westernjournal--2020-05-16--Beloved Comic Actor Fred Willard Dead at 86

Fred Willard , the comedic actor whose improv style kept him relevant for more than 50 years in films like “ This Is Spinal Tap , ” “ Best In Show ” and “ Anchorman , ” has died .
He was 86 .
Willard ’ s daughter , Hope Mulbarger , said in a statement Saturday that her father died peacefully Friday night .
The cause of his death has not been released .
“ He kept moving , working and making us happy until the very end , ” Mulbarger said .
“ We loved him so very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Willard was rarely a leading man or even a major supporting character .
He specialized in small , scene-stealing appearances .
As an arrogantly clueless sports announcer on “ Best In Show , ” his character seemed to clearly know nothing about the dogs he ’ s supposed to talk about and asks his partner on-air : “ How much do you think I can bench ?
” Willard was a four-time Emmy nominee for his roles in “ What ’ s Hot , What ’ s Not , ” “ Everybody @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” and “ The Bold and the Beautiful.
” “ How lucky that we all got to enjoy Fred Willard ’ s gifts , ” said actress Jamie Lee Curtis on Twitter .
She was married to Christopher Guest , who directed “ Best in Show ” and “ Waiting for Guffman.
” “ Thanks for the deep belly laughs Mr. Willard , ” she continued .
Willard ’ s death comes nearly two years after his wife Mary Willard died at the age of 71 .
She was a playwright and TV @ @ @ @ @ @ @ After his wife died , Willard questioned whether he would work again .
But the beloved actor was brought on “ Jimmy Kimmel Live !
” to mock President Donald Trump ’ s Space Force .
It was a reprise role of the 1978 NBC show “ Space Force.
” “ There was no man sweeter or funnier , ” Kimmel said on Twitter .
“ We were so lucky to know Fred Willard and will miss his many visits.
” RELATED : Twitter Announces It Will Liberally Apply Warning Labels to Coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brush with the law .
The actor was arrested after being suspected of committing a lewd act at a Hollywood adult theater .
Willard was fired from a narrating job and had to complete a diversion program .
He called the arrest “ very embarrassing ” but insisted he did nothing wrong .
“ It ’ s the last time I ’ m going to listen to my wife when she says , ` Why don ’ t you go and see a movie ?
’ ” Willard said during an appearance on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Late Night.
” The Associated Press contributed to this report .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Fred Willard, the comedic actor whose improv style kept him relevant for more than 50 years in films like “This Is Spinal Tap,” “Best In Show” and “Anchorman,” has died. He was 86.
Willard’s daughter, Hope Mulbarger, said in a statement Saturday that her father died peacefully Friday night.
The cause of his death has not been released.
“He kept moving, working and making us happy until the very end,” Mulbarger said. “We loved him so very much! We will miss him forever.”
Willard was rarely a leading man or even a major supporting character. He specialized in small, scene-stealing appearances.
As an arrogantly clueless sports announcer on “Best In Show,” his character seemed to clearly know nothing about the dogs he’s supposed to talk about and asks his partner on-air: “How much do you think I can bench?”
Willard was a four-time Emmy nominee for his roles in “What’s Hot, What’s Not,” “Everybody Loves Raymond,” “Modern Family” and “The Bold and the Beautiful.”
“How lucky that we all got to enjoy Fred Willard’s gifts,” said actress Jamie Lee Curtis on Twitter. She was married to Christopher Guest, who directed “Best in Show” and “Waiting for Guffman.”
“Thanks for the deep belly laughs Mr. Willard,” she continued.
A mag gimmick: hire a celeb as “guest editor.” They don’t edit. It’s to get something from the publicist in return. Not so with Fred Willard. When I asked him to guest edit Stuff Mag, He actually took ALL the pages, edited and made amazing notes on every page. I love him. RIP. — GregGutfeld (@greggutfeld) May 16, 2020
Willard’s death comes nearly two years after his wife Mary Willard died at the age of 71. She was a playwright and TV writer, earning four Emmy nominations.
After his wife died, Willard questioned whether he would work again. But the beloved actor was brought on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” to mock President Donald Trump’s Space Force. It was a reprise role of the 1978 NBC show “Space Force.”
“There was no man sweeter or funnier,” Kimmel said on Twitter. “We were so lucky to know Fred Willard and will miss his many visits.”
There was no man sweeter or funnier. We were so lucky to know Fred Willard and will miss his many visits https://t.co/joHM39o8k4 — Jimmy Kimmel (@jimmykimmel) May 16, 2020
In 2012, Willard had a brush with the law.
The actor was arrested after being suspected of committing a lewd act at a Hollywood adult theater.
Willard was fired from a narrating job and had to complete a diversion program.
He called the arrest “very embarrassing” but insisted he did nothing wrong.
“It’s the last time I’m going to listen to my wife when she says, `Why don’t you go and see a movie?’” Willard said during an appearance on Jimmy Fallon’s NBC show “Late Night.”
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--2020-05-16--CNN Correspondent Hit Trump for Not Wearing a Mask, Hours Later Has No Problem Taking Her Own Off

CNN White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins has been blasted on social media for removing her face mask following a media briefing hours after asking Trump why he was not wearing one .
During a media event in the Rose Garden on Friday , President Donald Trump and some other administration officials were not wearing masks while certain coronavirus task force members , like Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx , were wearing them , Mediaite reported .
“ Mr .
President , can you just clarify , why are some of you wearing a mask and why are some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Collins asked .
Trump replied , “ We ’ ve all been tested and we ’ re quite a distance away and we ’ re outdoors , so I told them , I gave them the option , they could wear it or not.
” “ So you can blame it on me , but I gave them the option .
We could wear it or not , ” he said .
Seconds after the briefing ended , Collins was seen removing her mask and walking close to other members of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
People on Twitter were quick to call the White House correspondent out for her behavior .
“ When the press conference is over and the cameras are off you take your mask off because your agenda isn ’ t being shown for CNN .
Right @ kaitlancollins ?
” one user tweeted .
Another user said , “ Arriving in a mask , and REMAINING in a mask are two different things… apparently .
It ’ s almost as if YOU don ’ t think its necessary.
” RELATED : As Liberal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Immense Damage Lockdowns Have Already Caused Collins often reports on which members of the Trump administration and the coronavirus task force are wearing masks at different events .
In particular , Collins reported on Vice President Mike Pence choosing to wear a mask after he was criticized for not wearing one at the Mayo Clinic .
Collins is not the first reporter to be caught taking off her mask after an event .
Members of the media , as well as Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot , have all been caught unmasked either @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

CNN White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins has been blasted on social media for removing her face mask following a media briefing hours after asking Trump why he was not wearing one.
During a media event in the Rose Garden on May 15, President Donald Trump and some other administration officials were not wearing masks while certain coronavirus task force members, like Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx, were wearing them, Mediaite reported.
“Mr. President, can you just clarify, why are some of you wearing a mask and why are some of you not wearing a mask?” Collins asked.
Trump replied, “We’ve all been tested and we’re quite a distance away and we’re outdoors, so I told them, I gave them the option, they could wear it or not.”
“So you can blame it on me, but I gave them the option. We could wear it or not,” he said.
Hours after the event, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany held a media briefing.
Seconds after the briefing ended, Collins was seen removing her mask and walking close to other members of the media corps as she left the room.
Do you think the media is hypocritical? Yes No
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People on Twitter were quick to call the White House correspondent out for her behavior.
“When the press conference is over and the cameras are off you take your mask off because your agenda isn’t being shown for CNN. Right @kaitlancollins?” one user tweeted.
When the press conference is over and the cameras are off you take your mask off because your agenda isn’t being shown for CNN. Right @kaitlancollins ? pic.twitter.com/uayVJuRkHd — Shawn (@ShawnFinchum) May 16, 2020
Another user said, “Arriving in a mask, and REMAINING in a mask are two different things… apparently. It’s almost as if YOU don’t think its necessary.”
Arriving in a mask, and REMAINING in a mask are two different things… apparently. It’s almost as if YOU don’t think its necessary. pic.twitter.com/BePwj7YIE6 — STAY WOKE (@staywoke39230) May 16, 2020
Collins often reports on which members of the Trump administration and the coronavirus task force are wearing masks at different events.
In particular, Collins reported on Vice President Mike Pence choosing to wear a mask after he was criticized for not wearing one at the Mayo Clinic.
Collins is not the first reporter to be caught taking off her mask after an event.
Fake News keeps asking President Trump why he’s not wearing a mask, but NEVER asks Gov Cuomo. Media now wears their masks on camera, but they rip them off as soon as they’re off camera. 100’s of pictures of them doing that. #MaskGate #MAGA pic.twitter.com/tcjb8boFSm — MARK SIMONE (@MarkSimoneNY) May 13, 2020
Members of the media, as well as Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, have all been caught unmasked either right before or right after media conferences.
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westernjournal--2020-05-16--New Clarence Thomas Doc Film Shows His Transformation from Black Panther Sympathizer to Reagan Suppo

New Clarence Thomas Doc Film Shows His Transformation from Black Panther Sympathizer to Reagan Supporter

