ s “ a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an idea whose time has come .
It should never come , ” Scott told host Maria Bartiromo during his appearance on “ Sunday Morning Futures.
” “ The absolute nation requires law and order , ” he said .
“ We need order in our streets , and the easiest way to have that is to have a strong presence of character-driven law enforcement officers.
” RELATED : Black Senator Tim Scott Rattles Off List of Evidence Trump Is 'Not a Racist' Former Rep. Trey Gowdy , who appeared on the show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said , “ Defunding the police is the single dumbest idea I have ever heard.
” “ Who is going to process crime scenes , arrest bad people ?
” Gowdy asked .
“ Who is going to enforce any law , child sex abuse , homicide ?
Who is going to do it , if it ’ s not the police ?
” Good question .
If I need an outrageous , unworkable policy prescription explained to me , I go to CNN .
Just my luck , on Monday , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the matter : “ There ’ s a growing call to defund the police .
Here ’ s what it means.
” The heavy lifting for CNN ’ s explainer came , in part , from Philip McHarris , a Yale sociology doctoral candidate who ’ s also lead research and policy associate at the Community Resource Hub for Safety and Accountability .
First question : Would defunding the police mean disbanding forces ?
According to CNN , McHarris said , “ That depends on who you ask.
” “ Some supporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but not all , funds away from police departments to social services .
Some want to strip all police funding and dissolve departments , ” the article read .
“ The concept exists on a spectrum , but both interpretations center on reimagining what public safety looks like , he said .
“ It also means dismantling the idea that police are ‘ public stewards ’ meant to protect communities .
Many Black Americans and other people of color don ’ t feel protected by police , McHarris said.
” In short : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ idea how this is going to work , but they have a lot of bad ones .
However , those who want to disband police departments might want to work on their arguments .
As CNN reported , MPD150 , a Minneapolis-based group working to abolish the police , says that “ [ t ] he people who respond to crises in our community should be the people who are best-equipped to deal with those crises.
” “ Rather than ‘ strangers armed with guns , ’ the organization says , first responders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ workers , victim advocates and other community members in less visible roles.
” Law enforcement , in other words , would be reimagined as a series of mental health and social work interventions , which doesn ’ t perhaps sound ideal when dealing with armed robbery or sexual assault .
Will these victim advocates have guns and be trained in hand-to-hand struggles with violent individuals ?
Also , since we ’ ve defunded the police and spent the money elsewhere , from where will we be paying these armed victim advocates ?
There @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might look like in the wake of George Floyd ’ s death ; Scott and Gowdy ’ s arguments in the segment represent reasonable summations of the positions regarding whether racial disparities exist regarding how the law is enforced .
Scott noted that he has introduced the George Floyd-Walter Scott Notification Act , a piece of legislation that would “ get law enforcement agencies to report the data on the use of force that leads to death.
” This is the sensible way of addressing a problem : collecting data and finding a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be solved .
Rushing headlong into defunding the police is a silly idea — which is why it ’ s only being pushed on the fringes , both of the activist community and the political firmament .
For the record , presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden told CBS News on Monday that he doesn ’ t support defunding the police ; he supports “ conditioning federal aid to police , based on whether or not they meet certain basic standards of decency and honorableness .
And , in fact , are able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community and everybody in the community.
” Whatever that means , but basically he ’ s not defunding police unless they ’ re dishonorable enough to defund , which fits in well enough with the awkward attempts at lukewarm dishwater-strength progressivism he ’ s been making ever since he realized this isn ’ t the Democratic Party of four years ago that he ’ s dealing with .
However , just because a dangerous idea from the strident progressive wing of the left gets laughed at doesn ’ t mean it should be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when we could trust that idiocies like this would burn themselves out with the controversies they came attached to .
That time has passed .
This isn ’ t the disorganized progressive wing of the American polity that loosely clung around Ralph Nader at the beginning of the century , cobbling together a 2 percent protest vote for Cap ’ n Corvair every four years and wrecking a few Starbucks every time a World Trade Organization meeting was in town .
This is now an organized political pressure group whose members really believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re safer if our police are defunded and/or disbanded .
The idea is funny .
The fact it ’ s being proposed — and who it ’ s being proposed by — is deadly serious .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

We are now to understand that one of the ways to solve the death of George Floyd in police custody and the systemic racism it’s apparently shone a light upon is apparently to defund the police.
I’m not sure how this works, and neither are many of its proponents.
The essential mechanism, one guesses, is punishment. Because of systemic racism, law enforcement is being sent to bed without dinner. That’ll teach ’em.
Whether there’s another mechanism by which they would get this funding back — which is really the only way this plan would work, if it had some chance of working — isn’t explained and isn’t likely, because that money’s apparently going to other liberal priorities with all due rapidity.
“The reduction of our NYPD budget and defunding a $6 billion budget, that costs us books in the hands of our children and costs us very badly needed investment in [New York City Housing Authority] and public housing,” Democratic New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — who’s calling for a $1 billion reduction in the New York Police Department’s budget and has been one of the loudest voices in the call to defund police — said during a debate last week.
.@AOC to other Elected Officals: “I’m asking you to ask yourself what are you willing to sacrifice to make sure that over-funded police departments are defunded?” pic.twitter.com/ruw0Mm15e8 — Benny (@bennyjohnson) June 7, 2020
This is a bad enough idea that even New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, no fan of his own police department, isn’t getting behind it, although he’s making some minor tweaks to the budget in response to the pressure.
“I do not believe it’s a good idea to reduce the budget of the agency that’s here to keep us safe,” he said at a media briefing last week, according to the New York Post.
Should police departments be defunded? Yes No
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De Blasio has to be polite; he’s long ridden the tiger of progressive discontent, and to fully dismount now, at a time when the beast is especially hungry, is an unwise idea.
Republicans are under no such constraints — and, as South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott said in an appearance on Fox News Sunday, it’s “a ridiculous idea.”
“It is not an idea whose time has come. It should never come,” Scott told host Maria Bartiromo during his appearance on “Sunday Morning Futures.”
“The absolute nation requires law and order,” he said. “We need order in our streets, and the easiest way to have that is to have a strong presence of character-driven law enforcement officers.”
Former Rep. Trey Gowdy, who appeared on the show along with his fellow South Carolina Republican, said, “Defunding the police is the single dumbest idea I have ever heard.”
“Who is going to process crime scenes, arrest bad people?” Gowdy asked.
