westernjournal--2020-09-13--Rhode Island Prof Says He Saw ‘Nothing Wrong’ with Portland Antifa Shooting

I imagine University of Rhode Island professor Erik Loomis ’ classes must be pretty interesting .
Interesting isn ’ t a synonym for “ good ” or “ enlightening , ” but I can ’ t picture being bored from what little I know about him .
Loomis is a professor of history at the university , the author of several books about the labor movement and activism , and a writer for the blog Lawyers , Guns & Money .
I ’ m a fan of 66 percent of that title ’ s formulation , but alas , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its billing — at least when it comes to Loomis ’ digital scribblings .
I became aware of the blog recently , as many others did , when Loomis decided to comment on the death of Michael Reinoehl .
TRENDING : CNN Hosts Lemon and Cuomo Launch Into Unhinged Rant Against Poor White People Reinoehl , 48 , was accused of shooting and killing a member of the right-wing group Patriot Prayer during violent protests in Portland , Oregon , last month .
( In an interview with Vice , the avowed antifa @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , though he claimed he was trying to protect a friend . )
It ’ s unclear what exactly happened when police tried to take Reinoehl into custody , but what ’ s known is that authorities said he had a handgun on him and witnesses said he fired at police , according to The Olympian .
At Lawyers , Guns & Money , Loomis said he ’ s perfectly fine with one of these killings .
Since I ’ m writing about him , you can probably tell which one it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who killed the fascist in Portland last week , ” Loomis wrote in the Sept. 4 post .
“ He admitted it and said he was scared the cops would kill him .
Well , now the cops have killed him .
“ I am extremely anti-conspiracy theory .
But it ’ s not a conspiracy theory at this point in time to wonder if the cops simply murdered him , ” Loomis continued .
“ The police is [ sic ] shot through with fascists from stem to stern .
They were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as they were in Kenosha which led to dead protestors.
” Note to everyone who fancies speculation : Starting a sentence with “ I am extremely anti-conspiracy theory ” is a dead giveaway to everyone hearing or reading those words that the fusillade of thoughts they ’ re about to endure will , in fact , be a conspiracy theory .
In the same way any sentence that begins with the words “ no offense , but … ” will invariably end in some sort of offense , any line of thinking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anti-conspiracy theory ” will go full Infowars .
In this case , police supposedly killed Michael Reinoehl because they ’ re in league with the fascists “ from stem to stern.
” They apparently shot Reinoehl in broad daylight to quietly off him during a time of rabid anti-police sentiment and thought they could get away with it .
We don ’ t know yet whether or not law enforcement were justified in shooting the suspect , but most of us probably don ’ t think it ’ s some kind of secret @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Take Down Decades-Old Murals Because There Are Too Many White People in Them Anyhow , in the comments section , someone noted : “ Erik , [ Reinoehl ] shot and killed a guy.
” “ He killed a fascist .
I see nothing wrong with it , at least from a moral perspective , ” Loomis responded .
“ Tactically , that ’ s a different story .
But you could say the same thing about John Brown.
” So , in case you ’ re unfamiliar with them , Patriot Prayer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a fixture in Portland ’ s contentious protest atmosphere for years now .
It ’ s one of a multitude of fringe groups on the right and left which hold “ protests ” that usually end up with a whole lot of livestream screaming and possibly worse .
Antifa groups have long targeted Patriot Prayer events , which made the fact that a self-declared antifa member allegedly shot and killed a Patriot Prayer member one of the least surprising things I ’ ve heard this year , sadly .
Even if you aren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Patriot Prayer isn ’ t fascist and there ’ s no moral system under which it ’ s appropriate to shoot a member of the group with no or minimal provocation , which seems to have happened in Portland .
Loomis ’ comment would be disturbing enough if that were where his definition of “ fascist ” ended .
It wasn ’ t , of course .
So , who qualifies as a fascist ?
Any member of mainstream campus conservative group Young America ’ s Foundation , for one .
Former @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an editor at YAF ’ s New Guard magazine , and when she quote-tweeted Loomis , he responded with this : “ That ’ s right .
And no fascists will intimidate me either .
Including you , ” he tweeted back .
“ Also , thanks for the reminder to teach my students this semester just how horribly disgusting the Young Americans for Fascism is and has been since its beginnings in the cesspool of William F. Buckley ’ s diseased racist brain.
” Buckley was one of the founders of Young @ @ @ @ @ @ @ merged with the other YAF .
I want to emphasize the danger here .
In one comment , an individual argued ( not inaccurately ) that Loomis ’ “ statements are uncomfortably close to apologetics for murder .
There is , as of yet , no evidence that Reinoehl acted in self-defense other than his bare assertion .
I think a core part of anti-fascism is not excusing or endorsing violence as a means of settling political disputes.
” Loomis ’ response : “ Let it never be said that we can have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liberals turning non-violence into a fetish.
” Loomis has a history of questionable remarks .
According to Campus Reform , in 2012 , Loomis called for National Rifle Association executive Wayne LaPierre ’ s “ head on a stick ” after the Sandy Hook shooting .
In 2013 , he made news again by saying : “ I know the central mission of the Republican Party is to have a membership made up entirely of old rural white people.
” This is quite a bit different , however — a post revealing that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doesn ’ t particularly think there ’ s a problem with killing fascists in certain contexts and who defines fascists as YAF members .
There ’ s not a whole lot of internal consistency to Loomis ’ arguments , but to the extent there is , he represents an unusual danger to students who dare to have different opinions than his .
A professor who ’ ll give you a failing grade for disagreeing with him is one thing .
It ’ s quite another to have one like Erik Loomis who thinks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you is perfectly all right .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