The new powerful documentary “ Created Equal : Clarence Thomas in His Own Words ” set to premier Monday on PBS traces the nation ’ s longest-serving Supreme Court justice ’ s journey from his childhood in segregated Georgia to the pinnacle of power in Washington , D.C. And there are definitely some unlikely turns along the way in Thomas ’ transformation from a 1960s leftist radical to a supporter of conservative icon Ronald Reagan .
“ Created Equal , ” written , produced and directed by veteran documentary filmmaker Michael Pack , features primarily Thomas telling his own story @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his wife of over 30 years , making intermittent appearances throughout .
The two were in fact the only people Pack interviewed for purposes of being in the film , though many others — like Thomas ’ most influential political mentor , former Sen. John Danforth of Missouri — do play into the telling via archival footage .
The film is visually satisfying , with location shots in some of the beautiful landscapes and waterways of Thomas ’ youth in and around Savannah , Georgia , as well as places in New England @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : the College of the Holy Cross and Yale Law School .
And of course , some of Washington , D.C. ’ s most iconic spots , where the justice has worked most of his adult life , are in there too .
The Western Journal asked Pack what drew him to the project .
“ I have some mutual friends with Justice Thomas and they told me he was getting tired of having his story told by his enemies and people who didn ’ t like him , ” Pack said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ information , the half-truths , the untruths that were circulating about him .
And he was open to telling his story.
” The filmmaker read Thomas ’ 2008 book , “ My Grandfather ’ s Son : A Memoir , ” and said “ it quickly was apparent to me that he had a great story to tell.
” “ A classic American story coming from dire poverty in the segregated south to the highest court in the land .
It was a story I right away wanted to tell , ” Pack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from being born and living in a shack in rural Georgia in the late 1940s , to Thomas ’ parents getting a divorce while he was still a toddler , to his grandparents taking him and his younger brother in when they were 7 and 6 years old , respectively .
That move to his grandparents ’ home in Savannah did more to shape the course of the rest of the future Supreme Court justice ’ s life than any other event .
Thomas described his grandfather , Myers Anderson , as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ movie , drawing his moral views from his Catholic Christian faith .
“ The philosophy of life that he had came from biblical sources , ” he said .
RELATED : Ilhan Omar Joins Schumer in War Against SCOTUS with Sexual Predation Claims Anderson would require both Thomas and his brother , Myers , to help him deliver heating oil during the school year at the end of the class day and work on the family farm , located outside of Savannah , during the summer .
“ The family farm and our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ classrooms , the schools in which my grandfather passed on the wisdom he had acquired as an ill-educated modestly successful black man in the deep south , ” Thomas recalled .
“ My grandfather understood that education was the key because he didn ’ t have it , and that ’ s what held him back.
” Anderson , who had converted to Catholicism in 1949 , sent Thomas and his brother to Catholic school .
Thomas flourished there under the tutelage of Irish immigrant nuns teaching at the school .
“ You @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ And when somebody , when you think somebody loves you and deeply cares about your interests , somehow , they can get you to do hard things.
” The boy was so impacted by his experience in Catholic school that at the age of 16 he enrolled in seminary to prepare for the priesthood .
However , events unfolding beyond the seminary in the politically turbulent year of 1968 caused Thomas to walk away from his Catholic faith for a time .
First came the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther @ @ @ @ @ @ @ killing of then-Sen. Robert F. Kennedy two months later .
The war in Vietnam was also raging , which Thomas ’ brother had gone off to fight in it .
Almost 20 at this point , Thomas decided to withdraw from seminary , appalled at the attitude of some of his fellow students about the death of MLK and what he perceived as the Catholic church ’ s overall ambivalence about racial injustice .
“ And for the first time in my life racism and race explained everything .
It became , sort @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shoved aside Catholicism and now it was this , it was all about race , ” he recalled .
“ Every southern black had known such moments and felt the rage that threatened to burn through the mask of meekness and submission behind which we hid our true feelings , ” Thomas added .
One clear takeaway from watching “ Created Equal ” is that , much like former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice ( who spent a good portion of her youth in segregated Birmingham , Alabama ) , Thomas does not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racism from liberals .
His grandfather , who had been paying for the seminary education , did not not approve of Thomas ’ unilateral decision to withdraw from school , informing the young man he was now on his own .
Thomas was angry with his grandfather , the Catholic Church and really life in general by the time he arrived at the College of Holy Cross in Massachusetts that fall .
He recounted how he sought out the most radical left-wing African-American student activists on campus and helped found the Black Student @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behind people like Black Panther head Stokely Carmichael , Black Power leader H. Rap Brown and Marxist activist Angela Davis .
“ So the more radical tended to be the people we gravitated toward , ” Thomas said .
In the spring of 1970 , the left-wing student activist took part in an anti-war protest in Cambridge , Massachusetts , which devolved into a riot .
“ I mean there was tear gas , sirens , it was bad .
I saw what I had become .
I didn ’ t even care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ care about getting hurt , or anything else , or what was happening to other people , ” Thomas recalled .
“ I got back to campus at 4 in the morning , horrified by what I had just done , ” he continued .
“ I had let myself be swept up by an angry mob for no good reason other than , that I too was angry .
I stopped in front of the chapel and prayed for the first time in nearly two years.
” “ I asked God , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anger out of my heart , I ’ ll never hate again.
’ And that was the beginning of the slow return to where I started.
” Thomas would graduate the next year and enroll in Yale Law School .
Completing law school in the mid-1970s , he applied many places for work , but only received one job offer from then-Missouri Attorney General John Danforth .
Much to Thomas ’ chagrin , he was a Republican .
However , Danforth would play the same pivotal role in Thomas ’ work career that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Thomas ultimately followed the Missourian to Washington , D.C. , when he was elected to the U.S. Senate .
The move to the capital came just months before Reagan launched his bid to become the nation ’ s 40th president .
“ In the fall of 1980 I had decided to vote for Ronald Reagan , ” he said .
“ It was a giant step for a black man .
But I was distressed by the Democratic party ’ s promises to legislate the problems of blacks out of existence.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the Reagan administration , first in the Department of Education and later on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission .
“ Everything the president did , he was called a racist , ” he recalled .
“ That was from the very beginning.
” “ Any black misguided enough to accept a job in the Reagan administration was automatically branded an Uncle Tom , ” Thomas added .
Nonetheless , it was during these years working in the federal government that the attorney made connections with conservative thought leaders who helped cultivate his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he became known .
Reagan ’ s successor , George H.W .
Bush , nominated Thomas to be a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 1989 , and two years later to be a justice the U.S. Supreme Court following the retirement of Thurgood Marshall , the nation ’ s first African-American Supreme Court justice .
It was , of course , at this point in his life when Clarence Thomas became a household name .
“ Created Equal ” dives headfirst into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very similarly to the Brett Kavanaugh battle in the fall of 2018 .
The film builds to the moment where Thomas , having been accused of sexual harassment by Anita Hill , delivers his famous “ high-tech lynching ” rebuttal to the Senate Judiciary Committee , chaired by then- Sen. Joe Biden .
“ This is a circus .
It is a national disgrace , ” Thomas said .
“ And from my standpoint , as a black American , as far as I am concerned , it is a high-tech lynching for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think for themselves , to do for themselves , to have different ideas , and it is a message that , unless you kowtow to an old order , this is what will happen to you , you will be lynched , destroyed , caricatured by a committee of the U.S. Senate , rather than hung from a tree.
” Thomas , 71 , also shares the backstory of the line in the film .
“ Justice Thomas felt at that point it wasn ’ t really about getting confirmed , ” Pack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was a stake .
He felt these charges and the behavior of the Senate impugned his grandfather , the nuns and their values and their sense of the world .
He felt he was defending all of that and he spoke from his heart.
” Over two-thirds of the Americans polled at the time of the hearing who listened to both Hill ’ s and Thomas ’ testimonies found him “ more believable , ” The New York Times reported .
The Senate confirmed him to the Supreme Court with the narrowest of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 48 — that is until Kavanaugh ’ s 51-49 tally .
Pack said he found PBS very supportive of “ Created Equal.
” “ I have to say they have been enthusiastic about this film from the first time we began speaking to them , ” he said .
“ They were nothing but enthusiastic and supportive in a way that actually surprised me even.
” After screening the film for some of his liberal friends , they came away with a new respect for Thomas .
“ They may not agree with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a renewed respect for him and his views and that ’ s really what we intend , ” Pack said .
“ Created Equal ” will air on most PBS stations on Monday night at 9 p.m. , but check your local listings .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