“Who is going to enforce any law, child sex abuse, homicide? Who is going to do it, if it’s not the police?”
Good question. If I need an outrageous, unworkable policy prescription explained to me, I go to CNN. Just my luck, on Monday, there was my Cliff’s Notes on the matter: “There’s a growing call to defund the police. Here’s what it means.”
The heavy lifting for CNN’s explainer came, in part, from Philip McHarris, a Yale sociology doctoral candidate who’s also lead research and policy associate at the Community Resource Hub for Safety and Accountability.
First question: Would defunding the police mean disbanding forces? According to CNN, McHarris said, “That depends on who you ask.”
“Some supporters of divestment want to reallocate some, but not all, funds away from police departments to social services. Some want to strip all police funding and dissolve departments,” the article read.
“The concept exists on a spectrum, but both interpretations center on reimagining what public safety looks like, he said.
“It also means dismantling the idea that police are ‘public stewards’ meant to protect communities. Many Black Americans and other people of color don’t feel protected by police, McHarris said.”
In short: Nobody seems to have a really good idea how this is going to work, but they have a lot of bad ones.
However, those who want to disband police departments might want to work on their arguments. As CNN reported, MPD150, a Minneapolis-based group working to abolish the police, says that “[t]he people who respond to crises in our community should be the people who are best-equipped to deal with those crises.”
“Rather than ‘strangers armed with guns,’ the organization says, first responders should be mental health providers, social workers, victim advocates and other community members in less visible roles.”
Law enforcement, in other words, would be reimagined as a series of mental health and social work interventions, which doesn’t perhaps sound ideal when dealing with armed robbery or sexual assault.
Will these victim advocates have guns and be trained in hand-to-hand struggles with violent individuals? Also, since we’ve defunded the police and spent the money elsewhere, from where will we be paying these armed victim advocates?
There are disagreements as to what real reform might look like in the wake of George Floyd’s death; Scott and Gowdy’s arguments in the segment represent reasonable summations of the positions regarding whether racial disparities exist regarding how the law is enforced.
Scott noted that he has introduced the George Floyd-Walter Scott Notification Act, a piece of legislation that would “get law enforcement agencies to report the data on the use of force that leads to death.”
This is the sensible way of addressing a problem: collecting data and finding a solution, if something indeed needs to be solved.
Rushing headlong into defunding the police is a silly idea — which is why it’s only being pushed on the fringes, both of the activist community and the political firmament.
For the record, presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden told CBS News on Monday that he doesn’t support defunding the police; he supports “conditioning federal aid to police, based on whether or not they meet certain basic standards of decency and honorableness. And, in fact, are able to demonstrate that they can protect the community and everybody in the community.”
Whatever that means, but basically he’s not defunding police unless they’re dishonorable enough to defund, which fits in well enough with the awkward attempts at lukewarm dishwater-strength progressivism he’s been making ever since he realized this isn’t the Democratic Party of four years ago that he’s dealing with.
However, just because a dangerous idea from the strident progressive wing of the left gets laughed at doesn’t mean it should be laughed at. There was a time when we could trust that idiocies like this would burn themselves out with the controversies they came attached to. That time has passed.
This isn’t the disorganized progressive wing of the American polity that loosely clung around Ralph Nader at the beginning of the century, cobbling together a 2 percent protest vote for Cap’n Corvair every four years and wrecking a few Starbucks every time a World Trade Organization meeting was in town.
This is now an organized political pressure group whose members really believe, among other fatuities, that we’re safer if our police are defunded and/or disbanded.
The idea is funny. The fact it’s being proposed — and who it’s being proposed by — is deadly serious.
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westernjournal--2020-06-09--Country Singer Kane Brown Praises God Repeatedly in New Song, Timing Could Not Be More Perfect

Kane Brown has experienced a side of country music that not all artists see .
His talent and unusual perspective have allowed him to address some issues that he has encountered .
During an interview with Taste of Country in November 2018 , he spoke about what it ’ s like to be a black country artist .
“ People always say , ‘ There are plenty of black country artists out there !
There is Charley Pride !
Darius Rucker !
’ That ’ s all they can name , ” he said .
“ They don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot of people who are fans of traditional country music , as they call it , look at us and aren ’ t going to say , ‘ Y ’ all like country music . '
” “ Everyone should have equal opportunities and equal rights , ” he said , “ but you can ’ t even have an opinion without somebody going off on you .
… That ’ s what ’ s wrong with this world today.
” The world is in an even more chaotic state now than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t stopped speaking about the ways we can make it a better place .
“ We will never see peace in this world until we ALL see each other as PEOPLE , ” he tweeted June 1 .
“ We will never understand each other when you have people on 2 different sides .
“ We have to become 1 to be at peace.
” Brown also shared a message from his music account addressing his perspective on recent racial injustices .
“ ATTENTION : FIRST OF ALL IM MIXED , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ TO THE WHITE GUY , AND IM WHITE TO THE BLACK GUY UNTIL A RACIAL THING COMES INTO PLAY AND THEN IM SUPPOSED TO PLAY THE BLACK SIDE.
” “ IF EVERYONE WAS SEEN AS PEOPLE , IF EVERYONE WAS TREATED THE SAME , IF EVERYONE WAS CHARGED THE SAME SENTENCE … LIKE I SAID BEFORE WE ALL NEED TO BECOME ONE RACE ( AMERICANS ) STOP DIVIDING OR IT WILL NEVER BE SOLVED.
” Another way Brown is encouraging unity in a time of division is through his craft .
He just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of his work with Ryan Hurd , Shy Carter and Jordan Schmidt .
“ Releasing this song tonight at 11pm central 12am eastern !
” he tweeted on Wednesday .
“ I ’ ve held onto it for a year but feel like it ’ s needed during this time ❤ all proceeds are going to the boys and girls club !
I love you guys.
” The words to “ Worldwide Beautiful ” are challenging and illustrate just how similar we all are .
White churches , black churches Different people , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fight with each other Layin ’ down in the ground six under .
At every show I see my people They ain ’ t the same but they ’ re all equal One love , one God , one family .
You ’ re missing every color if you ’ re only seeing black and white Tell me how you ’ re gon na change your mind if your heart ’ s unmovable We ain ’ t that different from each other from one to another , I Look around and see @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lot of thanking God that goes on in the song , and Brown repeatedly points out how we ’ re all in this life together and could benefit by treating one another like human beings — which is truly something we could stand to be reminded of in these times .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Kane Brown has experienced a side of country music that not all artists see. His talent and unusual perspective have allowed him to address some issues that he has encountered.