I imagine University of Rhode Island professor Erik Loomis’ classes must be pretty interesting.
Interesting isn’t a synonym for “good” or “enlightening,” but I can’t picture being bored from what little I know about him.
Incensed, sure. Bored, no.
Loomis is a professor of history at the university, the author of several books about the labor movement and activism, and a writer for the blog Lawyers, Guns & Money. I’m a fan of 66 percent of that title’s formulation, but alas, it doesn’t quite live up to its billing — at least when it comes to Loomis’ digital scribblings.
I became aware of the blog recently, as many others did, when Loomis decided to comment on the death of Michael Reinoehl.
Reinoehl, 48, was accused of shooting and killing a member of the right-wing group Patriot Prayer during violent protests in Portland, Oregon, last month. (In an interview with Vice, the avowed antifa supporter appeared to admit to the killing, though he claimed he was trying to protect a friend.)
It’s unclear what exactly happened when police tried to take Reinoehl into custody, but what’s known is that authorities said he had a handgun on him and witnesses said he fired at police, according to The Olympian.
At Lawyers, Guns & Money, Loomis said he’s perfectly fine with one of these killings. Since I’m writing about him, you can probably tell which one it is.
“Michael Reinoehl is the guy who killed the fascist in Portland last week,” Loomis wrote in the Sept. 4 post.
Should this professor be fired? Yes No
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“He admitted it and said he was scared the cops would kill him. Well, now the cops have killed him.
“I am extremely anti-conspiracy theory. But it’s not a conspiracy theory at this point in time to wonder if the cops simply murdered him,” Loomis continued. “The police is [sic] shot through with fascists from stem to stern. They were openly working with the fascists in Portland, as they were in Kenosha which led to dead protestors.”
Note to everyone who fancies speculation: Starting a sentence with “I am extremely anti-conspiracy theory” is a dead giveaway to everyone hearing or reading those words that the fusillade of thoughts they’re about to endure will, in fact, be a conspiracy theory. In the same way any sentence that begins with the words “no offense, but …” will invariably end in some sort of offense, any line of thinking that begins with “I am extremely anti-conspiracy theory” will go full Infowars.
In this case, police supposedly killed Michael Reinoehl because they’re in league with the fascists “from stem to stern.” They apparently shot Reinoehl in broad daylight to quietly off him during a time of rabid anti-police sentiment and thought they could get away with it.
We don’t know yet whether or not law enforcement were justified in shooting the suspect, but most of us probably don’t think it’s some kind of secret fascist conspiracy.
Anyhow, in the comments section, someone noted: “Erik, [Reinoehl] shot and killed a guy.”
“He killed a fascist. I see nothing wrong with it, at least from a moral perspective,” Loomis responded. “Tactically, that’s a different story. But you could say the same thing about John Brown.”
So, in case you’re unfamiliar with them, Patriot Prayer is a controversial group which has been a fixture in Portland’s contentious protest atmosphere for years now. It’s one of a multitude of fringe groups on the right and left which hold “protests” that usually end up with a whole lot of livestream screaming and possibly worse.
Antifa groups have long targeted Patriot Prayer events, which made the fact that a self-declared antifa member allegedly shot and killed a Patriot Prayer member one of the least surprising things I’ve heard this year, sadly.
Even if you aren’t a big fan of them, Patriot Prayer isn’t fascist and there’s no moral system under which it’s appropriate to shoot a member of the group with no or minimal provocation, which seems to have happened in Portland. Loomis’ comment would be disturbing enough if that were where his definition of “fascist” ended.
It wasn’t, of course.
So, who qualifies as a fascist? Any member of mainstream campus conservative group Young America’s Foundation, for one.
Former Campus Reform correspondent Kara Zupkus is also an editor at YAF’s New Guard magazine, and when she quote-tweeted Loomis, he responded with this:
Also, thanks for the reminder to teach my students this semester just how horribly disgusting the Young Americans for Fascism is and has been since its beginnings in the cesspool of William F. Buckley’s diseased racist brain. — Erik Loomis (@ErikLoomis) September 8, 2020
“That’s right. And no fascists will intimidate me either. Including you,” he tweeted back.
“Also, thanks for the reminder to teach my students this semester just how horribly disgusting the Young Americans for Fascism is and has been since its beginnings in the cesspool of William F. Buckley’s diseased racist brain.” Buckley was one of the founders of Young Americans for Freedom, a group which merged with the other YAF.
I want to emphasize the danger here.
In one comment, an individual argued (not inaccurately) that Loomis’ “statements are uncomfortably close to apologetics for murder. There is, as of yet, no evidence that Reinoehl acted in self-defense other than his bare assertion. I think a core part of anti-fascism is not excusing or endorsing violence as a means of settling political disputes.”
Loomis’ response: “Let it never be said that we can have a conversation about these things without white liberals turning non-violence into a fetish.”
Loomis has a history of questionable remarks. According to Campus Reform, in 2012, Loomis called for National Rifle Association executive Wayne LaPierre’s “head on a stick” after the Sandy Hook shooting.
In 2013, he made news again by saying: “I know the central mission of the Republican Party is to have a membership made up entirely of old rural white people.”
This is quite a bit different, however — a post revealing that a man teaching at a public institution doesn’t particularly think there’s a problem with killing fascists in certain contexts and who defines fascists as YAF members.
There’s not a whole lot of internal consistency to Loomis’ arguments, but to the extent there is, he represents an unusual danger to students who dare to have different opinions than his.
A professor who’ll give you a failing grade for disagreeing with him is one thing. It’s quite another to have one like Erik Loomis who thinks, in certain contexts, violence against you is perfectly all right.
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westernjournal--2020-09-13--16-Year-Olds May Soon Be Allowed To Vote in this Major US City

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ’ s home turf will decide this fall whether it will allow 16-year-olds to vote in local elections .
San Francisco residents rejected a similar measure in 2016 , but organizers of the initiative are hoping for success this time around .
“ I really think that Vote 16 will help youth of color in San Francisco establish the habit of voting at an earlier age , and really provide them with the support and the resources that they need to continue building on that habit as they grow older , ” 18-year-old Crystal Chan , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which pushed for the measure to be on November ’ s ballot , told NBC News .
If the measure passes , San Francisco would become the first major U.S. city to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in municipal elections .
Voting at 16 is supported by Pelosi , who represents the city .
TRENDING : CNN Hosts Lemon and Cuomo Launch Into Unhinged Rant Against Poor White People “ I think it ’ s really important to capture kids when they ’ re in high school , when they ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when they ’ re learning about government , to be able to vote , ” she said in 2019 .
One of Vote 16 ’ s leaders said the sooner people begin voting , the better it is for democracy .
“ Research is clear on this , that voting is a habit .
And 16 is a better time than 18 to establish that habit , ” Brandon Klugman , Vote 16 ’ s campaign manager , told NBC .
“ Our motivation here first and foremost is to make sure that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to establish that habit in the first election they ’ re eligible for , and then to continue participating throughout their lives which is good for democracy on every level , ” he said .
But Republican activist Nate Hochman , a college senior , said too few 16-year-olds understand “ exactly what good governance looks like.
” “ Sixteen-year-olds — they ’ re sophomores , juniors in high school like they ’ re deeply impressionable .
They ’ re largely interested in learning what , you know , their friends are doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Hochman , who attends Colorado College .
“ And they ’ re not capable of making completely rational decisions about voting , ” he told NBC .
Klugman , however , said that teens should have a voice in decisions that affect them .
“ We ’ ve seen the concrete effects that local policy decisions make on the lives of young people really more clearly than ever as school boards and local officials figure out how they ’ re gon na reopen schools … how they ’ re going to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remote learning and the achievement gap doesn ’ t widen , ” he said .
RELATED : Secretaries of State Issue Warning About When Results of the Election Will Be Determined Many on Twitter said they think lowering the voting age would be a mistake : Last year , Congress rejected a proposal from Democratic Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts to lower the voting age to 16 for federal elections , according to the Washington Examiner .
“ I ’ m of the opinion that we shouldn ’ t arbitrarily lower the voting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe Democrats think they ’ ll gain more votes , ” Republican Rep. Rodney Davis of Illinois said at the time .
“ I believe it will institutionalize a Democrat majority here in this House of Representatives.
” We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s home turf will decide this fall whether it will allow 16-year-olds to vote in local elections.
San Francisco residents rejected a similar measure in 2016, but organizers of the initiative are hoping for success this time around.
“I really think that Vote 16 will help youth of color in San Francisco establish the habit of voting at an earlier age, and really provide them with the support and the resources that they need to continue building on that habit as they grow older,” 18-year-old Crystal Chan, who is part of Vote 16 SF, which pushed for the measure to be on November’s ballot, told NBC News.
If the measure passes, San Francisco would become the first major U.S. city to allow 16- and 17-year-olds to vote in municipal elections.
Voting at 16 is supported by Pelosi, who represents the city.
“I think it’s really important to capture kids when they’re in high school, when they’re interested in all of this, when they’re learning about government, to be able to vote,” she said in 2019.
One of Vote 16’s leaders said the sooner people begin voting, the better it is for democracy.
“Research is clear on this, that voting is a habit. And 16 is a better time than 18 to establish that habit,” Brandon Klugman, Vote 16’s campaign manager, told NBC.
“Our motivation here first and foremost is to make sure that we put new voters in a position to establish that habit in the first election they’re eligible for, and then to continue participating throughout their lives which is good for democracy on every level,” he said.
Should 16-year-olds be allowed to vote? Yes No
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But Republican activist Nate Hochman, a college senior, said too few 16-year-olds understand “exactly what good governance looks like.”
“Sixteen-year-olds — they’re sophomores, juniors in high school like they’re deeply impressionable. They’re largely interested in learning what, you know, their friends are doing and appearing to be cool,” said Hochman, who attends Colorado College.
“And they’re not capable of making completely rational decisions about voting,” he told NBC.
Klugman, however, said that teens should have a voice in decisions that affect them.
“We’ve seen the concrete effects that local policy decisions make on the lives of young people really more clearly than ever as school boards and local officials figure out how they’re gonna reopen schools … how they’re going to make sure that young people have access to remote learning and the achievement gap doesn’t widen,” he said.
Many on Twitter said they think lowering the voting age would be a mistake:
Speaker Pelosi wants voting age reduced to 16. San Fran is moving to do that.
This will turn high schools into polling places run by unionized teachers/ballot harvesters. — Rowan Scarborough (@RoScarborough) September 13, 2020
The nuts who run our cities, like SF, make the worst days of Rome look like paradise.https://t.co/v8aTGzM3Lf — Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) September 12, 2020
Honestly, the voting age should probably be raised to 30, along with the minimum age to join the military. If you are not competent to give consent to have sex at 16, what makes you competent to vote? Have you seen TikTok? You want these people voting? https://t.co/YskZu4xOMQ — Jesse Powell (@jespow) September 11, 2020
Last year, Congress rejected a proposal from Democratic Rep. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts to lower the voting age to 16 for federal elections, according to the Washington Examiner.
“I’m of the opinion that we shouldn’t arbitrarily lower the voting age just because right now, I believe Democrats think they’ll gain more votes,” Republican Rep. Rodney Davis of Illinois said at the time.
“I believe it will institutionalize a Democrat majority here in this House of Representatives.”
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westernjournal--2020-09-13--Astronomers Report No Signs of Alien Life After Painstaking Search of Constellation