The new powerful documentary “Created Equal: Clarence Thomas in His Own Words” set to premier Monday on PBS traces the nation’s longest-serving Supreme Court justice’s journey from his childhood in segregated Georgia to the pinnacle of power in Washington, D.C.
And there are definitely some unlikely turns along the way in Thomas’ transformation from a 1960s leftist radical to a supporter of conservative icon Ronald Reagan.
“Created Equal,” written, produced and directed by veteran documentary filmmaker Michael Pack, features primarily Thomas telling his own story on camera, with Virginia Thomas, his wife of over 30 years, making intermittent appearances throughout.
The two were in fact the only people Pack interviewed for purposes of being in the film, though many others — like Thomas’ most influential political mentor, former Sen. John Danforth of Missouri — do play into the telling via archival footage.
The film is visually satisfying, with location shots in some of the beautiful landscapes and waterways of Thomas’ youth in and around Savannah, Georgia, as well as places in New England where he attended college and graduate school: the College of the Holy Cross and Yale Law School.
And of course, some of Washington, D.C.’s most iconic spots, where the justice has worked most of his adult life, are in there too.
The Western Journal asked Pack what drew him to the project.
“I have some mutual friends with Justice Thomas and they told me he was getting tired of having his story told by his enemies and people who didn’t like him,” Pack said. “He was tired of the misleading information, the half-truths, the untruths that were circulating about him. And he was open to telling his story.”
The filmmaker read Thomas’ 2008 book, “My Grandfather’s Son: A Memoir,” and said “it quickly was apparent to me that he had a great story to tell.”
“A classic American story coming from dire poverty in the segregated south to the highest court in the land. It was a story I right away wanted to tell,” Pack said.
It is a compelling narrative from being born and living in a shack in rural Georgia in the late 1940s, to Thomas’ parents getting a divorce while he was still a toddler, to his grandparents taking him and his younger brother in when they were 7 and 6 years old, respectively.
That move to his grandparents’ home in Savannah did more to shape the course of the rest of the future Supreme Court justice’s life than any other event.
Thomas described his grandfather, Myers Anderson, as a “very stern” man in the movie, drawing his moral views from his Catholic Christian faith.
“The philosophy of life that he had came from biblical sources,” he said.
Do you think Clarence Thomas is a good Supreme Court justice? 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: 99% (663 Votes) No: 1% (8 Votes)
Anderson would require both Thomas and his brother, Myers, to help him deliver heating oil during the school year at the end of the class day and work on the family farm, located outside of Savannah, during the summer.
“The family farm and our unheated oil truck became my most important classrooms, the schools in which my grandfather passed on the wisdom he had acquired as an ill-educated modestly successful black man in the deep south,” Thomas recalled.
“My grandfather understood that education was the key because he didn’t have it, and that’s what held him back.”
Anderson, who had converted to Catholicism in 1949, sent Thomas and his brother to Catholic school.
Thomas flourished there under the tutelage of Irish immigrant nuns teaching at the school.
“You knew they loved you,” he said. “And when somebody, when you think somebody loves you and deeply cares about your interests, somehow, they can get you to do hard things.”
The boy was so impacted by his experience in Catholic school that at the age of 16 he enrolled in seminary to prepare for the priesthood.
However, events unfolding beyond the seminary in the politically turbulent year of 1968 caused Thomas to walk away from his Catholic faith for a time.
First came the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., followed by the killing of then-Sen. Robert F. Kennedy two months later.
The war in Vietnam was also raging, which Thomas’ brother had gone off to fight in it.
Almost 20 at this point, Thomas decided to withdraw from seminary, appalled at the attitude of some of his fellow students about the death of MLK and what he perceived as the Catholic church’s overall ambivalence about racial injustice.
“And for the first time in my life racism and race explained everything. It became, sort of, the substitute religion; I shoved aside Catholicism and now it was this, it was all about race,” he recalled.
“Every southern black had known such moments and felt the rage that threatened to burn through the mask of meekness and submission behind which we hid our true feelings,” Thomas added.
One clear takeaway from watching “Created Equal” is that, much like former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (who spent a good portion of her youth in segregated Birmingham, Alabama), Thomas does not require any lectures about the evils of racism from liberals.
His grandfather, who had been paying for the seminary education, did not not approve of Thomas’ unilateral decision to withdraw from school, informing the young man he was now on his own.
Thomas was angry with his grandfather, the Catholic Church and really life in general by the time he arrived at the College of Holy Cross in Massachusetts that fall.
He recounted how he sought out the most radical left-wing African-American student activists on campus and helped found the Black Student Union.
The group threw its support behind people like Black Panther head Stokely Carmichael, Black Power leader H. Rap Brown and Marxist activist Angela Davis.
“So the more radical tended to be the people we gravitated toward,” Thomas said.
In the spring of 1970, the left-wing student activist took part in an anti-war protest in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which devolved into a riot.
“I mean there was tear gas, sirens, it was bad. I saw what I had become. I didn’t even care about it, I didn’t care about getting hurt, or anything else, or what was happening to other people,” Thomas recalled.
“I got back to campus at 4 in the morning, horrified by what I had just done,” he continued. “I had let myself be swept up by an angry mob for no good reason other than, that I too was angry. I stopped in front of the chapel and prayed for the first time in nearly two years.”
“I asked God, I said, ‘If you take anger out of my heart, I’ll never hate again.’ And that was the beginning of the slow return to where I started.”
Thomas would graduate the next year and enroll in Yale Law School.
Completing law school in the mid-1970s, he applied many places for work, but only received one job offer from then-Missouri Attorney General John Danforth.
Much to Thomas’ chagrin, he was a Republican.
However, Danforth would play the same pivotal role in Thomas’ work career that his grandfather had played in his youth.
Thomas ultimately followed the Missourian to Washington, D.C., when he was elected to the U.S. Senate.
The move to the capital came just months before Reagan launched his bid to become the nation’s 40th president.
“In the fall of 1980 I had decided to vote for Ronald Reagan,” he said. “It was a giant step for a black man. But I was distressed by the Democratic party’s promises to legislate the problems of blacks out of existence.”
Thomas ended up serving in multiple positions in the Reagan administration, first in the Department of Education and later on the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
“Everything the president did, he was called a racist,” he recalled. “That was from the very beginning.”
“Any black misguided enough to accept a job in the Reagan administration was automatically branded an Uncle Tom,” Thomas added.
Nonetheless, it was during these years working in the federal government that the attorney made connections with conservative thought leaders who helped cultivate his “originalist” jurisprudence philosophy for which he became known.
Reagan’s successor, George H.W. Bush, nominated Thomas to be a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 1989, and two years later to be a justice on the U.S. Supreme Court following the retirement of Thurgood Marshall, the nation’s first African-American Supreme Court justice.
It was, of course, at this point in his life when Clarence Thomas became a household name.
“Created Equal” dives headfirst into the controversial confirmation hearing, which played out very similarly to the Brett Kavanaugh battle in the fall of 2018.
The film builds to the moment where Thomas, having been accused of sexual harassment by Anita Hill, delivers his famous “high-tech lynching” rebuttal to the Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by then- Sen. Joe Biden.
“This is a circus. It is a national disgrace,” Thomas said. “And from my standpoint, as a black American, as far as I am concerned, it is a high-tech lynching for uppity-blacks who in any way deign to think for themselves, to do for themselves, to have different ideas, and it is a message that, unless you kowtow to an old order, this is what will happen to you, you will be lynched, destroyed, caricatured by a committee of the U.S. Senate, rather than hung from a tree.”
Because it’s worth watching one more time… FLASHBACK: Clarence Thomas responds to Anita Hill’s allegations against him. “This is a circus; it’s a national disgrace. And from my standpoint, as a black American, as far as I’m concerned, it is a high-tech lynching.” pic.twitter.com/2BGTaYcqtX — BlazeTV (@BlazeTV) September 23, 2018
Thomas, 71, also shares the backstory of the line in the film.
“Justice Thomas felt at that point it wasn’t really about getting confirmed,” Pack said. “He felt his honor was a stake. He felt these charges and the behavior of the Senate impugned his grandfather, the nuns and their values and their sense of the world. He felt he was defending all of that and he spoke from his heart.”
Over two-thirds of the Americans polled at the time of the hearing who listened to both Hill’s and Thomas’ testimonies found him “more believable,” The New York Times reported.
The Senate confirmed him to the Supreme Court with the narrowest of margins in modern times — 52 to 48 — that is until Kavanaugh’s 51-49 tally.
Pack said he found PBS very supportive of “Created Equal.”
“I have to say they have been enthusiastic about this film from the first time we began speaking to them,” he said. “They were nothing but enthusiastic and supportive in a way that actually surprised me even.”
After screening the film for some of his liberal friends, they came away with a new respect for Thomas.
“They may not agree with him in the end but they have a renewed respect for him and his views and that’s really what we intend,” Pack said.
“Created Equal” will air on most PBS stations on Monday night at 9 p.m., but check your local listings.
Truth and Accuracy Submit a Correction → * Name
* Email
* Message
* All fields are required. Success! We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.


westernjournal--2020-05-16--Brennan Furious After Intel Chief Unmasks Individuals Who Unmasked Flynn and Thought They’d Get Away

Brennan Furious After Intel Chief Unmasks Individuals Who Unmasked Flynn and Thought They’d Get Away with It