During an interview with Taste of Country in November 2018, he spoke about what it’s like to be a black country artist.
“People always say, ‘There are plenty of black country artists out there! There is Charley Pride! Darius Rucker!’ That’s all they can name,” he said. “They don’t understand what we go through, and a lot of people who are fans of traditional country music, as they call it, look at us and aren’t going to say, ‘Y’all like country music.'”
“Everyone should have equal opportunities and equal rights,” he said, “but you can’t even have an opinion without somebody going off on you. … That’s what’s wrong with this world today.”
The world is in an even more chaotic state now than it was then, and Brown hasn’t stopped speaking about the ways we can make it a better place.
“We will never see peace in this world until we ALL see each other as PEOPLE,” he tweeted June 1. “We will never understand each other when you have people on 2 different sides.
“We have to become 1 to be at peace.”
Brown also shared a message from his music account addressing his perspective on recent racial injustices.
“ATTENTION: FIRST OF ALL IM MIXED,” his message began. “IM BLACK TO THE WHITE GUY, AND IM WHITE TO THE BLACK GUY UNTIL A RACIAL THING COMES INTO PLAY AND THEN IM SUPPOSED TO PLAY THE BLACK SIDE.”
“IF EVERYONE WAS SEEN AS PEOPLE, IF EVERYONE WAS TREATED THE SAME, IF EVERYONE WAS CHARGED THE SAME SENTENCE … LIKE I SAID BEFORE WE ALL NEED TO BECOME ONE RACE (AMERICANS) STOP DIVIDING OR IT WILL NEVER BE SOLVED.”
Another way Brown is encouraging unity in a time of division is through his craft. He just released a song that was the result of his work with Ryan Hurd, Shy Carter and Jordan Schmidt.
“Releasing this song tonight at 11pm central 12am eastern!” he tweeted on Wednesday. “I’ve held onto it for a year but feel like it’s needed during this time ❤ all proceeds are going to the boys and girls club! I love you guys.”
The words to “Worldwide Beautiful” are challenging and illustrate just how similar we all are.
White churches, black churches
Different people, same hearses
It’s kinda hard to fight with each other
Layin’ down in the ground six under.
At every show I see my people
They ain’t the same but they’re all equal
One love, one God, one family.
You’re missing every color if you’re only seeing black and white
Tell me how you’re gonna change your mind if your heart’s unmovable
We ain’t that different from each other from one to another, I
Look around and see worldwide beautiful.
There’s a lot of thanking God that goes on in the song, and Brown repeatedly points out how we’re all in this life together and could benefit by treating one another like human beings — which is truly something we could stand to be reminded of in these times.
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westernjournal--2020-06-09--Trump Planning To Hold Campaign Rallies Soon for First Time Since Early March

Just in time for summer , the Trump campaign has announced that it is time to make America raucous again .
The campaign announced Monday that the president ’ s signature rallies will be returning this month .
President Donald Trump had stopped the rallies in March amid concerns that massive crowds congregating in jam-packed arenas might facilitate the spread of the coronavirus .
“ Americans are ready to get back to action and so is President Trump , ” Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale told Fox News .
“ The Great American Comeback is real , and the rallies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ again see the kind of crowds and enthusiasm that Sleepy Joe Biden can only dream of , ” he said .
No schedule has been released , nor has the Trump campaign indicated what , if any , measures will be taken to embrace social distancing guidelines that have largely been thrown to the winds in recent protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody .
Many received the news with joy .
Trump has been itching to return to the rally circuit since May , according to CBS News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twitter Censors GOP Candidate Twice in One Week “ We got to get back to the rallies , ” the president said then .
“ I think it ’ s going to be sooner rather than later.
” He has stated a preference for “ big , outdoor ” locations .
“ I don ’ t want to have a stadium where you ’ re supposed to have a person , then seven empty seats , ” Trump said .
On Sunday , the president noted that his re-election fight would be easier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him down .
On Friday , Trump said the election is vital to America ’ s future .
“ The only thing that can stop us is bad policy .
Frankly , left-wing bad policy of raising taxes and Green New Deals and all of the things that you have been writing about long and hard , that will stop it like you wouldn ’ t believe , ” he said during an event in the White House Rose Garden .
“ I like to be an optimistic person ; I think we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think even before today , our polls were — the polls that I ’ ve seen and the polls that we do , we ’ re looking very good , ” Trump said .
“ But the Green New Deal would kill our country .
The deal — the Green New Deal would have a devastating effect on the world .
And it ’ s not going to happen anyway because it ’ s impossible for them to do it .
If you ever look at what they want to do under the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — it ’ s like baby talk , ” he said .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Just in time for summer, the Trump campaign has announced that it is time to make America raucous again.
The campaign announced Monday that the president’s signature rallies will be returning this month.
President Donald Trump had stopped the rallies in March amid concerns that massive crowds congregating in jam-packed arenas might facilitate the spread of the coronavirus.
“Americans are ready to get back to action and so is President Trump,” Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale told Fox News.
“The Great American Comeback is real, and the rallies will be tremendous. You’ll again see the kind of crowds and enthusiasm that Sleepy Joe Biden can only dream of,” he said.
No schedule has been released, nor has the Trump campaign indicated what, if any, measures will be taken to embrace social distancing guidelines that have largely been thrown to the winds in recent protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody.
Many received the news with joy.
Trump Rallies are BACK! President Trump and his amazing record breaking crowds are EXACTLY what has been missing from my weeknights. I can’t wait cheer my President on while he spreads love and cheer in preparation for the great American comeback! — Brigitte Gabriel (@ACTBrigitte) June 8, 2020
BREAKING NEWS: Trump Rallies are BACK! God Bless This President! This is EXACTLY What America Needs Right Now — The American Spirit is Alive and Well!! — Nick Adams (@NickAdamsinUSA) June 8, 2020
If it’s safe for thousands of “protesters” to be out in the streets demonizing law enforcement, I think it’s safe to start having Trump rallies again! #KAG — Tomi Lahren (@TomiLahren) June 8, 2020
Trump has been itching to return to the rally circuit since May, according to CBS News.
“We got to get back to the rallies,” the president said then. “I think it’s going to be sooner rather than later.”
He has stated a preference for “big, outdoor” locations.
“I don’t want to have a stadium where you’re supposed to have a person, then seven empty seats,” Trump said.