Astronomers using a radio telescope to search for extraterrestrial life reported no signs of alien technology within a patch of 10 million stars .
The Murchison Widefield Array telescope is located at an observatory in outback Western Australia and was used to conduct the broadest search at low frequencies for extraterrestrial life that has been performed to date , the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research reported Tuesday .
The study , published in Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia , searched for extraterrestrial intelligence around the Vela constellation .
“ The MWA is a unique telescope , with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to observe millions of stars simultaneously , ” said Chenoa Tremblay , an astronomer with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation .
“ We observed the sky around the constellation of Vela for 17 hours , looking more than 100 times broader and deeper than ever before , ” she said .
TRENDING : CNN Hosts Lemon and Cuomo Launch Into Unhinged Rant Against Poor White People The researchers , led by Tremblay and ICRAR/Curtin University professor Steven Tingay , found no signs of intelligent life in that part of the universe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ surprised by the findings and quoted “ The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy ” when he said , “ Space is big , really big.
” “ And even though this was a really big study , the amount of space we looked at was the equivalent of trying to find something in the Earth ’ s oceans but only searching a volume of water equivalent to a large backyard swimming pool , ” he said .
“ Since we can ’ t really assume how possible alien civilizations might utilize technology , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ways , ” Tingay said .
“ Using radio telescopes , we can explore an eight-dimensional search space.
” The MWA is the forerunner for the Square Kilometre Array , a $ 2 billion observatory with telescopes in Western Australia and South Africa .
Tingay said the new telescope will “ be capable of detecting Earth-like radio signals from relatively nearby planetary systems.
” “ With the SKA , we ’ ll be able to survey billions of star systems , seeking technosignatures in an astronomical ocean of other worlds , ” he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ signatures and signals of the presence of distant advanced civilizations , ” according to NASA .
RELATED : Chinese Virologist Claims She Can Prove COVID Virus Was Made in Wuhan Lab The SKA will be built at the Murchison Radio-astromony Observatory with the MWA and will be 50 times more sensitive than its predecessor .
Although the researchers didn ’ t find any extraterrestrial signals during this search , they are encouraged that large-scale extraterrestrial life surveys can be performed .
“ Although there is a long way to go in the search @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the MWA will continue to push the limits , ” Tingay said .
“ We have to keep looking.
” The study had not been peer-reviewed as of Wednesday morning , according to Fox News .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Astronomers using a radio telescope to search for extraterrestrial life reported no signs of alien technology within a patch of 10 million stars.
The Murchison Widefield Array telescope is located at an observatory in outback Western Australia and was used to conduct the broadest search at low frequencies for extraterrestrial life that has been performed to date, the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research reported Tuesday.
The study, published in Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia, searched for extraterrestrial intelligence around the Vela constellation.
“The MWA is a unique telescope, with an extraordinarily wide field-of-view that allows us to observe millions of stars simultaneously,” said Chenoa Tremblay, an astronomer with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation.
“We observed the sky around the constellation of Vela for 17 hours, looking more than 100 times broader and deeper than ever before,” she said.
The researchers, led by Tremblay and ICRAR/Curtin University professor Steven Tingay, found no signs of intelligent life in that part of the universe.
Tingay said he wasn’t surprised by the findings and quoted “The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy” when he said, “Space is big, really big.”
“And even though this was a really big study, the amount of space we looked at was the equivalent of trying to find something in the Earth’s oceans but only searching a volume of water equivalent to a large backyard swimming pool,” he said.
Do you think astronomers will find evidence of extraterrestrial life? 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: 55% (90 Votes) No: 45% (73 Votes)
“Since we can’t really assume how possible alien civilizations might utilize technology, we need to search in many different ways,” Tingay said. “Using radio telescopes, we can explore an eight-dimensional search space.”
The MWA is the forerunner for the Square Kilometre Array, a $2 billion observatory with telescopes in Western Australia and South Africa.
Tingay said the new telescope will “be capable of detecting Earth-like radio signals from relatively nearby planetary systems.”
“With the SKA, we’ll be able to survey billions of star systems, seeking technosignatures in an astronomical ocean of other worlds,” he said.
Technosignatures are “potentially detectable signatures and signals of the presence of distant advanced civilizations,” according to NASA.
The SKA will be built at the Murchison Radio-astromony Observatory with the MWA and will be 50 times more sensitive than its predecessor.
Although the researchers didn’t find any extraterrestrial signals during this search, they are encouraged that large-scale extraterrestrial life surveys can be performed.
“Although there is a long way to go in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, telescopes such as the MWA will continue to push the limits,” Tingay said. “We have to keep looking.”
The study had not been peer-reviewed as of Wednesday morning, according to Fox News.
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westernjournal--2020-09-13--‘Untraceable’: Half of 2019 Donations to Dem Fundraising Platform Reportedly Came from ‘Unemployed’

‘Untraceable’: Half of 2019 Donations to Dem Fundraising Platform Reportedly Came from ‘Unemployed’ Donors

Mysterious money that could be coming from foreign interests is fueling Democratic campaign efforts , according to a new analysis of cash flowing to ActBlue , a major Democratic fundraising platform .
The analysis by the Take Back Action Fund , a conservative political group , showed that in 2019 , 48.4 percent of ActBlue ’ s donations came from people who supposedly were unemployed or who did not list any employer , according to Fox News .
“ We purposely wanted to examine 2019 first , because , before COVID-19 , the unemployment rate was at 4 percent or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believe that millions of Americans who were out of work had $ 346 million to spare to give to ActBlue for liberal causes , ” Action Fund president John Pudner told the outlet , adding that “ 4.7 million donations from people without a job … raised serious concerns.
” Pudner said he was concerned that foreign interests might be trying to impact America ’ s elections by pouring money into ActBlue .
That worry was shared by many on Twitter : TRENDING : CNN Hosts Lemon and Cuomo Launch Into Unhinged Rant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Action Fund analysis showed very different patterns between Democrats and Republicans .
In 2019 , ActBlue had 48.4 percent of its almost 9.9 million donations come from those who claimed not to have jobs , while the number hit 49.6 percent for donations flowing to Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden , according to the analysis .
The WinRed fund for Republican candidates had only 4 percent of its donations come from people who said they were not working , while only 2.6 percent of donations to President Donald Trump came from those who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Take Back Action Fund reported .
So far in 2020 , the trend is the same .
Through August , 50.1 percent of donations to ActBlue came from those claiming to be unemployed , as opposed to roughly 4 percent for WinRed , according to the analysis .
“ [ W ] e were shocked to see that almost half of the donations to ActBlue in 2019 claimed to be unemployed individuals , ” Pudner said .
“ The name of employers must be disclosed when making political donations , but more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who claimed they did not have an employer .
Those 4.7 million donations totaled $ 346 million ActBlue raised and sent to liberal causes.
” Pudner said further investigation is needed to determine whether the millions pouring into ActBlue are from those who are really unemployed , or from foreign interests and others who simply claim not to have jobs .
“ Auditing these suspect donations to determine if millions lied by indicating they were unemployed when in fact they were not , or if their names were just being used by a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ money without their knowledge , will take time , ” he said .
“ We ’ ve planned a series of forensic procedures to identify whether or not these donors of record exist or not , if they made the contributions themselves , and whether they were legally able , and whether or not they are potential ‘ straw ’ donors , making the contributions after being given the money and direction by someone else.
” ActBlue said retirees and others — such as homemakers — are counted as not having jobs and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But Pudner said ActBlue ’ s lax procedures mean credit card donations from anywhere can flow in without proper verification — a system which he called “ untraceable.
” “ ActBlue ’ s insistence on refusing to allow banks to verify their donations is an invitation to foreign programmers or others to send money through them using fake American names , and we encourage them to start letting banks verify the identity of donors to stop the potential for millions of dollars to influence our election , ” Pudner said .
He said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ [ T ] his untraceable system allows someone with a gift card to make donations in anyone ’ s name , even if that person never actually made that donation , or even if that person doesn ’ t exist at all , ” Pudner said .
“ With half of ActBlue donors indicating they do not have an employer , we recommend they start letting their payment processors verify donations to stop any foreign or other illicit donations by simply listing themselves as an unemployed American.
” We are committed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