Hey , how dare the Trump administration do the exact same thing the Obama administration did ?
Unbelievable !
Can you imagine the gall ?
No ?
Well , you ’ re not John Brennan , former director of the CIA and thesaurus-loving rage-tweeter .
Brennan , in case you haven ’ t been following the Obama-era functionary these past few years , really , really loathes the new president .
He loathes him more thanks to the Justice Department ’ s decision to stop prosecuting former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn .
He ’ s even angrier about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intelligence has unmasked the people who decided to unmask Flynn in the first place .
In an appearance Thursday on MSNBC , Brennan fulminated at the Trump administration for releasing a list of officials who requested that the name of an individual who participated in an intercepted phone call with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak be “ unmasked ” during the interim period between the 2016 election and President Donald Trump ’ s inauguration .
As a quick primer on the process , the names of American citizens in communications with foreigners being lawfully @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appear in government reports out of respect for their civil liberties .
However , senior American officials can ask that they be unmasked if the situation called for it .
According to Fox News , Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell declassified a list of people who “ may have received Lt. Gen Flynn ’ s identity in response to a request processed between 8 November 2016 and 31 January 2017 to unmask an identity that had been generically referred to [ masked ] in an NSA foreign intelligence report.
” That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ released it Wednesday .
In his appearance on MSNBC , Brennan was asked plenty of questions by host Nicolle Wallace about how this was a complete abuse of power by a runaway administration .
One question he wasn ’ t asked : Why did he appear on the list of the people who wanted Michael Flynn to be unmasked ?
Regardless , Brennan said plenty about how this was an “ abominable abuse of authority ” and “ blatant corruption at the highest levels of U.S. government , ” particularly in light of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to dismiss the charges against Flynn .
“ When you have an administration — the White House , the attorney general , the acting head of the intelligence community — all acting in concert to try to advance the personal interests of Mr. Trump and to misrepresent the facts and abuse the authorities within the intelligence community and the law enforcement community in order to continue to perpetrate this egregious abuse of authority on the American people , which is what it is , I think this is very , very serious , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to say that Trump “ is playing by a despot ’ s playbook ” in that he wanted to obtain and maintain power by any means necessary .
“ I ’ m just hoping that individuals like [ FBI Director ] Chris Wray , who is a remarkable public servant , will continue to stay strong in the face of this type of abominable abuse of authority , ” he said .
Ah yes , that vulnerable Christopher Wray .
He might go over to the dark side , too .
And of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Russia .
Again .
RELATED : Biden 's Name on List in Flynn 's Case Makes That 'GMA ' Interview Look Even Worse Than It Was “ As we have talked about the upcoming November election , how the Russians and others are going to seek to try to once again interfere and influence the outcome , I just am very concerned that some of those at the very top are not going to fulfill the duties that are entrusted to them by the American people , ” Brennan said .
In other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enforcement communities weren ’ t going to stop a foreign power from interfering in the election .
Evidence for this ?
Nil .
But he ’ s “ just … very concerned ” about it , so he gets to bring up the oldest trick in the book .
Anyhow , again , there wasn ’ t any talk about the fact that Brennan was among the officials who requested Flynn ’ s unmasking .
Don ’ t look for it there .
Apparently , in a five-minute interview , there wasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this .
That ’ s rather important because the Flynn case is looking more and more like it was about political gain , not about any serious desire to see justice done or get down to the bottom of any sort of Russian conspiracy .
It ’ s doubly important because the call with Kislyak is precisely what prosecutors claimed Flynn lied about when they went to go see him .
We ’ ve seen that the FBI was about to close out the Flynn investigation when someone — it ’ s unclear @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lovable scamp , was involved — wanted it to remain open .
We ’ ve heard about the handwritten note regarding how to approach the FBI ’ s January 2017 interview with Flynn : “ What is our goal ?
Truth/admission or to get him to lie , so we can prosecute him or get him fired ?
” Now we know the people who wanted Flynn unmasked .
Among them ?
Former Vice President Joe Biden , former FBI Director James Comey , former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and Obama @ @ @ @ @ @ @ McDonough .
Few people who ’ ve been ejected from the pantheon of the powerful in the Trump years seem so utterly resentful about it as Brennan does .
Any time Brennan is on cable TV nowadays , he ’ ll shake his bulldog jowls and rage about the perfidies of the Trump administration .
How did we get the Trump administration , though ?
We got it because so few of us trust our political elites — elites like Brennan , who unmasked an innocent American for political purposes .
We are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Hey, how dare the Trump administration do the exact same thing the Obama administration did? Unbelievable!
Can you imagine the gall? No? Well, you’re not John Brennan, former director of the CIA and thesaurus-loving rage-tweeter.
Brennan, in case you haven’t been following the Obama-era functionary these past few years, really, really loathes the new president. He loathes him more thanks to the Justice Department’s decision to stop prosecuting former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn.
He’s even angrier about the fact that the acting director of national intelligence has unmasked the people who decided to unmask Flynn in the first place.
In an appearance Thursday on MSNBC, Brennan fulminated at the Trump administration for releasing a list of officials who requested that the name of an individual who participated in an intercepted phone call with Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak be “unmasked” during the interim period between the 2016 election and President Donald Trump’s inauguration.
As a quick primer on the process, the names of American citizens in communications with foreigners being lawfully monitored by U.S. intelligence won’t appear in government reports out of respect for their civil liberties. However, senior American officials can ask that they be unmasked if the situation called for it.
According to Fox News, Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell declassified a list of people who “may have received Lt. Gen Flynn’s identity in response to a request processed between 8 November 2016 and 31 January 2017 to unmask an identity that had been generically referred to [masked] in an NSA foreign intelligence report.”
That list was sent to senators, who released it Wednesday.
In his appearance on MSNBC, Brennan was asked plenty of questions by host Nicolle Wallace about how this was a complete abuse of power by a runaway administration. One question he wasn’t asked: Why did he appear on the list of the people who wanted Michael Flynn to be unmasked?
Is John Brennan a hypocrite? Yes No
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Regardless, Brennan said plenty about how this was an “abominable abuse of authority” and “blatant corruption at the highest levels of U.S. government,” particularly in light of the Department of Justice’s motion to dismiss the charges against Flynn.
“When you have an administration — the White House, the attorney general, the acting head of the intelligence community — all acting in concert to try to advance the personal interests of Mr. Trump and to misrepresent the facts and abuse the authorities within the intelligence community and the law enforcement community in order to continue to perpetrate this egregious abuse of authority on the American people, which is what it is, I think this is very, very serious,” Brennan said.
Brennan went on to say that Trump “is playing by a despot’s playbook” in that he wanted to obtain and maintain power by any means necessary.
“I’m just hoping that individuals like [FBI Director] Chris Wray, who is a remarkable public servant, will continue to stay strong in the face of this type of abominable abuse of authority,” he said.
Ah yes, that vulnerable Christopher Wray. He might go over to the dark side, too. And of course, this all came back to Russia. Again.
“As we have talked about the upcoming November election, how the Russians and others are going to seek to try to once again interfere and influence the outcome, I just am very concerned that some of those at the very top are not going to fulfill the duties that are entrusted to them by the American people,” Brennan said.
In other words, the American intelligence and law enforcement communities weren’t going to stop a foreign power from interfering in the election. Evidence for this? Nil. But he’s “just … very concerned” about it, so he gets to bring up the oldest trick in the book.
Anyhow, again, there wasn’t any talk about the fact that Brennan was among the officials who requested Flynn’s unmasking.
Don’t look for it there. Apparently, in a five-minute interview, there wasn’t any space to ask him about this.
That’s rather important because the Flynn case is looking more and more like it was about political gain, not about any serious desire to see justice done or get down to the bottom of any sort of Russian conspiracy.
It’s doubly important because the call with Kislyak is precisely what prosecutors claimed Flynn lied about when they went to go see him.
We’ve seen that the FBI was about to close out the Flynn investigation when someone — it’s unclear who, but Peter Strzok, that lovable scamp, was involved — wanted it to remain open.
We’ve heard about the handwritten note regarding how to approach the FBI’s January 2017 interview with Flynn: “What is our goal? Truth/admission or to get him to lie, so we can prosecute him or get him fired?”
Now we know the people who wanted Flynn unmasked. Among them? Former Vice President Joe Biden, former FBI Director James Comey, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and Obama’s chief of staff, Denis McDonough.
Oh yeah, and Brennan.
Few people who’ve been ejected from the pantheon of the powerful in the Trump years seem so utterly resentful about it as Brennan does.
Any time Brennan is on cable TV nowadays, he’ll shake his bulldog jowls and rage about the perfidies of the Trump administration.
How did we get the Trump administration, though?
We got it because so few of us trust our political elites — elites like Brennan, who unmasked an innocent American for political purposes.
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westernjournal--2020-05-16--State Revises COVID Numbers, Removes Nearly 25% of Deaths Originally Attributed to Virus