On Sunday, the president noted that his re-election fight would be easier without staged political controversies aimed at dragging him down.
If I wasn’t constantly harassed for three years by fake and illegal investigations, Russia, Russia, Russia, and the Impeachment Hoax, I’d be up by 25 points on Sleepy Joe and the Do Nothing Democrats. Very unfair, but it is what it is!!! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 7, 2020
On Friday, Trump said the election is vital to America’s future.
“The only thing that can stop us is bad policy. Frankly, left-wing bad policy of raising taxes and Green New Deals and all of the things that you have been writing about long and hard, that will stop it like you wouldn’t believe,” he said during an event in the White House Rose Garden.
President @RealDonaldTrump‘s right: only “left-wing bad policy” can stop America’s economy from booming again. ?Looking at you, @JoeBiden. No radical Green New Deal. No tax hikes on families. No job-killing regulations. America wants JOBS, not your extremist left-wing agenda. pic.twitter.com/oTK9lqGd7l — Brad Parscale (@parscale) June 5, 2020
“I like to be an optimistic person; I think we’re looking very good. I think even before today, our polls were — the polls that I’ve seen and the polls that we do, we’re looking very good,” Trump said.
“But the Green New Deal would kill our country. The deal — the Green New Deal would have a devastating effect on the world. And it’s not going to happen anyway because it’s impossible for them to do it. If you ever look at what they want to do under the Green New Deal, it’s — it’s like baby talk,” he said.
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westernjournal--2020-06-09--Police Face Mounting Crisis in Pacific Northwest as Unrest Continues

Seattle police officers boarded up their East Precinct building as riots continue throughout the Pacific Northwest .
Footage of the Seattle Police Department ’ s East Precinct showed that the building was boarded up and surrounded by masked protesters .
No police officers were present in the video .
The precinct has been the center of demonstrations in Seattle , and The New York Times reported that police officers have abandoned the building .
Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best said Monday , however , that the department was not “ going to evacuate or abandon the East Precinct .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by boarding up the exterior windows , and applying fire retardant to the building exterior and installing fencing.
” The Minneapolis Police Department abandoned the 3rd Police Precinct to rioters on May 28 .
Rioters proceeded to set the precinct on fire .
“ Shortly after 10:00 pm tonight , in the interest of the safety of our personnel , the Minneapolis Police Department evacuated the 3rd Precinct of its staff , ” Minneapolis police confirmed in a May 28 statement .
“ Protesters forcibly entered the building and have ignited several fires @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Riots and protests continue throughout Oregon and Washington , prompting changes within both police departments and political leadership .
At least two city council members in Seattle have asked Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkin to resign , The Times reported .
Protesters in Portland , Oregon , shut down Interstate 84 on Monday , and Seattle protesters moved barricades to make a protected space in the Seattle Capitol Hill neighborhood , according to The Times .
RELATED : Dem Mayor Lashes Out After Being Warned of Riots : ' I Think You 're 100 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jami Resch said Monday that she will be stepping down from her position and has asked Lt. Chuck Lovell , who is black , to replace her .
“ I have asked Chuck Lovell to step into the role as chief of the Police Bureau , ” she said at a Monday news conference , according to Oregon Live .
“ He ’ s the exact right person at the exact right moment.
” “ I ’ ve asked our community time and time again , what do we need to do , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Police Bureau has made change … but in the words of Mr. Hopson , those are changes but they are not the change .
What the Portland Police Bureau has not done is stand up and say , ‘ We will be the change.
’ ” The Seattle Police Department did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation ’ s request for comment .
A version of this article appeared on The Daily Caller News Foundation website .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
@ @ @ @ @

Seattle police officers boarded up their East Precinct building as riots continue throughout the Pacific Northwest.
Footage of the Seattle Police Department’s East Precinct showed that the building was boarded up and surrounded by masked protesters.
No police officers were present in the video.
The precinct has been the center of demonstrations in Seattle, and The New York Times reported that police officers have abandoned the building.
I walked around the entire block East Precinct is housed on. I saw not one @SeattlePD officer. If that’s not abandoning, you tell me what is. #Q13FOX pic.twitter.com/CBtjJgIDZX — Brandi Kruse (@BrandiKruse) June 9, 2020
Seattle Police Chief Carmen Best said Monday, however, that the department was not “going to evacuate or abandon the East Precinct. We will be hardening the East Precinct facility by boarding up the exterior windows, and applying fire retardant to the building exterior and installing fencing.”
The Minneapolis Police Department abandoned the 3rd Police Precinct to rioters on May 28. Rioters proceeded to set the precinct on fire.
“Shortly after 10:00 pm tonight, in the interest of the safety of our personnel, the Minneapolis Police Department evacuated the 3rd Precinct of its staff,” Minneapolis police confirmed in a May 28 statement.
Should officials in the Pacific Northwest make concessions to protesters? Yes No
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“Protesters forcibly entered the building and have ignited several fires. No further information is available.”
Riots and protests continue throughout Oregon and Washington, prompting changes within both police departments and political leadership.
At least two city council members in Seattle have asked Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkin to resign, The Times reported.
Protesters in Portland, Oregon, shut down Interstate 84 on Monday, and Seattle protesters moved barricades to make a protected space in the Seattle Capitol Hill neighborhood, according to The Times.
Persistent protests in the Northwest are forcing concessions. Today, the Portland police chief stepped down and Seattle police abandoned their East Precinct. Tonight, Portland protesters shut down I-84 and Seattle ones have created their own barricades.https://t.co/bubBGX6hzx — Mike Baker (@ByMikeBaker) June 9, 2020
Portland Police Chief Jami Resch said Monday that she will be stepping down from her position and has asked Lt. Chuck Lovell, who is black, to replace her.
“I have asked Chuck Lovell to step into the role as chief of the Police Bureau,” she said at a Monday news conference, according to Oregon Live.
“He’s the exact right person at the exact right moment.”
“I’ve asked our community time and time again, what do we need to do,” Resch said.
“The Portland Police Bureau has made change … but in the words of Mr. Hopson, those are changes but they are not the change. What the Portland Police Bureau has not done is stand up and say, ‘We will be the change.’”
The Seattle Police Department did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of their original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
A version of this article appeared on The Daily Caller News Foundation website.
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westernjournal--2020-06-09--Minneapolis Dem Pushing To Dismantle Police Ducks Question on How Laws Will Be Enforced

As the protests over George Floyd ’ s killing at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer grew , the conversation morphed and metastasized into something more radical and toxic .