Mysterious money that could be coming from foreign interests is fueling Democratic campaign efforts, according to a new analysis of cash flowing to ActBlue, a major Democratic fundraising platform.
The analysis by the Take Back Action Fund, a conservative political group, showed that in 2019, 48.4 percent of ActBlue’s donations came from people who supposedly were unemployed or who did not list any employer, according to Fox News.
“We purposely wanted to examine 2019 first, because, before COVID-19, the unemployment rate was at 4 percent or below. It’s hard to believe that millions of Americans who were out of work had $346 million to spare to give to ActBlue for liberal causes,” Action Fund president John Pudner told the outlet, adding that “4.7 million donations from people without a job … raised serious concerns.”
Pudner said he was concerned that foreign interests might be trying to impact America’s elections by pouring money into ActBlue.
That worry was shared by many on Twitter:
I urge the @FEC and others to investigate this situation. Is money being laundered through @ActBlue from straw donors or foreign governments to Democratic candidates, or is this legit? Somebody needs to find out ASAP. — Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) September 12, 2020
HALF of 2019 donations to Democrat fundraising platform came from “untraceable unemployed donors” raising “red flags of possible FOREIGN INVOLVEMENT”‼ “Hard to believe millions of Americans out of work had $346 million to spare… for liberal causes”
https://t.co/ZXHNBIZT4R — Kayleigh McEnany (@kayleighmcenany) September 12, 2020
The Take Back Action Fund analysis showed very different patterns between Democrats and Republicans.
In 2019, ActBlue had 48.4 percent of its almost 9.9 million donations come from those who claimed not to have jobs, while the number hit 49.6 percent for donations flowing to Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, according to the analysis.
The WinRed fund for Republican candidates had only 4 percent of its donations come from people who said they were not working, while only 2.6 percent of donations to President Donald Trump came from those who said they did not have jobs, the Take Back Action Fund reported.
So far in 2020, the trend is the same. Through August, 50.1 percent of donations to ActBlue came from those claiming to be unemployed, as opposed to roughly 4 percent for WinRed, according to the analysis.
“[W]e were shocked to see that almost half of the donations to ActBlue in 2019 claimed to be unemployed individuals,” Pudner said. “The name of employers must be disclosed when making political donations, but more than 4.7 million donations came from people who claimed they did not have an employer. Those 4.7 million donations totaled $346 million ActBlue raised and sent to liberal causes.”
Pudner said further investigation is needed to determine whether the millions pouring into ActBlue are from those who are really unemployed, or from foreign interests and others who simply claim not to have jobs.
“Auditing these suspect donations to determine if millions lied by indicating they were unemployed when in fact they were not, or if their names were just being used by a foreign programmer or someone else to move money without their knowledge, will take time,” he said.
“We’ve planned a series of forensic procedures to identify whether or not these donors of record exist or not, if they made the contributions themselves, and whether they were legally able, and whether or not they are potential ‘straw’ donors, making the contributions after being given the money and direction by someone else.”
ActBlue said retirees and others — such as homemakers — are counted as not having jobs and are part of its donor base.
Do you believe foreign governments are funneling money to the Democratic Party via so-called "unemployed" donors? 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% (1152 Votes) No: 1% (6 Votes)
But Pudner said ActBlue’s lax procedures mean credit card donations from anywhere can flow in without proper verification — a system which he called “untraceable.”
“ActBlue’s insistence on refusing to allow banks to verify their donations is an invitation to foreign programmers or others to send money through them using fake American names, and we encourage them to start letting banks verify the identity of donors to stop the potential for millions of dollars to influence our election,” Pudner said.
He said ActBlue needs to clean up its act.
“[T]his untraceable system allows someone with a gift card to make donations in anyone’s name, even if that person never actually made that donation, or even if that person doesn’t exist at all,” Pudner said.
“With half of ActBlue donors indicating they do not have an employer, we recommend they start letting their payment processors verify donations to stop any foreign or other illicit donations by simply listing themselves as an unemployed American.”
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westernjournal--2020-09-13--Op-Ed: Our Nation Is in Peril, And It Will Only Get Worse if We Don’t Act

“ The wicked shall be turned into hell – and all the nations that forget God.
” – Psalm 9:17 Our nation has forgotten God .
And God ’ s judgment is upon us .
The Lord has brought a strong delusion upon this nation .
We know two things : 1 ) The Lord sends delusion to those in rebellion against him ; and 2 ) Our nation is in rebellion against him ( Isaiah 66:3-4 and 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12 ) .
And this is the first hard thing .
The coronavirus situation is a molehill made into a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to go along with the fiction .
It is seen in how they walk around with their masks .
TRENDING : CNN Hosts Lemon and Cuomo Launch Into Unhinged Rant Against Poor White People You must guard the liberty you possess .
Men fought , bled and died to establish the freedom and liberty we possess .
We have no right to glibly give it away .
The noted British statesman William Pitt once said , “ Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom .
It is the argument of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slaves.
” And the tyrants of our day have learned that a virus is the perfect narrative to impose tyranny on the citizenry .
And this tyranny is evil .
It is a pernicious evil .
Citizens against one another .
Governments have put up numbers to call and websites to visit in order to tell on your neighbors for not complying .
The media has put out countless articles and videos teaching citizens how to shame those not wearing masks .
Now you routinely see posts and editorials saying that people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ should have their children seized from them by the state .
Understand that as this climate of fear and authoritarianism continues to build , people will more and more ingratiate themselves to the ruling authorities by turning on their fellow citizens , reporting them , even making up stories and lies about them — in order to make things better for themselves .
History teaches these things time and again .
These are matters of human nature .
Americans have been indifferent and compliant with the slaughter of the preborn .
They have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that has come along which impugns the law and word of God .
And now , they are indifferent and compliant with the evil actions of their government regarding COVID .
Those very two traits – indifference and compliance – will be their undoing !
We have forgotten God .
We tolerate evil in our midst .
We think nothing of when the government impugns the law and word of God .
We are a rebellious , wicked , deluded nation .
The second hard thing is that the nation is breaking apart @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time .
Leftists are destabilizing the nation .
You must understand the two Americas are irreconcilable .
There is no union to maintain .
Christianity held it together in the past .
Begin to think geographically .
Focus more on state , county and local politics .
Think geographically regarding both states and counties .
We need geographical areas that will resist this all-consuming push by the state to rule every aspect of our lives .
What do geographical areas such as states or counties standing in defiance of evil offer men ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ people to rally ; and 2 ) They provide a mechanism strong enough to confront the tyrants .
Look to the states or counties resisting this evil .
You must teach your magistrates what their duty is in the sight of Christ according to God ’ s Word regarding their office .
That they are not to just unquestioningly do whatever the person above them tells them to do .
The third hard thing is that your own government is at war with you .
All levels of government — federal , state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ war with you .
Americans no longer have the convenience of being indifferent toward the unjust and immoral actions of their government .
Contact tracing is a tyrant ’ s paradise .
America ’ s Founding Fathers always pointed to the people as the ones who would ultimately have to preserve their Constitution and their freedom .
RELATED : Dennis Prager : I Finally Realized Why the Left Really Hates America So Much Understand this is going to come to blows .
If you think you can always correct things peacefully , you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nature and history .
Understand that you must speak out .
The biggest enabler of tyranny is silence .
Patrick Henry once said that which every Christian man must embrace in our day : “ Should I keep back my opinions at such a time , through fear of giving offense , I should consider myself as guilty of treason toward my country , and of an act of disloyalty toward the Majesty of Heaven , which I revere above all earthly kings.
” When Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn made it to America after fleeing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Marxists , he was asked by the press , “ How did things get so bad in Russia ?
” He replied : “ We have forgotten God.
” The views expressed in this opinion article are those of their author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by the owners of this website .
If you are interested in contributing an Op-Ed to The Western Journal , you can learn about our submission guidelines and process here .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism @ @ @ @ @ @

“The wicked shall be turned into hell – and all the nations that forget God.” – Psalm 9:17
Our nation has forgotten God. And God’s judgment is upon us. The Lord has brought a strong delusion upon this nation.
We know two things: 1) The Lord sends delusion to those in rebellion against him; and 2) Our nation is in rebellion against him (Isaiah 66:3-4 and 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12).
And this is the first hard thing.
The coronavirus situation is a molehill made into a mountain, yet the vast majority continue to go along with the fiction. It is seen in how they walk around with their masks.
Understand: Tyranny is built plank by plank.
You must guard the liberty you possess. Men fought, bled and died to establish the freedom and liberty we possess. We have no right to glibly give it away.
The noted British statesman William Pitt once said, “Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants. It is the creed of slaves.”
And the tyrants of our day have learned that a virus is the perfect narrative to impose tyranny on the citizenry.
And this tyranny is evil. It is a pernicious evil. Citizens against one another.
Governments have put up numbers to call and websites to visit in order to tell on your neighbors for not complying. The media has put out countless articles and videos teaching citizens how to shame those not wearing masks. Now you routinely see posts and editorials saying that people who will not participate in the coming vaccination should have their children seized from them by the state.
Understand that as this climate of fear and authoritarianism continues to build, people will more and more ingratiate themselves to the ruling authorities by turning on their fellow citizens, reporting them, even making up stories and lies about them — in order to make things better for themselves. History teaches these things time and again. These are matters of human nature.
Americans have been indifferent and compliant with the slaughter of the preborn. They have been indifferent and compliant with every evil that has come along which impugns the law and word of God.
And now, they are indifferent and compliant with the evil actions of their government regarding COVID. Those very two traits – indifference and compliance – will be their undoing!
We have forgotten God. We tolerate evil in our midst. We think nothing of when the government impugns the law and word of God. We are a rebellious, wicked, deluded nation.
The second hard thing is that the nation is breaking apart — and has been for a long time.
Leftists are destabilizing the nation. You must understand the two Americas are irreconcilable. There is no union to maintain. Christianity held it together in the past.
Do you think America has forgotten God? 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: 94% (331 Votes) No: 6% (23 Votes)
Begin to think geographically. Focus more on state, county and local politics. Think geographically regarding both states and counties. We need geographical areas that will resist this all-consuming push by the state to rule every aspect of our lives.
What do geographical areas such as states or counties standing in defiance of evil offer men? 1) They provide a place for people to rally; and 2) They provide a mechanism strong enough to confront the tyrants.
Look to the states or counties resisting this evil. You must teach your magistrates what their duty is in the sight of Christ according to God’s Word regarding their office. That they are not to just unquestioningly do whatever the person above them tells them to do.
The third hard thing is that your own government is at war with you.
All levels of government — federal, state, county and local — are at war with you. Americans no longer have the convenience of being indifferent toward the unjust and immoral actions of their government. Contact tracing is a tyrant’s paradise.
America’s Founding Fathers always pointed to the people as the ones who would ultimately have to preserve their Constitution and their freedom.
Understand this is going to come to blows. If you think you can always correct things peacefully, you are ignorant of two things — human nature and history.
Understand that you must speak out. The biggest enabler of tyranny is silence.
Patrick Henry once said that which every Christian man must embrace in our day: “Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offense, I should consider myself as guilty of treason toward my country, and of an act of disloyalty toward the Majesty of Heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings.”
When Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn made it to America after fleeing Soviet Russia which had been obliterated by the Marxists, he was asked by the press, “How did things get so bad in Russia?” He replied: “We have forgotten God.”
America has forgotten God.
The views expressed in this opinion article are those of their author and are not necessarily either shared or endorsed by the owners of this website. If you are interested in contributing an Op-Ed to The Western Journal, you can learn about our submission guidelines and process here.
Truth and Accuracy Submit a Correction → * Name
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westernjournal--2020-09-13--California Judge Eschews Religious Liberty, Allows LA County To Shut Down Church Services

The heavyweight constitutional battle between Los Angeles County and Pastor John MacArthur ’ s Grace Community Church continues , with LA County scoring the latest victory .
On Thursday , a judge ruled that the county could shut down the church , issuing a preliminary injunction prohibiting the church from holding indoor services until the case gets sorted out in the courts .
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Mitchell L. Beckloff said the church must be in compliance with LA County ’ s physical distancing rules , according to The Christian Post .
In an 18-page decision , Beckloff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likelihood of success on the merits of its claims ” and that the “ balance of harms tips in its favor.
” A final decision , at least at the California Superior Court level , is expected this week , according to the Washington Free Beacon .
TRENDING : CNN Hosts Lemon and Cuomo Launch Into Unhinged Rant Against Poor White People “ The potential consequences of community spread of COVID-19 and concomitant risk of death to members of the community — associated and unassociated with the Church — outweighs the harm that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caused by the County Health Order , ” the judge wrote .
MacArthur ’ s Grace Community Church has been on the front lines of the battle to preserve the First Amendment right to worship in the time of COVID-19 .
The congregation has been meeting in person since last month , despite orders from Democratic California Gov .
Gavin Newsom that churches in some counties remain shuttered for indoor services .
A judge had previously ruled the church was allowed to hold services indoors if the congregants wore masks and stood six @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Angeles Times .
It doesn ’ t help that Los Angeles County has proved remarkably petty in the matter .
Officials haven ’ t just sought to shut down the church , which is problematic in and of itself .
They ’ ve fined the church for not having county-mandated social distancing signs in the right place and terminated the church ’ s lease on a parking lot they ’ ve held for decades .
They ’ ve even threatened MacArthur with arrest , because nothing will calm the waters more than booking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flock meet in person .
The county ’ s statement in the wake of the decision is a pretty representative sample of the attitude we ’ re dealing with here .
“ We went to court only after significant efforts to work with the leaders of Grace Community Church to protect public health , ” the statement said , according to the Free Beacon .
RELATED : Chicago Mayor Implies Her Rights Matter More Than Yours , Defends Protesting Ban on Her Block “ We now look forward to working with church leaders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with physical distancing and the use of face coverings , which will allow worshipers to gather for religious observances in a manner that is lower risk and consistent with public health directives.
” The idea that Los Angeles County has been working with Grace Community Church is a joke , unless your idea of “ working ” with the church is telling congregants what to do and expecting them to do it , no matter what the First Amendment might say .
That whole part that disallows “ prohibiting the free exercise ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not now , anyway .
“ [ The ] judge said the ‘ scale tipped in favor of the county.
’ 1/100th of 1 % of Californians with a virus apparently wins over the U.S. Constitution and religious freedom for all ?
” MacArthur asked .
“ That is not what our founders said .
Nor is that what God says , who gave us our rights that our government — including the judicial branch — is supposed to protect .
The scale should always tip in favor of liberty , especially for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a constitutional issue here , but a practical one as well .
Religious congregations act as a cultural bulwark in times of crisis — and this is the biggest existential crisis to face the United States since World War II .
Streaming church services and video chatting small group meetings aren ’ t necessarily going to fill the spiritual vacuum the virus has created in so many lives .
The founders understood the importance of social institutions .
The reason religion is protected under the First Amendment isn ’ t just because it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but a congregational right .
If in-person services need to be suspended temporarily , the responsibility is on state and local jurisdictions to work with all due haste to get those services meeting again with as few restrictions as possible .
Instead , Los Angeles County , like so many other governmental bodies out there , has instead spent its resources actively fighting churches that want to meet .
Meanwhile , as the Thomas More Society — who is representing Grace Community Church in the suit — pointed out , officials have given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ While the judge did go out of his way to repeatedly state that he is not ruling on the merits , only a ruling at this very preliminary stage , Pastor MacArthur is still harmed because he has every right to hold church , ” Jenna Ellis , special counsel for the Thomas More Society , said in a statement .
“ Church is essential , and no government agent has the runaway , unlimited power to force churches to close indefinitely.
” Los Angeles County isn ’ t the only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ First Amendment is that applicable in times of crisis and John MacArthur isn ’ t the only pastor who ’ s been made a target by overzealous county officials — officials who will allow protesters to do whatever they want .
That being said , the battle is the most aggressive and the most visible fight for our religious freedoms in the time of the coronavirus .
If MacArthur loses , the implications will be far-reaching and dangerous .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read @ @ @ @