Colorado has updated its coronavirus death toll , saying that 272 fewer people than originally reported have died from COVID-19 .
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment changed the statistics on Friday .
As of Saturday , the agency ’ s “ case data ” website said 878 people had died “ from COVID-19 ” and 1,150 people had died “ among people with COVID-19.
” Along with the statistics change , the CDPHE said starting May 15 , it will report the number of deaths in the two separate categories .
“ We have been reporting at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had COVID-19 at the time of death and the cause of that death may or not have been COVID-19 , ” Dr. Eric France , CDPHE ’ s chief medical officer , told KDVR on Friday .
The discrepancy also came in part because of how the state reports statistics to the federal National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System , according to France .
“ Having these two systems in place has potentially created some confusion and we apologize for that , ” state epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Herlihy said .
The state added that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ information on death certificates and does not question or try to change a physician ’ s diagnosis or causes-of-death determination.
” The change came after France said they started to hear stories of people asking if the numbers were correct .
In one instance , the Montezuma County coroner said a man who had COVID-19 when he died actually died from “ ethanol toxicity ” — or alcohol poisoning — and not the disease caused by the coronavirus .
The state , however , had classified the death as coronavirus-related .
Colorado Gov @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement Friday addressing the confusion and changes .
“ The Governor applauds efforts to ensure that we are as transparent as possible with our reporting and therefore fully supports efforts by CDPHE to specify how many deaths are specifically due to COVID-19 and not just specific to CDC guidelines that include people who died with Coronavirus but not necessarily from it .
What we are seeing today is a reflection of that , ” the statement said .
Colorado is not the only state that has had to change its coronavirus death statistics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in their count “ probable ” coronavirus deaths in cases where they believed the virus was the cause of death but did not have confirmation from a positive test result , The Philadelphia Inquirer reported .
RELATED : Ivanka Trump Announces Launch of Relief Program That Could Stop Farmers ' Waste , Put It to Good Use Officials removed over 200 probable deaths from their official tally on April 23 in what they said was an effort to be transparent after state coroners pointed to inconsistencies with the state ’ s death counts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We realize that this category can be confusing , since it does change over time , ” Health Secretary Rachel Levine said .
“ At times , there are things we need to review , and potentially revisit the way the data is being analyzed , ” she added .
“ And this is one of those times.
” We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Colorado has updated its coronavirus death toll, saying that 272 fewer people than originally reported have died from COVID-19.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment changed the statistics on Friday. As of Saturday, the agency’s “case data” website said 878 people had died “from COVID-19” and 1,150 people had died “among people with COVID-19.”
Along with the statistics change, the CDPHE said starting May 15, it will report the number of deaths in the two separate categories.
“We have been reporting at the state, deaths among people who had COVID-19 at the time of death and the cause of that death may or not have been COVID-19,” Dr. Eric France, CDPHE’s chief medical officer, told KDVR on Friday.
The discrepancy also came in part because of how the state reports statistics to the federal National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System, according to France.
“Having these two systems in place has potentially created some confusion and we apologize for that,” state epidemiologist Dr. Rachel Herlihy said.
The state added that this change “does not unilaterally change information on death certificates and does not question or try to change a physician’s diagnosis or causes-of-death determination.”
The change came after France said they started to hear stories of people asking if the numbers were correct.
In one instance, the Montezuma County coroner said a man who had COVID-19 when he died actually died from “ethanol toxicity” — or alcohol poisoning — and not the disease caused by the coronavirus.
Do you think more states have similar discrepancies? 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: 100% (4837 Votes) No: 0% (15 Votes)
The state, however, had classified the death as coronavirus-related.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis’ office released a statement Friday addressing the confusion and changes.
“The Governor applauds efforts to ensure that we are as transparent as possible with our reporting and therefore fully supports efforts by CDPHE to specify how many deaths are specifically due to COVID-19 and not just specific to CDC guidelines that include people who died with Coronavirus but not necessarily from it. What we are seeing today is a reflection of that,” the statement said.
Colorado is not the only state that has had to change its coronavirus death statistics.
Pennsylvania Health Department officials had included in their count “probable” coronavirus deaths in cases where they believed the virus was the cause of death but did not have confirmation from a positive test result, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
Officials removed over 200 probable deaths from their official tally on April 23 in what they said was an effort to be transparent after state coroners pointed to inconsistencies with the state’s death counts and what they had recorded.
“We realize that this category can be confusing, since it does change over time,” Health Secretary Rachel Levine said.
“At times, there are things we need to review, and potentially revisit the way the data is being analyzed,” she added. “And this is one of those times.”
Truth and Accuracy Submit a Correction → * Name
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westernjournal--2020-05-16--Muslim Man Got Saved in America, Now He’s On a Mission To Convert Iranians to Christianity

Each day we walk around this Earth as sinners , imperfect and struggling to be better than the day before .
But the road is less bumpy for those of us who are blessed to live in the land of freedom than it is for those who are told by their governments who and what they have to worship .
It is a struggle that Dr. Hormoz Shariat , a former Muslim born in Iran who once chanted “ Death to America , ” knows well .
“ At the time of ( the 1979 Iranian ) revolution I was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ Death to America , ' ” he said last month on The Pure Flix Podcast .
“ I ’ m sorry , please forgive me .
And I ’ ve changed my mind , I promise , I love America.
” Shariat began his journey toward becoming an America-loving Christian when he left Iran during the Islamic Revolution and made a home in the United States .
“ I got saved in America , ” the founder of Iran Alive Ministries said .
“ I love America.
” His ministry began after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Iranian authorities for two years , only to eventually be executed .
The callous and evil regime even demanded that the murdered young man ’ s family pay for the bullets used to end his life , Shariat said .
“ One day they executed him , ” he said .
“ [ They said ] , ‘ Come and get his body .
We shot him and by the way you have to pay us for killing him . '
” He that he relied on his new Christian faith to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allow his heart to be filled with hatred .
“ It wasn ’ t easy .
It was a struggle … I grieved , ” he said , noting that he wanted to take revenge at first , but he remembered the message of the Gospel .
“ During those two to three days of mourning … I felt I heard the voice of God in my heart that those who killed my brothers are not my enemies .
There is one enemy , that is Satan .
They are captives in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Instead of seeking revenge , Shariat decided it was a better idea to go on a mission to convert the Iranian people to Christianity .
So that is what he did .
His mission was to share Christianity with one million Iranian Muslims .
He ’ s far surpassed that goal , as his satellite broadcasts have ended up reaching multiple millions of Iranians .
RELATED : Fatality Rates Show How Wrong the Media 's COVID Narrative Really Is Shariat said the Iranian people “ need political change , but just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ changing people , it will not do you any good.
” Jesus “ wasn ’ t political , ” Shariat said , but his followers toppled the Roman government .
“ That ’ s what Jesus does .
He transforms our lives , our families , our society , ” Shariat said .
Shariat ’ s message is simple , and it should be the message shared by every Christian : The power and the love of Jesus knows no borders , it does not know limits and it can reach you anywhere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your heart , no matter how you have been brainwashed and no matter who threatens you , no human nor government can stop the love of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ from reaching us .
Every one of us is a sinner , but we are saved by the blood of Jesus , who paid the price for our sins on the cross .
And he wants us to come to him , to seek forgiveness and to share his Gospel of love and forgiveness with the world .
We are committed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Each day we walk around this Earth as sinners, imperfect and struggling to be better than the day before.
But the road is less bumpy for those of us who are blessed to live in the land of freedom than it is for those who are told by their governments who and what they have to worship.
It is a struggle that Dr. Hormoz Shariat, a former Muslim born in Iran who once chanted “Death to America,” knows well.
“At the time of (the 1979 Iranian) revolution I was on the streets … I was shouting ‘Death to America,'” he said last month on The Pure Flix Podcast. “I’m sorry, please forgive me. And I’ve changed my mind, I promise, I love America.”
Shariat began his journey toward becoming an America-loving Christian when he left Iran during the Islamic Revolution and made a home in the United States.
“I got saved in America,” the founder of Iran Alive Ministries said. “I love America.”
His ministry began after his 16-year-old brother was arrested and held by Iranian authorities for two years, only to eventually be executed. The callous and evil regime even demanded that the murdered young man’s family pay for the bullets used to end his life, Shariat said.
“One day they executed him,” he said. “[They said], ‘Come and get his body. We shot him and by the way you have to pay us for killing him.'”
He said that he relied on his new Christian faith to get him through the ordeal and not allow his heart to be filled with hatred.
“It wasn’t easy. It was a struggle … I grieved,” he said, noting that he wanted to take revenge at first, but he remembered the message of the Gospel.
“During those two to three days of mourning … I felt I heard the voice of God in my heart that those who killed my brothers are not my enemies. There is one enemy, that is Satan. They are captives in the hands of my enemy,” he said.
Instead of seeking revenge, Shariat decided it was a better idea to go on a mission to convert the Iranian people to Christianity.
So that is what he did.
His mission was to share Christianity with one million Iranian Muslims. He’s far surpassed that goal, as his satellite broadcasts have ended up reaching multiple millions of Iranians.
Shariat said the Iranian people “need political change, but just changing the system of the government without changing people, it will not do you any good.”
Jesus “wasn’t political,” Shariat said, but his followers toppled the Roman government.
“That’s what Jesus does. He transforms our lives, our families, our society,” Shariat said.
Shariat’s message is simple, and it should be the message shared by every Christian: The power and the love of Jesus knows no borders, it does not know limits and it can reach you anywhere.
No matter what hatred is in your heart, no matter how you have been brainwashed and no matter who threatens you, no human nor government can stop the love of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ from reaching us.
Every one of us is a sinner, but we are saved by the blood of Jesus, who paid the price for our sins on the cross.
And he wants us to come to him, to seek forgiveness and to share his Gospel of love and forgiveness with the world.
Truth and Accuracy Submit a Correction → * Name
* Email
* Message
* All fields are required. Success! We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.


westernjournal--2020-05-16--As Liberal Outlets Change Their Tune, Experts Warn of Immense Damage Lockdowns Have Already Caused