One of the popular ideas that sprang out of it was to defund and disband police departments .
In Minneapolis , according to The Washington Post , nine out of 13 members of the City Council already support disbanding the city ’ s police department .
The most prominent of these voices was Councilwoman Lisa Bender , the council ’ s president .
On Saturday , Bender retweeted another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , son of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and recent antifa endorser .
Ellison had tweeted that “ We are going to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department .
And when we ’ re done , we ’ re not simply gon na glue it back together.
” “ Yes , ” Bender wrote in her retweet .
“ We are going to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department and replace it with a transformative new model of public safety.
” Bender ’ s tweet , in all fairness , was an echo and not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across the country were busy saying all kinds of things like this across social media .
There were much more famous liberals making the defund/disband argument , including the Notorious AOC .
When the actual media comes a ’ calling , however , reporters need a face to attach the story to .
Bender , as the president of the Minneapolis City Council — the city where Floyd was killed , after all — was as good a face as any .
She ’ s young , she ’ s a Democrat ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party , Minnesota ’ s weird Democratic Party subsidiary ) and she has something incendiary to say .
The problem is that , even with an interviewer whose tone was sympathetic ( if curious ) , Councilwoman Bender was a not-quite-ready-for-prime-time-player who didn ’ t even really seem sure who you ’ d end up calling if you needed help .
Take her appearance on CNN ’ s “ New Day ” on Monday morning , where co-host Alisyn Camerota asked Bender a series of questions you would think Bender would have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appearance .
She didn ’ t .
The beginning of the interview was pretty standard stuff .
Floyd ’ s death was a tragedy , “ this system isn ’ t working for too many of our neighbors for too long , our reform efforts have failed and we have done many , many attempts at reform and new leadership in the department , ” so it ’ s time for a reboot .
Good enough start .
I ’ d give it an 8/10 .
But then Camerota noted that just going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ progressives were proposing .
“ The word ‘ dismantle ’ is intentionally different than ‘ reform.
’ This is more than reform , ” she said , about the 1:15 mark in the video below .
“ This is dismantling .
I mean , activists who support this are calling this a police-free future.
” RELATED : Typical Libs : Teachers Union Says School Police Are an Example of White Supremacy , Wants Them Gone To which Bender essentially said : Sure , why not ?
“ A lot of us were asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ police back in 2017 , when we were running for office , ” she said .
“ And I answered ‘ yes ’ to that question .
To me , that future is a long way away and it would take an enormous amount of investment in things that we know work to keep people safe.
” She added that “ I know the statement was bold and I stand by that bold statement , but the work ahead of us will be long , it will include every member of our community @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you know , I think we have very immediate things , we have a state action against our police department , which gives us legal mechanisms in the very short-term.
” Camerota moved beyond the abstract and asked the obvious question : “ What if , in the middle of the night , my home is broken into ?
” she asked , about the 2:45 mark .
“ Who do I call ?
” I came away with the impression that , had Bender simply said “ Ghostbusters ” and left it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have been a materially worse answer .
She didn ’ t , though .
Here ’ s what she did answer .
“ Yes , I mean , hear that loud and clear from a lot of my neighbors .
And I know — and myself , too , and I know that that comes from a place of privilege , ” Bender said .
“ Because for those of us for whom the system is working , I think we need to step back and imagine what it would feel like to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the police may mean more harm is done .
And so in the very immediate , we have to lean in to whatever changes we can make in our existing police department.
” She pointed to Camden , New Jersey — a terminally broken suburb of Philadelphia that ’ s seen some success with a reboot of its police department .
This probably wasn ’ t the best example , given the fact that you could disband Camden as a whole , start anew and end up with something better simply because the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anything worse .
“ We are not starting from scratch .
We have invested in community-based safety strategies , ” Bender said , studiously avoiding giving concrete examples .
“ We have knowledge in our community across the city .
We ’ ve done an analysis of all the reasons people call 911 and have looked up ways we can shift the response away from our armed police officers into a more appropriate response for mental health calls , for some domestic violence calls , for health-related issues.
” None of her points @ @ @ @ @ @ @ points in her favor , and she wasn ’ t even able to answer the question of who you ’ d call if you needed help or who would enforce the law when you did .
In other words , the basic purpose of government , protecting public safety , is simply being abandoned .
First , you ’ re in a position of “ privilege , ” as Bender might put it , when you say that people live in a “ reality where calling the police may mean more harm is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among white liberals , who imagine the vast majority of people of color don ’ t welcome the presence of police in their neighborhoods or wouldn ’ t call 911 when a crime is being committed .
No statistics are cited to back this up ; this is just a claim , and a very dubious one at that .
Meanwhile , investing “ in community-based safety strategies ” or “ hav [ ing ] looked up ways we can shift the response away from our armed police officers into a more appropriate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some domestic violence calls , for health-related issues ” are decent ideas in theory — and not at all mutually exclusive to disbanding the Minneapolis Police Department .
That ’ s a very bad idea that makes people exponentially less safe .
It ’ s clear from this interview that , in Minneapolis at least , this is just rhetoric .
There ’ s no plan to disband the police department in the immediate future or for the “ bold ” future without law enforcement that Bender says she embraces .
This was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dumb retweet , followed by low-level national fame Councilwoman Bender probably would have done well to avoid .
If you think this idea just got laughed off the stage , though , be careful .
When issues like these grab national headlines for progressives , they tend to return — and then , politicians like Bender actually have a plan .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

As the protests over George Floyd’s killing at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer grew, the conversation morphed and metastasized into something more radical and toxic. One of the popular ideas that sprang out of it was to defund and disband police departments.
In Minneapolis, according to The Washington Post, nine out of 13 members of the City Council already support disbanding the city’s police department. The most prominent of these voices was Councilwoman Lisa Bender, the council’s president.
On Saturday, Bender retweeted another member of the council — Jeremiah Ellison, son of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and recent antifa endorser. Ellison had tweeted that “We are going to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department. And when we’re done, we’re not simply gonna glue it back together.”
“Yes,” Bender wrote in her retweet. “We are going to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department and replace it with a transformative new model of public safety.”
Yes. We are going to dismantle the Minneapolis Police Department and replace it with a transformative new model of public safety. https://t.co/FCfjoPy64k — Lisa Bender (@lisabendermpls) June 4, 2020
Bender’s tweet, in all fairness, was an echo and not a singular voice. Progressive Democrats all across the country were busy saying all kinds of things like this across social media. There were much more famous liberals making the defund/disband argument, including the Notorious AOC.