The heavyweight constitutional battle between Los Angeles County and Pastor John MacArthur’s Grace Community Church continues, with LA County scoring the latest victory.
On Thursday, a judge ruled that the county could shut down the church, issuing a preliminary injunction prohibiting the church from holding indoor services until the case gets sorted out in the courts.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Mitchell L. Beckloff said the church must be in compliance with LA County’s physical distancing rules, according to The Christian Post.
In an 18-page decision, Beckloff said that the county displayed “a likelihood of success on the merits of its claims” and that the “balance of harms tips in its favor.”
A final decision, at least at the California Superior Court level, is expected this week, according to the Washington Free Beacon.
“The potential consequences of community spread of COVID-19 and concomitant risk of death to members of the community — associated and unassociated with the Church — outweighs the harm that flows from the restriction on indoor worship caused by the County Health Order,” the judge wrote.
MacArthur’s Grace Community Church has been on the front lines of the battle to preserve the First Amendment right to worship in the time of COVID-19.
The congregation has been meeting in person since last month, despite orders from Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom that churches in some counties remain shuttered for indoor services.
A judge had previously ruled the church was allowed to hold services indoors if the congregants wore masks and stood six feet apart, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Should states and counties have the authority to shut down church services? 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: 2% (40 Votes) No: 98% (2205 Votes)
It doesn’t help that Los Angeles County has proved remarkably petty in the matter.
Officials haven’t just sought to shut down the church, which is problematic in and of itself. They’ve fined the church for not having county-mandated social distancing signs in the right place and terminated the church’s lease on a parking lot they’ve held for decades.
They’ve even threatened MacArthur with arrest, because nothing will calm the waters more than booking a pastor for daring to have his flock meet in person.
The county’s statement in the wake of the decision is a pretty representative sample of the attitude we’re dealing with here.
“We went to court only after significant efforts to work with the leaders of Grace Community Church to protect public health,” the statement said, according to the Free Beacon.
“We now look forward to working with church leaders on a plan to move services outdoors with physical distancing and the use of face coverings, which will allow worshipers to gather for religious observances in a manner that is lower risk and consistent with public health directives.”
The idea that Los Angeles County has been working with Grace Community Church is a joke, unless your idea of “working” with the church is telling congregants what to do and expecting them to do it, no matter what the First Amendment might say.
That whole part that disallows “prohibiting the free exercise” of religion doesn’t exist — not now, anyway.
In a statement, MacArthur called the decision “inexplicable.”
“[The] judge said the ‘scale tipped in favor of the county.’ 1/100th of 1% of Californians with a virus apparently wins over the U.S. Constitution and religious freedom for all?” MacArthur asked.
“That is not what our founders said. Nor is that what God says, who gave us our rights that our government — including the judicial branch — is supposed to protect. The scale should always tip in favor of liberty, especially for churches.”
There isn’t just a constitutional issue here, but a practical one as well. Religious congregations act as a cultural bulwark in times of crisis — and this is the biggest existential crisis to face the United States since World War II.
Streaming church services and video chatting small group meetings aren’t necessarily going to fill the spiritual vacuum the virus has created in so many lives.
The founders understood the importance of social institutions. The reason religion is protected under the First Amendment isn’t just because it’s an individual right to worship but a congregational right.
If in-person services need to be suspended temporarily, the responsibility is on state and local jurisdictions to work with all due haste to get those services meeting again with as few restrictions as possible.
Instead, Los Angeles County, like so many other governmental bodies out there, has instead spent its resources actively fighting churches that want to meet. Meanwhile, as the Thomas More Society — who is representing Grace Community Church in the suit — pointed out, officials have given preferential treatment to Black Lives Matter protests.
“While the judge did go out of his way to repeatedly state that he is not ruling on the merits, only a ruling at this very preliminary stage, Pastor MacArthur is still harmed because he has every right to hold church,” Jenna Ellis, special counsel for the Thomas More Society, said in a statement.
“Church is essential, and no government agent has the runaway, unlimited power to force churches to close indefinitely.”
Los Angeles County isn’t the only jurisdiction that doesn’t believe the First Amendment is that applicable in times of crisis and John MacArthur isn’t the only pastor who’s been made a target by overzealous county officials — officials who will allow protesters to do whatever they want.
That being said, the battle is the most aggressive and the most visible fight for our religious freedoms in the time of the coronavirus. If MacArthur loses, the implications will be far-reaching and dangerous.
Truth and Accuracy Submit a Correction → * Name
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westernjournal--2020-09-13--Florida Supreme Court Blocks Gov. DeSantis’ Pick To Fill Vacancy

A Democratic Florida lawmaker who objected to Republican Gov .
Ron DeSantis ’ choice for a Florida Supreme Court vacancy has succeed in blocking the appointment of Jamaican immigrant Judge Renatha Francis now that the state supreme court has ruled in the lawmaker ’ s favor .
But the lawsuit from state Rep. Geraldine Thompson , who wanted a new list of potential justices drawn up so that it would include more black judges , has also ensured that the court will not include a black judge .
The court said Friday that Francis was ineligible because judges need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for 10 years before they can serve on the Florida Supreme Court .
“ The constitution ’ s ten-year Bar membership requirement and sixty-day appointment deadline are bright-line textual mandates that impose rules rather than standards and prioritize certainty over discretion , ” the court ruled .
“ We hold that the constitution requires the Governor immediately to appoint and commission a constitutionally eligible nominee from among the seven remaining candidates already certified by the judicial nominating commission.
” TRENDING : CNN Hosts Lemon and Cuomo Launch Into Unhinged Rant Against Poor White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He said she would meet the 10-year rule by not assuming her position until Sept. 24 , which would mark 10 years since was admitted to the bar on Sept. 24 , 2010 , according to the Orlando Sentinel .
“ Not having been a member of the Florida Bar for ten years , Judge Renatha Francis was constitutionally ineligible for the office of justice of the supreme court on the expiration of the constitution ’ s sixty-day deadline , ” the ruling said .
Procedurally , Florida governors can only fill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ provided by the Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission .
DeSantis must now go back to the list of those he bypassed when he selected Francis , and no one on that list is black .
For her part , Francis — a member of the conservative Federalist Society — said in a letter to DeSantis that she would withdraw her name from consideration “ In light of the circumstances , I have decided to withdraw my name from consideration for the position , ” she wrote .
“ Thank you for your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ throughout this process , for which I am incredibly humbled.
” RELATED : Bloomberg Plans To Spend at Least $ 100 Million To Help Biden Win Florida Thompson said the decision was “ bittersweet.
” She noted that the JNC received applications from six black judges .
“ It ’ s not the outcome I would ’ ve liked , but I put competence and qualifications over just a body who isn ’ t qualified , regardless of the color , ” she told the Sentinel .
“ The court made clear that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rule of law , including Ron DeSantis.
” Multiple black leaders had supported Francis , according to The Palm Beach Post .
“ She would represent not only her family , not only her former island of Jamaica , but every women , every black person , every immigrant and every Floridian , ” Democratic Miramar Mayor Wayne Messam said at a news conference held this week by DeSantis , who said Thompson ’ s suit was motivated by her political agenda .
“ My motivation was to protect the independence , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in our judiciary , ” she told The Associated Press .
“ I put my hand on the Bible and raised my hand to God and said I would protect and defend the constitution .
I feel I that I had a responsibility to do that.
” In its ruling , the court blamed the nominating committee for the problem .
“ The JNC itself made the decision to nominate a constitutionally ineligible candidate , and it is responsible for the consequences of that decision , ” it wrote .
We are committed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