Outlets like The Washington Post , CNN and the Los Angeles Times have breathlessly covered the international coronavirus pandemic and the lives it has taken .
They ’ ve used that death toll as justification for the spate of restrictive lockdowns across the country .
But now , their respective tunes appear to be changing as devastating byproducts of those very same lockdowns have emerged .
Although many of these outlets have only now caught on to this problem , economists and conservatives have been crying out about it for weeks .
The Times wrote a story on Monday detailing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a billion people into extreme poverty .
A May 8 article from CNN shared more bad news about the economic effect of lockdowns , saying as many as 75,000 Americans could die from drug and alcohol misuse as well as suicide because of the economic downturn .
Only a few weeks prior , The Washington Post published a story about the economic impact of COVID on less wealthy nations , including some in Africa .
“ Policymakers everywhere may be tempted to focus on the immediate fatalities from covid-19 while eliding the equally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , psychological distress , extreme poverty and sociopolitical unrest that lockdowns and economic disruption can cause , ” economics professor Julian C. Jamison wrote for The Washington Post .
Charles N. Steel , an associate professor and Herman A .
And Suzanne S. Dettwiler Chair in Economics at Hillsdale College , described in a statement to The Western Journal the increasingly dire conditions that would likely be brought about by an overly extended shutdown .
“ The effects of lock down depend on duration .
The logic is simple .
If a person @ @ @ @ @ @ @ business must be closed for a day , that ’ s typically not much of a problem .
If it is one week , that ’ s problematic but usually not a crisis , ” Steel told The Western Journal .
“ A month is usually a serious problem , and that worsens with multiple months .
The COVID lock downs are creating serious problems .
They are causing high rates of unemployment ad threaten high rates of business failures .
I think that if the lock downs don ’ t end soon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ damage and death than the virus.
” The economist went on to explain how extending the lockdown could destroy small businesses across the country .
According to Steel , small businesses make up half of the employment in the United States and most of them don ’ t have the cash reserves to last more than a month without revenue .
According to one study Steel reviewed , “ a lock down that extends for four months would likely result in permanent closure of over half of small businesses.
” “ While loans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can slow some of this and perhaps save [ individual businesses ] , these programs simply spread the economic damage .
They do nothing about the real losses of production .
And it ’ s the lost goods and services that actually matter , ” Steel said .
Steel then explained how these business closures could lead to a huge increase in unemployment , which could rise to as high as 32 percent .
He argued that unemployment at that level would lead to a huge increase in fatalities related to unemployment , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are now beginning to admit .
“ It ’ s well known that an increase in the unemployment rate leads to an increase in mortality .
With unemployment comes rising rates of death from heart attacks , stroke , suicide , and drug and alcohol abuse .
Other contributing problems include increased rates of depression , divorce , domestic violence , and other crime .
Several estimates have suggested that unemployment from the U.S. lock downs could will result in over 70,000 excess deaths from suicide and drug abuse alone , ” Steel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ivanka Trump Announces Launch of Relief Program That Could Stop Farmers ' Waste , Put It to Good Use While these lockdowns may , in fact , save lives from COVID-19 , it would be wrong to understand that as a net number .
Some will be saved who might have died ; others will die who might have been saved .
“ The correct way to understand governors ’ actions is that they choosing between deaths from overwhelming the hospitals from COVID , and deaths from lock down .
If they do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ kill more than the virus , and it looks to me like to many are locking things down with no attention at all to this , ” Steel explained .
“ It ’ s very dangerous and life-threatening.
” Originally , there was great concern over whether America ’ s health care system had the capacity to support the oncoming influx of COVID-19 cases .
According to Steel , it is now in fact the lockdown itself that is causing “ damage ” to the health care system .
“ Most hospitals are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The American Hospital Association believes hospital losses from lack of patients will exceed $ 200 billion .
Hospitals are laying off and furloughing staff , and a number of hospitals fear bankruptcy and permanent closure .
Our own local hospital in Hillsdale has said it believes ( itself to be ) on the verge of permanent closure because of losses from the cancellation of surgeries and other activities , ” Steel explained .
Steel revealed that researchers at the University of London estimate the U.S. will have upwards of 33,000 deaths from patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ He also relayed CDC research showing that vaccinations for children have fallen sharply , putting many people at risk of spreading various diseases .
“ Since the original rationale for lock down was to ‘ flatten the curve ’ and save the health care system , I see no sense at all in continuing a general lock down .
Perhaps high-risk people should isolate themselves , but the rest of the country should get back to work .
The longer the lock downs go , the more harm , including death , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Western Journal .
“ They should be ended now , ” he said .
Multiple experts and conservatives have been echoing those sentiments that liberal outlets are just now chiming in on .
While many organizations were considering the health consequences of the novel coronavirus ’ spread , they were not considering the social and economic causes a lockdown might have .
Now liberal outlets such as CNN and the Los Angeles Times are starting to catch up .
At this point , however , much of the damage may have already been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Outlets like The Washington Post, CNN and the Los Angeles Times have breathlessly covered the international coronavirus pandemic and the lives it has taken. They’ve used that death toll as justification for the spate of restrictive lockdowns across the country.
But now, their respective tunes appear to be changing as devastating byproducts of those very same lockdowns have emerged.
Although many of these outlets have only now caught on to this problem, economists and conservatives have been crying out about it for weeks.
The Times wrote a story on Monday detailing how a global recession may send half a billion people into extreme poverty. A May 8 article from CNN shared more bad news about the economic effect of lockdowns, saying as many as 75,000 Americans could die from drug and alcohol misuse as well as suicide because of the economic downturn. Only a few weeks prior, The Washington Post published a story about the economic impact of COVID on less wealthy nations, including some in Africa.
“Policymakers everywhere may be tempted to focus on the immediate fatalities from covid-19 while eliding the equally real but more remote mortality from malnutrition, psychological distress, extreme poverty and sociopolitical unrest that lockdowns and economic disruption can cause,” economics professor Julian C. Jamison wrote for The Washington Post.
Charles N. Steel, an associate professor and Herman A. And Suzanne S. Dettwiler Chair in Economics at Hillsdale College, described in a statement to The Western Journal the increasingly dire conditions that would likely be brought about by an overly extended shutdown.
“The effects of lock down depend on duration. The logic is simple. If a person misses one day of work or a business must be closed for a day, that’s typically not much of a problem. If it is one week, that’s problematic but usually not a crisis,” Steel told The Western Journal.
“A month is usually a serious problem, and that worsens with multiple months. The COVID lock downs are creating serious problems. They are causing high rates of unemployment ad threaten high rates of business failures. I think that if the lock downs don’t end soon, they’ll cause far more damage and death than the virus.”
The economist went on to explain how extending the lockdown could destroy small businesses across the country.
Is it time to end economic lockdowns throughout the U.S.? 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: 99% (1088 Votes) No: 1% (7 Votes)
According to Steel, small businesses make up half of the employment in the United States and most of them don’t have the cash reserves to last more than a month without revenue.
According to one study Steel reviewed, “a lock down that extends for four months would likely result in permanent closure of over half of small businesses.”
“While loans and cash grants from the federal government can slow some of this and perhaps save [individual businesses], these programs simply spread the economic damage. They do nothing about the real losses of production. And it’s the lost goods and services that actually matter,” Steel said.
Steel then explained how these business closures could lead to a huge increase in unemployment, which could rise to as high as 32 percent. He argued that unemployment at that level would lead to a huge increase in fatalities related to unemployment, which even the several aforementioned liberal outlets are now beginning to admit.
“It’s well known that an increase in the unemployment rate leads to an increase in mortality. With unemployment comes rising rates of death from heart attacks, stroke, suicide, and drug and alcohol abuse. Other contributing problems include increased rates of depression, divorce, domestic violence, and other crime. Several estimates have suggested that unemployment from the U.S. lock downs could will result in over 70,000 excess deaths from suicide and drug abuse alone,” Steel told The Western Journal.
“The lock downs kill people,” he said.
While these lockdowns may, in fact, save lives from COVID-19, it would be wrong to understand that as a net number. Some will be saved who might have died; others will die who might have been saved.
“The correct way to understand governors’ actions is that they choosing between deaths from overwhelming the hospitals from COVID, and deaths from lock down. If they do not choose carefully, their cure will kill more than the virus, and it looks to me like to many are locking things down with no attention at all to this,” Steel explained. “It’s very dangerous and life-threatening.”
Originally, there was great concern over whether America’s health care system had the capacity to support the oncoming influx of COVID-19 cases. According to Steel, it is now in fact the lockdown itself that is causing “damage” to the health care system.
“Most hospitals are nearly empty because of the shutdown. The American Hospital Association believes hospital losses from lack of patients will exceed $200 billion. Hospitals are laying off and furloughing staff, and a number of hospitals fear bankruptcy and permanent closure. Our own local hospital in Hillsdale has said it believes (itself to be) on the verge of permanent closure because of losses from the cancellation of surgeries and other activities,” Steel explained.
Steel revealed that researchers at the University of London estimate the U.S. will have upwards of 33,000 deaths from patients missing cancer treatments during the lockdown.
He also relayed CDC research showing that vaccinations for children have fallen sharply, putting many people at risk of spreading various diseases.
“Since the original rationale for lock down was to ‘flatten the curve’ and save the health care system, I see no sense at all in continuing a general lock down. Perhaps high-risk people should isolate themselves, but the rest of the country should get back to work. The longer the lock downs go, the more harm, including death, they will cause,” Steel told The Western Journal.
“They should be ended now,” he said.
Multiple experts and conservatives have been echoing those sentiments that liberal outlets are just now chiming in on.
If only someone had said this daily for two months. https://t.co/kjCyKybJsX — Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) May 12, 2020
While many organizations were considering the health consequences of the novel coronavirus’ spread, they were not considering the social and economic causes a lockdown might have.
Now liberal outlets such as CNN and the Los Angeles Times are starting to catch up. At this point, however, much of the damage may have already been done.
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westernjournal--2020-05-16--Kevin Sorbo Calls Out Pro-Abortion MI Gov with Unforgettable Image