When the actual media comes a’calling, however, reporters need a face to attach the story to. Bender, as the president of the Minneapolis City Council — the city where Floyd was killed, after all — was as good a face as any. She’s young, she’s a Democrat (or at least a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, Minnesota’s weird Democratic Party subsidiary) and she has something incendiary to say.
The problem is that, even with an interviewer whose tone was sympathetic (if curious), Councilwoman Bender was a not-quite-ready-for-prime-time-player who didn’t even really seem sure who you’d end up calling if you needed help.
Would disbanding police departments put innocent lives in danger? Yes No
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Take her appearance on CNN’s “New Day” on Monday morning, where co-host Alisyn Camerota asked Bender a series of questions you would think Bender would have spent some time rehearsing for before the appearance. She didn’t.
The beginning of the interview was pretty standard stuff. Floyd’s death was a tragedy, “this system isn’t working for too many of our neighbors for too long, our reform efforts have failed and we have done many, many attempts at reform and new leadership in the department,” so it’s time for a reboot.
Good enough start. I’d give it an 8/10.
But then Camerota noted that just going beyond reform wasn’t quite what progressives were proposing.
“The word ‘dismantle’ is intentionally different than ‘reform.’ This is more than reform,” she said, about the 1:15 mark in the video below. “This is dismantling. I mean, activists who support this are calling this a police-free future.”
To which Bender essentially said: Sure, why not?
“A lot of us were asked if we could imagine a future without police back in 2017, when we were running for office,” she said. “And I answered ‘yes’ to that question. To me, that future is a long way away and it would take an enormous amount of investment in things that we know work to keep people safe.”
She added that “I know the statement was bold and I stand by that bold statement, but the work ahead of us will be long, it will include every member of our community. It has to. And, you know, I think we have very immediate things, we have a state action against our police department, which gives us legal mechanisms in the very short-term.”
Camerota moved beyond the abstract and asked the obvious question: “What if, in the middle of the night, my home is broken into?” she asked, about the 2:45 mark. “Who do I call?”
I came away with the impression that, had Bender simply said “Ghostbusters” and left it at that, it wouldn’t have been a materially worse answer.
She didn’t, though. Here’s what she did answer.
“Yes, I mean, hear that loud and clear from a lot of my neighbors. And I know — and myself, too, and I know that that comes from a place of privilege,” Bender said.
“Because for those of us for whom the system is working, I think we need to step back and imagine what it would feel like to already live in that reality where calling the police may mean more harm is done. And so in the very immediate, we have to lean in to whatever changes we can make in our existing police department.”
She pointed to Camden, New Jersey — a terminally broken suburb of Philadelphia that’s seen some success with a reboot of its police department. This probably wasn’t the best example, given the fact that you could disband Camden as a whole, start anew and end up with something better simply because the law of averages wouldn’t permit anything worse.
“We are not starting from scratch. We have invested in community-based safety strategies,” Bender said, studiously avoiding giving concrete examples. “We have knowledge in our community across the city. We’ve done an analysis of all the reasons people call 911 and have looked up ways we can shift the response away from our armed police officers into a more appropriate response for mental health calls, for some domestic violence calls, for health-related issues.”
None of her points are actually points, or at least points in her favor, and she wasn’t even able to answer the question of who you’d call if you needed help or who would enforce the law when you did. In other words, the basic purpose of government, protecting public safety, is simply being abandoned.
First, you’re in a position of “privilege,” as Bender might put it, when you say that people live in a “reality where calling the police may mean more harm is done.”
This is a common thread among white liberals, who imagine the vast majority of people of color don’t welcome the presence of police in their neighborhoods or wouldn’t call 911 when a crime is being committed. No statistics are cited to back this up; this is just a claim, and a very dubious one at that.
Meanwhile, investing “in community-based safety strategies” or “hav[ing] looked up ways we can shift the response away from our armed police officers into a more appropriate response for mental health calls, for some domestic violence calls, for health-related issues” are decent ideas in theory — and not at all mutually exclusive to disbanding the Minneapolis Police Department. That’s a very bad idea that makes people exponentially less safe.
It’s clear from this interview that, in Minneapolis at least, this is just rhetoric. There’s no plan to disband the police department in the immediate future or for the “bold” future without law enforcement that Bender says she embraces. This was a dumb tweet, followed by a dumb retweet, followed by low-level national fame Councilwoman Bender probably would have done well to avoid.
If you think this idea just got laughed off the stage, though, be careful.
When issues like these grab national headlines for progressives, they tend to return — and then, politicians like Bender actually have a plan.
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westernjournal--2020-06-09--Defund Police Movement Spurned on Both Sides of the Aisle

President Donald Trump and his allies are describing calls to “ defund the police ” as a dangerous example of Democratic overreach .
And some Democrats themselves , including presumptive presidential nominee Joe Biden , are distancing themselves from the “ defund ” push , which some supporters say is a merely symbolic gesture rather than an actual plan to eliminate law enforcement agencies .
But confusion over the proposal ’ s intent has created an opportunity for the Republican president , who swiftly condemned the movement while his opponent took some time to come out against it .
Facing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weigh in , Biden addressed the issue on Monday in an interview with “ CBS Evening News.
” “ I don ’ t support defunding the police .
I support conditioning federal aid to police based on whether or not they meet certain basic standards of decency , honorableness and , in fact , are able to demonstrate they can protect the community , everybody in the community , ” Biden said .
Other opponents of the movement include Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey , a former presidential candidate , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ head of the Congressional Black Caucus .
NAACP President Derrick Johnson , in an interview , also refused to endorse calls to defund the police .
“ I support the energy behind it .
I don ’ t know what that substantively means .
As I ’ m talking to people about the concept , I ’ ve gotten three different explanations , ” Johnson said .
Democrats are well-positioned to win over the political center this fall , according to Republican pollster Frank Luntz .
Luntz added , however , that Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ view as radical following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis .
Floyd died after an officer knelt on his neck for roughly nine minutes .
Municipal officials in Minneapolis have spouted the “ defund the police ” language backed by some activists and a handful of progressive House Democrats .
Protesters over the weekend also painted “ DEFUND THE POLICE ” in large yellow letters on a street close to the White House .
But there was little evidence that the effort was gaining momentum in Congress .
Some Democrats described it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota , a moderate who lost her 2018 re-election bid , said “ defund the police ” is “ a horrible name ” that misconstrues the goal .