A Democratic Florida lawmaker who objected to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ choice for a Florida Supreme Court vacancy has succeed in blocking the appointment of Jamaican immigrant Judge Renatha Francis now that the state supreme court has ruled in the lawmaker’s favor.
But the lawsuit from state Rep. Geraldine Thompson, who wanted a new list of potential justices drawn up so that it would include more black judges, has also ensured that the court will not include a black judge.
The court said Friday that Francis was ineligible because judges need to have been members of the Florida Bar for 10 years before they can serve on the Florida Supreme Court.
“The constitution’s ten-year Bar membership requirement and sixty-day appointment deadline are bright-line textual mandates that impose rules rather than standards and prioritize certainty over discretion,” the court ruled.
“We hold that the constitution requires the Governor immediately to appoint and commission a constitutionally eligible nominee from among the seven remaining candidates already certified by the judicial nominating commission.”
DeSantis appointed Francis on May 26. He said she would meet the 10-year rule by not assuming her position until Sept. 24, which would mark 10 years since was admitted to the bar on Sept. 24, 2010, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
The court rejected that logic.
“Not having been a member of the Florida Bar for ten years, Judge Renatha Francis was constitutionally ineligible for the office of justice of the supreme court on the expiration of the constitution’s sixty-day deadline,” the ruling said.
“And Judge Francis remains constitutionally ineligible now.”
Procedurally, Florida governors can only fill state supreme court vacancies from a list provided by the Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission.
DeSantis must now go back to the list of those he bypassed when he selected Francis, and no one on that list is black.
Judge Renatha Francis would have been the first non-Cuban, Caribbean-American to sit on the high court, but it was not to be. https://t.co/q8JuyfSbor — WPEC CBS12 News (@CBS12) September 11, 2020
For her part, Francis — a member of the conservative Federalist Society — said in a letter to DeSantis that she would withdraw her name from consideration
“In light of the circumstances, I have decided to withdraw my name from consideration for the position,” she wrote. “Thank you for your support, and for standing by me throughout this process, for which I am incredibly humbled.”
Thompson said the decision was “bittersweet.”
She noted that the JNC received applications from six black judges.
“It’s not the outcome I would’ve liked, but I put competence and qualifications over just a body who isn’t qualified, regardless of the color,” she told the Sentinel.
“The court made clear that all of us are governed by the rule of law, including Ron DeSantis.”
Multiple black leaders had supported Francis, according to The Palm Beach Post.
Do you think Thompson's lawsuit was motivated by her political agenda? 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: 97% (2071 Votes) No: 3% (62 Votes)
“She would represent not only her family, not only her former island of Jamaica, but every women, every black person, every immigrant and every Floridian,” Democratic Miramar Mayor Wayne Messam said at a news conference held this week by DeSantis, who said Thompson’s suit was motivated by her political agenda.
Thompson insisted her motives were pure.
“My motivation was to protect the independence, the autonomy and the confidence that people have in our judiciary,” she told The Associated Press.
“I put my hand on the Bible and raised my hand to God and said I would protect and defend the constitution. I feel I that I had a responsibility to do that.”
In its ruling, the court blamed the nominating committee for the problem.
“The JNC itself made the decision to nominate a constitutionally ineligible candidate, and it is responsible for the consequences of that decision,” it wrote.
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westernjournal--2020-09-13--Canadian Flight Canceled Because Toddler Allegedly Would Not Wear Mask

A Canadian airline says it canceled a flight from Calgary to Toronto because a 3-year-old did not wear a mask .
However , passenger Safwan Choudhry disputes that allegation by WestJet , saying that airline staff was trying to force his 19-month-old daughter to wear a mask .
He claimed that his 3-year-old daughter , whom the airline said did not wear a mask , did in fact have one on during the Tuesday incident , according to CBC News .
The airline was adamant that the older child did not wear a mask and that the family refused to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would like to clarify that there were two children , and we were not requiring the infant to wear a mask , but did require the other child , who is over age two , to wear one , ” WestJet spokesperson Lauren Stewart said .
TRENDING : CNN Hosts Lemon and Cuomo Launch Into Unhinged Rant Against Poor White People In an updated statement , WestJet said the parents did not put a mask on the older child .
“ Our crew requested the presence of the authorities after the guests refused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interim order and subsequently refused to deplane the aircraft , ” the airline said .
“ Due to the rapid escalation of the situation on board , our crew felt uncomfortable to operate and the flight was subsequently cancelled.
” Choudry said the airline was at fault .
“ It started with my toddler and once we got a mask on her , they turned to my 19-month-old infant and said , ‘ Every person on the plane has to wear a mask or the plane can ’ t take off , ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and failed to put a mask on the 19-month-old , he said .
“ Of course , being desperate to get home , we — despite there not being such a policy — opted to comply until she was crying hysterically , with the crew watching over us , until she threw up , at which point they told us you all need to get off the plane , ” he said .
“ Within 10 minutes , to everyone ’ s shock , multiple police officers boarded the plane and said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the crew to formally remove you guys so either come with us or it will be handcuffs ’ , ” he told CTV News .
Choudry said he received both negative reactions and support from passengers .
RELATED : NHL Star Reportedly Sucker-Punched for Speaking Out in Support of Republicans , Mentioning Trump “ Some , obviously , took the anger out on us — yelled out some racial slurs , some Islamophobic slurs — while the majority of the passengers were very cooperative and supportive and said , ‘ Be strong , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nur , who said she was a witness , told CBC News that the family did nothing wrong .
“ I was so shocked , the parents never raised their voices , they never got angry with the attendants , they were just trying to reason with them , ” she said , calling the airline ’ s response “ very unnecessary.
” “ This was about a toddler not wearing a mask , and you felt the need to deboard the entire plane ?
There was a woman on the plane trying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her deathbed .
It was just frustrating , very , very upsetting , ” Nur said .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

A Canadian airline says it canceled a flight from Calgary to Toronto because a 3-year-old did not wear a mask.
However, passenger Safwan Choudhry disputes that allegation by WestJet, saying that airline staff was trying to force his 19-month-old daughter to wear a mask.
He claimed that his 3-year-old daughter, whom the airline said did not wear a mask, did in fact have one on during the Tuesday incident, according to CBC News.
The airline was adamant that the older child did not wear a mask and that the family refused to cooperate with its rules.
“WestJet would like to clarify that there were two children, and we were not requiring the infant to wear a mask, but did require the other child, who is over age two, to wear one,” WestJet spokesperson Lauren Stewart said.
In an updated statement, WestJet said the parents did not put a mask on the older child.
“Our crew requested the presence of the authorities after the guests refused to comply with Transport Canada’s interim order and subsequently refused to deplane the aircraft,” the airline said.
“Due to the rapid escalation of the situation on board, our crew felt uncomfortable to operate and the flight was subsequently cancelled.”
Choudry said the airline was at fault.
Has the mask madness gotten out of control? Yes No
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“It started with my toddler and once we got a mask on her, they turned to my 19-month-old infant and said, ‘Every person on the plane has to wear a mask or the plane can’t take off,'” he said.
The parents tried and failed to put a mask on the 19-month-old, he said.
“Of course, being desperate to get home, we — despite there not being such a policy — opted to comply until she was crying hysterically, with the crew watching over us, until she threw up, at which point they told us you all need to get off the plane,” he said.
“Within 10 minutes, to everyone’s shock, multiple police officers boarded the plane and said, ‘We’ve been asked by the crew to formally remove you guys so either come with us or it will be handcuffs’,” he told CTV News.
Choudry said he received both negative reactions and support from passengers.
“Some, obviously, took the anger out on us — yelled out some racial slurs, some Islamophobic slurs — while the majority of the passengers were very cooperative and supportive and said, ‘Be strong,'” he said.
Passenger Marian Nur, who said she was a witness, told CBC News that the family did nothing wrong.
“I was so shocked, the parents never raised their voices, they never got angry with the attendants, they were just trying to reason with them,” she said, calling the airline’s response “very unnecessary.”
“This was about a toddler not wearing a mask, and you felt the need to deboard the entire plane? There was a woman on the plane trying to get home to her mother on her deathbed. It was just frustrating, very, very upsetting,” Nur said.
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westernjournal--2020-09-13--Atlantic Writer Calls To Abolish Nobel Peace Prize Because Trump Got Nominated