Michigan Democratic Gov .
Gretchen Whitmer is one of the most divisive figures in American politics right now , and not just because of her handling of the lockdown in her state .
Well , all right , that might be most of it , but there ’ s plenty of other reasons why she ’ s unpopular right now .
Take , for instance , the fact that she ’ s vocally pro-abortion .
This became more of an issue in the wake of the lockdown when , even as she was banning most elective procedures , she decided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Not only that , she decided to categorize it as “ life-sustaining.
” “ A woman ’ s health care , her whole future , her ability to decide if and when she starts a family is not an election , ” she said during a podcast interview , according to The Detroit News .
“ It is a fundamental to her life .
It is life-sustaining , and it ’ s something that government should not be getting in the middle of.
” But when it comes to your ability to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic , that ’ s something Whitmer thinks the government should absolutely be getting in the middle of .
In the wake of that decision , this photo from her 2018 gubernatorial campaign resurfaced : Curious .
We have a different definition of the word “ great.
” Hollywood Christian conservative Kevin Sorbo had something to say about that : And not only does she thinks it ’ s what “ Makes America Great , ” she also thinks it ’ s “ life-sustaining !
” RELATED : 'Hercules ' Star Kevin Sorbo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump Identified as a Woman I understand that Sorbo isn ’ t exactly the typical Hollywood guy — Planned Parenthood is pretty much presumed to be holy out there — but for many in America , this should be common sense .
Planned Parenthood is one of the most unethical charnel houses in America , one which launders the number of babies it aborts under the guise of providing health care for women .
In fact , they say that ’ s only about 4 percent of the medical services they perform .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , you misogynist ?
Well no , not quite .
But then again , that statistic is not even close to accurate .
How the abortion giant arrives at that “ 4 percent ” number is pretty disingenuous .
“ Planned Parenthood arrives at this false statistic by dividing the number of children it aborted ( 345,672 ) for the year by the number of ‘ services ’ the group provided ( 9.8 million ) , ” Liberty Counsel , a pro-life nonprofit law group , said in a news release this January @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visits a Planned Parenthood facility to obtain an abortion , she is also given a pregnancy test , an STI test , a cancer screening and contraception .
Therefore , the abortion procedure would be considered 20 percent of the ‘ services ’ she received .
“ This is why the group lists its annual ‘ services ’ as much higher than the number of patients it saw last year ( 2.4 million ) .
Using this deceptive formula , the report manipulates the data to make it appear as if abortion is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ’ though a much higher percentage of actual patients who visit Planned Parenthood facilities are there , first and foremost , to obtain an abortion.
” But then , this is hardly the most unethical thing about Planned Parenthood , between the selling of baby parts caught in the undercover videos by the Center for Medical Progress to what was witnessed inside the walls of one of their clinics by Abby Johnson , the subject of the film “ Unplanned.
” What part of that makes America great , Gov .
Whitmer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be elided over by politicians like Whitmer , who hide behind the women ’ s health excuse while conceding that they think abortion is health care — or , good grief , “ life-sustaining.
” This is a governor who has much more compassion for turtles and trees than she does for the most vulnerable form of human life : the unborn .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Michigan Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is one of the most divisive figures in American politics right now, and not just because of her handling of the lockdown in her state.
Well, all right, that might be most of it, but there’s plenty of other reasons why she’s unpopular right now.
Take, for instance, the fact that she’s vocally pro-abortion. This became more of an issue in the wake of the lockdown when, even as she was banning most elective procedures, she decided to list abortion as a nonelective procedure.
Not only that, she decided to categorize it as “life-sustaining.”
“A woman’s health care, her whole future, her ability to decide if and when she starts a family is not an election,” she said during a podcast interview, according to The Detroit News.
“It is a fundamental to her life. It is life-sustaining, and it’s something that government should not be getting in the middle of.”
But when it comes to your ability to buy carpeting and gardening supplies during the pandemic, that’s something Whitmer thinks the government should absolutely be getting in the middle of.
In the wake of that decision, this photo from her 2018 gubernatorial campaign resurfaced:
Curious. We have a different definition of the word “great.”
Hollywood Christian conservative Kevin Sorbo had something to say about that:
But she is all for saving turtles and trees. Human life is not important to her. What a wonderful woman. pic.twitter.com/Ky4Ldjv6Xt — Kevin Sorbo (@ksorbs) May 15, 2020
And not only does she thinks it’s what “Makes America Great,” she also thinks it’s “life-sustaining!”
I understand that Sorbo isn’t exactly the typical Hollywood guy — Planned Parenthood is pretty much presumed to be holy out there — but for many in America, this should be common sense.
Planned Parenthood is one of the most unethical charnel houses in America, one which launders the number of babies it aborts under the guise of providing health care for women. In fact, they say that’s only about 4 percent of the medical services they perform. Are you against women’s health, you misogynist?
Do you agree with Kevin Sorbo? Yes No
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Well no, not quite. But then again, that statistic is not even close to accurate.
How the abortion giant arrives at that “4 percent” number is pretty disingenuous.
“Planned Parenthood arrives at this false statistic by dividing the number of children it aborted (345,672) for the year by the number of ‘services’ the group provided (9.8 million),” Liberty Counsel, a pro-life nonprofit law group, said in a news release this January.
“This means when a woman visits a Planned Parenthood facility to obtain an abortion, she is also given a pregnancy test, an STI test, a cancer screening and contraception. Therefore, the abortion procedure would be considered 20 percent of the ‘services’ she received.
“This is why the group lists its annual ‘services’ as much higher than the number of patients it saw last year (2.4 million). Using this deceptive formula, the report manipulates the data to make it appear as if abortion is a tiny percent of its ‘services,’ though a much higher percentage of actual patients who visit Planned Parenthood facilities are there, first and foremost, to obtain an abortion.”
But then, this is hardly the most unethical thing about Planned Parenthood, between the selling of baby parts caught in the undercover videos by the Center for Medical Progress to what was witnessed inside the walls of one of their clinics by Abby Johnson, the subject of the film “Unplanned.”
What part of that makes America great, Gov. Whitmer?
Of course, that part will be elided over by politicians like Whitmer, who hide behind the women’s health excuse while conceding that they think abortion is health care — or, good grief, “life-sustaining.”
Kevin Sorbo is right.
This is a governor who has much more compassion for turtles and trees than she does for the most vulnerable form of human life: the unborn.
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westernjournal--2020-05-16--Rep. Nunes: ‘No Doubt in My Mind’ Criminal Referrals Coming for Mueller Team

Rep. Devin Nunes will be pursuing multiple criminal referrals for the people on former special counsel Robert Mueller ’ s team after more information has been released about how the Justice Department handled the Trump-Russia investigation .
“ We ’ re looking at doing criminal referrals on the Mueller team , the Mueller dossier team , the Mueller witch hunt , whatever you want to call it , ” the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee told Fox Nation “ Witch Hunt ” host Gregg Jarrett this week .
“ That ’ s where we are now in our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ February as he and other House Republicans went through FBI interview memos that had not yet been made public .
“ We ’ re now going through these [ FBI interview memos ] , and we ’ re going to be making criminal referrals on the Mueller dossier team , the people that put this Mueller report together , ” Nunes told Just The News on its “ John Solomon Reports ” podcast at the time .
The California Republican is now turning his attention to the conduct of the special counsel after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dismiss the charges against former Trump administration National Security Advisor General Michael Flynn .
“ We ’ re doing a large criminal referral on the Mueller dossier team that put together a fraudulent report — that knew there was no collusion the day that Mueller walked in the door , ” Nunes said .
“ They set an obstruction of justice trap .
There ’ s no doubt in my mind that we will make a conspiracy referral there.
” Nunes has long said that Mueller always knew there was no evidence of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nunes sent eight criminal referrals to Attorney General William Barr in April 2019 , alleging “ potential violations ” of the law and misconduct during the FBI ’ s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election .
Barr also released a redacted version of Mueller ’ s final report in April 2019 and said “ there was no evidence of the Trump campaign collusion with the Russian government ’ s hacking , ” NPR reported .
In this week ’ s interview , Nunes said he now will be asking the Department @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the congressional investigation into the Russia probe ’ s origins .
Nunes said recently released documents show that there was more information out there and that Mueller ’ s team “ lied and misled Congress by omission.
” “ They thought it was cute to just not give us things , not tell us things and say that they met the requirements , ” he said .
“ Well , now that these documents are turning up , you know , who was guiding the redactions that were done ?
Who was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ RELATED : Ivanka Trump Announces Launch of Relief Program That Could Stop Farmers ' Waste , Put It to Good Use “ Was that the leadership of DOJ and the FBI communicating with Mueller ?
And was that Mueller making that call or was that the senior leadership ?
Look , that ’ s not for us to determine , ” Nunes added .
“ That ’ s for a U.S. attorney to determine who was lying.
” “ I want to see all of them held accountable for this.
” Nunes also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Flynn needs to be investigated because of the documents and memos that have been released as part of that case .
“ The attorney had to know those documents existed , had to know they were working with a falsified 302 — that ’ s a very simple criminal referral , ” Nunes said , referring to allegations that the DOJ suppressed evidence favorable to Flynn .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Rep. Devin Nunes will be pursuing multiple criminal referrals for the people on former special counsel Robert Mueller’s team after more information has been released about how the Justice Department handled the Trump-Russia investigation.
“We’re looking at doing criminal referrals on the Mueller team, the Mueller dossier team, the Mueller witch hunt, whatever you want to call it,” the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee told Fox Nation “Witch Hunt” host Gregg Jarrett this week.
“That’s where we are now in our investigation.”
Nunes made similar comments in February as he and other House Republicans went through FBI interview memos that had not yet been made public.
“We’re now going through these [FBI interview memos], and we’re going to be making criminal referrals on the Mueller dossier team, the people that put this Mueller report together,” Nunes told Just The News on its “John Solomon Reports” podcast at the time.
The California Republican is now turning his attention to the conduct of the special counsel after the Justice Department filed a motion to dismiss the charges against former Trump administration National Security Advisor General Michael Flynn.
“We’re doing a large criminal referral on the Mueller dossier team that put together a fraudulent report — that knew there was no collusion the day that Mueller walked in the door,” Nunes said.
“They set an obstruction of justice trap. There’s no doubt in my mind that we will make a conspiracy referral there.”
Nunes has long said that Mueller always knew there was no evidence of the Trump campaign colluding with Russians.
Do you think the Mueller team should be held accountable? Yes No
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Nunes sent eight criminal referrals to Attorney General William Barr in April 2019, alleging “potential violations” of the law and misconduct during the FBI’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
Barr also released a redacted version of Mueller’s final report in April 2019 and said “there was no evidence of the Trump campaign collusion with the Russian government’s hacking,” NPR reported.
In this week’s interview, Nunes said he now will be asking the Department of Justice to look into potential obstruction of the congressional investigation into the Russia probe’s origins.
Nunes said recently released documents show that there was more information out there and that Mueller’s team “lied and misled Congress by omission.”
“They thought it was cute to just not give us things, not tell us things and say that they met the requirements,” he said. “Well, now that these documents are turning up, you know, who was guiding the redactions that were done? Who was instructing things to remain classified?”
“Was that the leadership of DOJ and the FBI communicating with Mueller? And was that Mueller making that call or was that the senior leadership? Look, that’s not for us to determine,” Nunes added. “That’s for a U.S. attorney to determine who was lying.”
“I want to see all of them held accountable for this.”
Nunes also said that the lead lawyer who prosecuted Flynn needs to be investigated because of the documents and memos that have been released as part of that case.
“The attorney had to know those documents existed, had to know they were working with a falsified 302 — that’s a very simple criminal referral,” Nunes said, referring to allegations that the DOJ suppressed evidence favorable to Flynn.
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westernjournal--2020-05-16--Leftists Will Be Furious with Ron DeSantis After He Said Governors Are Not ‘Dictators’