RELATED : Trump Cracks Down on the 'Defund the Police ' Movement “ By starting with the word ‘ defund , ’ you ’ ve left the impression that you are doing something much more radical than what needs to be done , ” Heitkamp said .
Trump and congressional Republicans have denounced the movement in no uncertain terms .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ numbers in our Country ’ s recorded history , and now the Radical Left Democrats want to Defund and Abandon our Police , ” Trump tweeted on Monday .
“ Sorry , I want LAW & ORDER !
” The House GOP campaign arm sent out emails condemning “ defund the police ” and connecting it to Democratic candidates .
“ No industry is safe from Democrats ’ abolish culture , ” Michael McAdams , a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee , said .
“ First they wanted to abolish private @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and now it ’ s the police .
What ’ s next , the fire department ?
” Democrats on Capitol Hill unveiled a proposal on Monday to address police brutality that did not include plans to strip funding from the police .
The Justice in Policing Act would limit legal protections for police , create a national database of excessive-force incidents and ban chokeholds , among other changes .
Democratic Rep. Matt Cartwright of Pennsylvania rejected calls to defund the police outright .
“ I don ’ t care how it ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for that , ” he said .
The Associated Press contributed to this report .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

President Donald Trump and his allies are describing calls to “defund the police” as a dangerous example of Democratic overreach.
And some Democrats themselves, including presumptive presidential nominee Joe Biden, are distancing themselves from the “defund” push, which some supporters say is a merely symbolic gesture rather than an actual plan to eliminate law enforcement agencies.
But confusion over the proposal’s intent has created an opportunity for the Republican president, who swiftly condemned the movement while his opponent took some time to come out against it.
Facing increasing pressure from the Trump campaign to weigh in, Biden addressed the issue on Monday in an interview with “CBS Evening News.”
“I don’t support defunding the police. I support conditioning federal aid to police based on whether or not they meet certain basic standards of decency, honorableness and, in fact, are able to demonstrate they can protect the community, everybody in the community,” Biden said.
Other opponents of the movement include Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey, a former presidential candidate, and Democratic Rep. Karen Bass of California, head of the Congressional Black Caucus.
NAACP President Derrick Johnson, in an interview, also refused to endorse calls to defund the police.
“I support the energy behind it. I don’t know what that substantively means. As I’m talking to people about the concept, I’ve gotten three different explanations,” Johnson said.
Democrats are well-positioned to win over the political center this fall, according to Republican pollster Frank Luntz.
Will the push to defund police gain momentum in Congress? Yes No
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Luntz added, however, that Democrats risk their advantage by embracing policies Americans view as radical following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Floyd died after an officer knelt on his neck for roughly nine minutes.
Municipal officials in Minneapolis have spouted the “defund the police” language backed by some activists and a handful of progressive House Democrats.
Protesters over the weekend also painted “DEFUND THE POLICE” in large yellow letters on a street close to the White House.
But there was little evidence that the effort was gaining momentum in Congress. Some Democrats described it as bad politics.
Former Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, a moderate who lost her 2018 re-election bid, said “defund the police” is “a horrible name” that misconstrues the goal.
“By starting with the word ‘defund,’ you’ve left the impression that you are doing something much more radical than what needs to be done,” Heitkamp said.
Trump and congressional Republicans have denounced the movement in no uncertain terms.
“This year has seen the lowest crime numbers in our Country’s recorded history, and now the Radical Left Democrats want to Defund and Abandon our Police,” Trump tweeted on Monday. “Sorry, I want LAW & ORDER!”
This year has seen the lowest crime numbers in our Country’s recorded history, and now the Radical Left Democrats want to Defund and Abandon our Police. Sorry, I want LAW & ORDER! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 8, 2020
The House GOP campaign arm sent out emails condemning “defund the police” and connecting it to Democratic candidates.
“No industry is safe from Democrats’ abolish culture,” Michael McAdams, a spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said.
“First they wanted to abolish private health insurance, then it was capitalism and now it’s the police. What’s next, the fire department?”
Democrats on Capitol Hill unveiled a proposal on Monday to address police brutality that did not include plans to strip funding from the police. The Justice in Policing Act would limit legal protections for police, create a national database of excessive-force incidents and ban chokeholds, among other changes.
Democratic Rep. Matt Cartwright of Pennsylvania rejected calls to defund the police outright.
“I don’t care how it’s named, I’m not for that,” he said.
[jwplayer UJ93Pvc1]
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
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westernjournal--2020-06-10--Sen. McConnell Exposes Democrats for ‘Double Standard’ in Banning Gatherings

In remarks from the Senate floor Tuesday , Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell pointed out the Democrats ’ double standard when it comes to public gatherings amid the coronavirus pandemic .
The Kentucky Republican took Democrats to task for their duplicity in banning religious gatherings and forcing citizens to remain locked away indoors while politicians support and even participate in mass gatherings in response to the death of George Floyd .
McConnell stated he has “ no criticism ” for the peaceful demonstrators exercising their right to speak freely .
What is “ baffling , ” he explained , is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ months hectoring Christians and other law-abiding Americans for attempting to gather to exercise other aspects of their First Amendment rights , including their right to religious liberty .
McConnell excoriated Democratic leaders and the media for forcing citizens to put their lives “ totally on ice , ” and questioned the dangerous precedent set by Democrats when it comes to their selective enforcement of the First Amendment .
To the Democrats who have taken it upon themselves to tell citizens how to behave , when to work and where to congregate , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ national life during this pandemic has slid toward a double standard.
” TRENDING : Rioter Douses Police Officer , Sets Him on Fire as Unrest Spreads Across Globe “ Many Americans feel they ’ ve just seen those fastidious regulations and that puritanical zeal disappear in an instant because a new cause has emerged that powerful people agree with , ” McConnell said .
“ A month ago , small protest demonstrations were widely condemned as reckless and selfish .
Now , massive rallies that fill entire cities are not just praised , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brave because of the exact same health risks that brought condemnation when the cause was different , ” he continued .
Indeed , mere weeks ago , some Americans who demanded their lives back saw their Constitutional rights violated , and were threatened , fined and even jailed .
Democrats and their media allies shamed those who dared to question or protest against the official line that the only way to prevent spreading sickness and death was to partake in economic suicide .
But after the death of George Floyd while he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ narrative flipped , and going out to protest , loot and burn buildings — often without recommended personal protective equipment — suddenly became supposedly virtuous activities .