If you ’ re a governor , the more you lock down your state , the more love you ’ ll get in the liberal sphere .
Sure , it may cost jobs , but you ’ re saving lives — and you ’ re not like those other crass governors who want to get people back to work and allow citizens to utilize their essential freedoms .
Take Florida GOP Gov .
Ron DeSantis .
If DeSantis ever gets some media attention , it ’ s usually bad attention .
Yet , quietly , he ’ s managed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than many other states .
He also doesn ’ t have a whole lot of respect for governors who might take the opposite tack .
In an interview Thursday on Fox News , DeSantis compared governors who keep their states locked down to despots .
“ You ’ re not a dictator , you don ’ t have unlimited authority and people do have rights , ” DeSantis said on “ Fox & Friends.
” It came after co-host Ainsley Earhardt asked DeSantis whether some governors were “ being too strict and going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t think any governor has the authority to restrict anyone unless there ’ s a direct relationship to combating this virus , ” DeSantis said .
“ If you look around the country , clearly there have been examples of really draconian , arbitrary restrictions that have nothing to do with public health — like you can ’ t plant a seed in your front yard in your garden , you can ’ t walk around the neighborhood with your daughter , or something like that .
“ So some of this stuff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I think absolutely it ’ s gotten out of hand.
” RELATED : Media Lies at Work : As NY Deaths Go Up , So Do Cuomo 's Polls - As FL Deaths Go Down , So Do DeSantis ' Polls And , as DeSantis said , his state was doing just fine taking the opposite tack .
“ Here ’ s the thing : It ’ s less effective to do that .
In Florida , we did not do that .
We were reasonable , we trusted the people to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Republican Florida governor called on state legislatures to reclaim power from governors , without calling out any names — although it wasn ’ t too hard to tell through subtext who some of those governors might be .
DeSantis also defended the reopening of many of the state ’ s beaches , saying that while he felt the virus “ is highly transmissible ” indoors , it ’ s less so outdoors .
“ I ’ ve certainly always believed that the open air is just simply a less transmissible environment , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believes “ the studies have borne that out around the country.
” DeSantis noted that he had protected long-term care facilities early , another not-so-veiled reference to another governor .
The Whitmers and Cuomos of the world , of course , would contend that Florida somehow got lucky .
The left has marveled at the fact that DeSantis ’ Florida has remained relatively free and open during the coronavirus panic while having the 27th highest per-capita death rate among all 50 states , according to data from The New York Times .
( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are number one and number six as of Saturday , respectively . )
The latest theory is this one , as explained neatly by a headline in the Tampa Bay Times : “ How Florida slowed coronavirus : Everyone stayed home before they were told to.
” But that ’ s the personal responsibility aspect .
Are Cuomo and Whitmer telling us that they don ’ t believe the people of their state can be trusted to make decisions on their own ?
Of course , that ’ s always the thing — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ citizens can be trusted , the media will always listen to you .
Look at the gun control debate and ask yourselves which squeaky wheels get the grease .
It ’ s usually the Michael Bloombergs of the world or the people from the March for Our Lives .
It ’ s not going to be a Second Amendment backer .
That ’ s the dichotomy at work with the coronavirus , too .
The media has idolized Gov .
Cuomo , even to the point where many Democrats would prefer him on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instead of Joe Biden .
No one seems to think that Gov .
DeSantis has seen his standing improved by the coronavirus crisis , even as his COVID-19 numbers are objectively better than Cuomo ’ s .
That ’ s all the mainstream media at work — and it doesn ’ t take a genius to figure out it doesn ’ t stop there .
However , governors aren ’ t dictators , no matter how popular locking down may be .
Leftists may hate Ron DeSantis for pointing this out , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ less true .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

If you’re a governor, the more you lock down your state, the more love you’ll get in the liberal sphere.
Sure, it may cost jobs, but you’re saving lives — and you’re not like those other crass governors who want to get people back to work and allow citizens to utilize their essential freedoms.
Take Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis. If DeSantis ever gets some media attention, it’s usually bad attention. Yet, quietly, he’s managed to close Florida later and reopen it earlier than many other states.
He also doesn’t have a whole lot of respect for governors who might take the opposite tack. In an interview Thursday on Fox News, DeSantis compared governors who keep their states locked down to despots.
“You’re not a dictator, you don’t have unlimited authority and people do have rights,” DeSantis said on “Fox & Friends.”
Watch the latest video at foxnews.com
It came after co-host Ainsley Earhardt asked DeSantis whether some governors were “being too strict and going too far.”
“I don’t think any governor has the authority to restrict anyone unless there’s a direct relationship to combating this virus,” DeSantis said.
“If you look around the country, clearly there have been examples of really draconian, arbitrary restrictions that have nothing to do with public health — like you can’t plant a seed in your front yard in your garden, you can’t walk around the neighborhood with your daughter, or something like that.
“So some of this stuff I think has devolved into social control. I think absolutely it’s gotten out of hand.”
And, as DeSantis said, his state was doing just fine taking the opposite tack.
“Here’s the thing: It’s less effective to do that. In Florida, we did not do that. We were reasonable, we trusted the people to act appropriately,” he said.
Should Florida have locked down sooner? Yes No
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The Republican Florida governor called on state legislatures to reclaim power from governors, without calling out any names — although it wasn’t too hard to tell through subtext who some of those governors might be.
DeSantis also defended the reopening of many of the state’s beaches, saying that while he felt the virus “is highly transmissible” indoors, it’s less so outdoors. Watch the latest video at foxnews.com
“I’ve certainly always believed that the open air is just simply a less transmissible environment,” DeSantis said, adding that he believes “the studies have borne that out around the country.”
DeSantis noted that he had protected long-term care facilities early, another not-so-veiled reference to another governor.
The Whitmers and Cuomos of the world, of course, would contend that Florida somehow got lucky. The left has marveled at the fact that DeSantis’ Florida has remained relatively free and open during the coronavirus panic while having the 27th highest per-capita death rate among all 50 states, according to data from The New York Times. (New York and Michigan, meanwhile, are number one and number six as of Saturday, respectively.)
The latest theory is this one, as explained neatly by a headline in the Tampa Bay Times: “How Florida slowed coronavirus: Everyone stayed home before they were told to.”
But that’s the personal responsibility aspect. Are Cuomo and Whitmer telling us that they don’t believe the people of their state can be trusted to make decisions on their own?
Of course, that’s always the thing — if you don’t believe your citizens can be trusted, the media will always listen to you.
Look at the gun control debate and ask yourselves which squeaky wheels get the grease. It’s usually the Michael Bloombergs of the world or the people from the March for Our Lives. It’s not going to be a Second Amendment backer.
That’s the dichotomy at work with the coronavirus, too. The media has idolized Gov. Cuomo, even to the point where many Democrats would prefer him on the top line of the presidential ticket instead of Joe Biden.
No one seems to think that Gov. DeSantis has seen his standing improved by the coronavirus crisis, even as his COVID-19 numbers are objectively better than Cuomo’s. That’s all the mainstream media at work — and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out it doesn’t stop there.
However, governors aren’t dictators, no matter how popular locking down may be.
Leftists may hate Ron DeSantis for pointing this out, but that doesn’t make it any less true.
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