The media and Democrats praised the protests , which saw tens of thousands of people crammed together and many waiting until after nightfall each day to begin wreaking havoc on American cities .
The continued praise of these riots , protests and large gatherings , of course , came as many Americans were essentially criminalized by political leaders and their communities for wanting to go to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Coronavirus Relief Bill : If You Lose Your Job , Blaming Them Could Be a Good Bet McConnell struck specifically at Michigan Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer , Washington , D.C. , Mayor Muriel Bowser and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio for playing with the rights of their cities ’ citizens .
“ The rights of free speech , free assembly , and the free exercise of religion are all First Amendment rights , ” McConnell said .
“ They have the same constitutional pedigree .
But apparently , while protests are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dangerous .
Politicians are now picking and choosing within the First Amendment itself.
” McConnell vowed that overzealous Democrats would no longer “ impose ” their selective concern on people of faith .
“ It is hard to see any rational set of rules by which mass protests should continue to be applauded but small , careful religious services should continue to be banned , ” McConnell said .
“ These prominent Democrats are free to let social protest outrank religion in their own consciences , if they choose .
But they do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyone else.
” McConnell ’ s comments highlight just how grievously Democrats have betrayed the trust of American citizens .
Their lockdown orders tanked the economy , put people in dire financial situations and stifled the right of citizens to practice their faith freely — all , supposedly , in the name of keeping citizens safe and healthy .
But the second a cause that better fit their agenda came along , Democrats ’ concern for their citizens was forgotten .
“ These governments are acting like the coronavirus discriminates based on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” McConnell explained .
“ But alas , it ’ s only the leaders themselves who are doing that .
“ It is now impossible to avoid the conclusion that local and state leaders are using their power to encourage constitutionally-protected conduct which they personally appreciate , while continuing to ban constitutionally-protected conduct which they personally feel is less important.
” The betrayal of trusted public officials amid the country ’ s health crisis should never be forgotten , as they have highlighted just how important it is for citizens to defend their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to follow health guidelines , even to their own economic , spiritual and constitutional detriment , their sacrifices were apparently in vain .
The moment the Democrats found something they cared about more than violating citizens ’ rights , the paranoia about spreading the coronavirus was shelved .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

In remarks from the Senate floor Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell pointed out the Democrats’ double standard when it comes to public gatherings amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Kentucky Republican took Democrats to task for their duplicity in banning religious gatherings and forcing citizens to remain locked away indoors while politicians support and even participate in mass gatherings in response to the death of George Floyd.
McConnell stated he has “no criticism” for the peaceful demonstrators exercising their right to speak freely. What is “baffling,” he explained, is the inconsistency of leaders who have spent months hectoring Christians and other law-abiding Americans for attempting to gather to exercise other aspects of their First Amendment rights, including their right to religious liberty.
McConnell excoriated Democratic leaders and the media for forcing citizens to put their lives “totally on ice,” and questioned the dangerous precedent set by Democrats when it comes to their selective enforcement of the First Amendment.
To the Democrats who have taken it upon themselves to tell citizens how to behave, when to work and where to congregate, the Senate GOP leader proclaimed, “our national life during this pandemic has slid toward a double standard.”
.@senatemajldr Mitch McConnell calls out the double standard on public officials’ attitudes toward protests and religious gatherings: “While protests are still permissible, prayer is still too dangerous” pic.twitter.com/45gPOt0jhP — Benny (@bennyjohnson) June 9, 2020
“Many Americans feel they’ve just seen those fastidious regulations and that puritanical zeal disappear in an instant because a new cause has emerged that powerful people agree with,” McConnell said.
“A month ago, small protest demonstrations were widely condemned as reckless and selfish. Now, massive rallies that fill entire cities are not just praised, but in fact, are called especially brave because of the exact same health risks that brought condemnation when the cause was different,” he continued.
Do you think Americans will ever allow their rights to be so grievously violated again? Yes No
Completing this poll entitles you to The Western Journal news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Yes: 20% (1147 Votes) No: 80% (4547 Votes)
Indeed, mere weeks ago, some Americans who demanded their lives back saw their constitutional rights violated, and were threatened, fined and even jailed.
Democrats and their media allies shamed those who dared to question or protest against the official line that the only way to prevent spreading sickness and death was to partake in economic suicide.
But after the death of George Floyd while he was in police custody in Minneapolis, the narrative flipped, and going out to protest, loot and burn buildings — often without recommended personal protective equipment — suddenly became supposedly virtuous activities.
The media and Democrats praised the protests, which saw tens of thousands of people crammed together and many waiting until after nightfall each day to begin wreaking havoc on American cities.
The continued praise of these riots, protests and large gatherings, of course, came as many Americans were essentially criminalized by political leaders and their communities for wanting to go to church.
McConnell struck specifically at Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio for playing with the rights of their cities’ citizens.
“The rights of free speech, free assembly, and the free exercise of religion are all First Amendment rights,” McConnell said.
“They have the same constitutional pedigree. But apparently, while protests are now permissible, prayer is still too dangerous. Politicians are now picking and choosing within the First Amendment itself.”
McConnell vowed that overzealous Democrats would no longer “impose” their selective concern on people of faith.
“It is hard to see any rational set of rules by which mass protests should continue to be applauded but small, careful religious services should continue to be banned,” McConnell said.
“These prominent Democrats are free to let social protest outrank religion in their own consciences, if they choose. But they do not get to impose their ranking on everyone else.”
McConnell’s comments highlight just how grievously Democrats have betrayed the trust of American citizens.
Their lockdown orders tanked the economy, put people in dire financial situations and stifled the right of citizens to practice their faith freely — all, supposedly, in the name of keeping citizens safe and healthy. But the second a cause that better fit their agenda came along, Democrats’ concern for their citizens was forgotten.
“These governments are acting like the coronavirus discriminates based on the content of people’s speech,” McConnell explained. “But alas, it’s only the leaders themselves who are doing that.
“It is now impossible to avoid the conclusion that local and state leaders are using their power to encourage constitutionally-protected conduct which they personally appreciate, while continuing to ban constitutionally-protected conduct which they personally feel is less important.”
The betrayal of trusted public officials amid the country’s health crisis should never be forgotten, as they have highlighted just how important it is for citizens to defend their fundamental liberties.
While most Americans attempted to follow health guidelines, even to their own economic, spiritual and constitutional detriment, their sacrifices were apparently in vain.
The moment the Democrats found something they cared about more than violating citizens’ rights, the paranoia about spreading the coronavirus was shelved.
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