First , an acknowledgement : The Nobel Peace Prize is a thoroughgoing joke that just gets more ridiculous .
It ’ s honored a pretty impressive roster of people , true , but we didn ’ t need an award to recognize that Martin Luther King Jr. , Nelson Mandela , Elie Wiesel or Albert Schweitzer were awe-inspiring human beings .
On the other hand , the committee gave the imprimatur of the peace prize to war criminals like Yasser Arafat and Le Duc Tho , lumbering supranational bodies like the European Union and the United Nations , and other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Gorbachev and Woodrow Wilson .
The committee ’ s recent use of the award to remark on American politics is a particular irritant .
In 2007 , Al Gore won the award because , for all intents and purposes , he made a movie about climate change .
That beats 2009 ’ s winner , Barack Obama , who received the award for winning an election .
TRENDING : CNN Hosts Lemon and Cuomo Launch Into Unhinged Rant Against Poor White People Jimmy Carter won it in 2002 “ for his decades of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ international conflicts , to advance democracy and human rights , and to promote economic and social development , ” which was convenient timing given the United States and its allies were wrestling with a truculent regime in Baghdad at the time .
The peace prize has degraded to the point that Greta Thunberg was considered the favorite for last year ’ s award for skipping school and scolding adults ; the committee exercised a bit of sense at the last moment and gave it to the relatively more deserving Abiy Ahmed , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when oddsmakers are surprised a Nordic teenager with a good nose for publicity didn ’ t win the award , that should be a sign things are amiss in Oslo .
Now that President Donald Trump has been nominated for the peace prize because of his role brokering a peace deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates , Graeme Wood has suddenly come to the convenient conclusion that it ’ s time to abolish the award .
If you ’ re unfamiliar , Wood is usually one of the more tolerable writers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I ’ m not a fan of his politics , but stylistically , he ’ s excellent .
He ’ s the author of an admirable tome , “ The Way of the Strangers : Encounters with the Islamic State.
” His denunciation of far-left author Vicky Osterweil ’ s recent book “ In Defense of Looting ” is one of the best treatments of that dismal subject and deserves a read .
Wood had a conniption when Norwegian parliamentarian Christian Tybring-Gjedde nominated Trump for the award .
The conservative lawmaker said he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporter ” but that “ [ t ] he committee should look at the facts and judge him on the facts — not on the way he behaves sometimes .
The people who have received the Peace Prize in recent years have done much less than Donald Trump .
For example , Barack Obama did nothing.
” Wood didn ’ t take kindly to this , as shown by the simple title of his Friday piece : “ End the Nobel Peace Prize.
” “ Trolls are a Scandinavian invention , straight from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” Wood began his article , “ but Christian Tybring-Gjedde , a Norwegian parliamentarian , swears that he is not one .
Observers of his antics this week could be forgiven for thinking otherwise.
” He went on to note that the committee had , on occasion , not given out any prize .
( The most recent occasion for this was in 1972 . )
He thinks that ought to happen again because the Orange Man was nominated .
“ Giving the peace prize to no one at all is a tradition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a permanent basis .
The record of achievement of the peace laureates is so spotty , and the rationales for their awards so eclectic , that the committee should take a long break to consider whether peace is a category coherent enough to be worth recognizing , ” Wood wrote .
“ Peace had its chance , and blew it .
The Trump nomination — one of hundreds , including this second from a Swede — helps show why.
” The second one , I assume , is Trump ’ s second @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Swedish parliamentarian Magnus Jacobsson in recognition of the president ’ s separate role brokering a deal between Serbia and Kosovo .
Wood talked with Tybring-Gjedde , who argued that Trump ’ s troop withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan met the prize ’ s criteria for “ the abolition or reduction of standing armies ” even as he built up the U.S. military .
“ He admitted that Trump won ’ t win the prize , if only because of the man ’ s vulgarity and crude behavior , ” Wood wrote , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a couple of [ the five members of the committee ] , ” the parliamentarian told Wood .
“ And they are looking for people who should behave a certain way .
It ’ s not like chemistry — if they find out you have four divorces and are bad personally , they will never not give you the chemistry prize for that.
” So , naturally , Wood thinks it ’ s time to abolish the prize .
“ By now the contradictions of the peace prize should be apparent .
Is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rumors of peace ?
Do you deserve a prize for maintaining despots , as long as the despots are part of a stable network ?
Is it given for accidentally wrecking a great military — or only if the destruction is intentional ?
” Wood wrote .
“ What if you do all the right things , but you are a boor , or an alleged rapist ?
To these questions one might add a counsel of humility : If you have given the prize to enablers of genocide , kleptocrats , serial @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you should sit out the next few rounds.
” Wood was likely referring to four other problematic winners : Burmese democracy campaigner Aung San Suu Kyi , who has been criticized for her relative silence in the face of the country ’ s campaign of genocide ; Yasser Arafat , whose rule of Palestine was marred by his arrant kleptocracy ; Rigoberta Menchu , the Guatemalan indigenous campaigner who won the award in 1992 and eventually had her backstory dismantled ; and Wangari Maathai , the Kenyan ecologist who won the award in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agent .
Wood wrote that the prize “ has always been subjective ” but that “ its incoherence has become too great.
” “ The honor doesn ’ t incentivize peace , if one year you give it to [ Henry ] Kissinger ( starter of many conflicts , ender of one ) , and another you give it to Mother Teresa ( who never started a war , but who — as Christopher Hitchens liked to point out — used her Nobel lecture to inform the world that the ‘ greatest destroyer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ” he wrote .
“ Tybring-Gjedde suggests that brief conversations with hideous men are a reason to award the prize , and its history suggests that he might be right .
Then again , Barack Obama won the prize in 2009 , while refusing to meet with Kim Jong-il and , by the way , expanding America ’ s drone program .
( He won for his promotion of , notably not his success in achieving , ‘ cooperation between peoples.
’ ) ” All of this has been well-known for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Teresa- and Henry Kissinger-hater Christopher Hitchens , who Wood name-checked , has been dead for almost a decade and spent the better part of his career railing against them .
Menchu was exposed over 20 years ago and Maathai began getting Infowars-y on HIV/AIDS over 15 years ago .
Yasser Arafat was always sick joke of a man , no matter how many people refused to see it .
So , why now ?
Wood makes it clear he thinks the award is getting too political , but it ’ s interesting to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recently .
For him , the Nobel committee is left with two choices : Either it can give the award to one of those supranational organizations “ or it can keep the prize locked away for a while , and reevaluate its reasoning for a modern era .
“ I suspect that that reevaluation will end , if the committee is honest , with the admission that peace can be recognized only by its fruits , which take decades to mature , and not by its seeds .
To keep giving awards for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and to make yourself hostage to wacky attention-seeking nominations like Trump ’ s .
Better to shut it down , before the trolls do first.
” Too late for that .
Barack Obama , again , had done nothing but spend four years in the Senate and win a national election when he was awarded his 2009 Nobel Peace Prize .
Wood has come up with nothing new about the fatuousness of the prize , merely that he ’ s just been awakened ( dare I say “ woked ?
” ) to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nominated President Trump for the award .
At least Trump did something before he was nominated — and he still won ’ t win .
The mere nomination is enough to raise Wood ’ s hackles , however .
I ’ m sure there ’ s a lesson here about the politicization of the Nobel Peace Prize process , but darned if I can find it .
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

First, an acknowledgement: The Nobel Peace Prize is a thoroughgoing joke that just gets more ridiculous.
It’s honored a pretty impressive roster of people, true, but we didn’t need an award to recognize that Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, Elie Wiesel or Albert Schweitzer were awe-inspiring human beings.
On the other hand, the committee gave the imprimatur of the peace prize to war criminals like Yasser Arafat and Le Duc Tho, lumbering supranational bodies like the European Union and the United Nations, and other individuals of questionable deservedness, like Mikhail Gorbachev and Woodrow Wilson.
The committee’s recent use of the award to remark on American politics is a particular irritant.
In 2007, Al Gore won the award because, for all intents and purposes, he made a movie about climate change. That beats 2009’s winner, Barack Obama, who received the award for winning an election.
Jimmy Carter won it in 2002 “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development,” which was convenient timing given the United States and its allies were wrestling with a truculent regime in Baghdad at the time.
The peace prize has degraded to the point that Greta Thunberg was considered the favorite for last year’s award for skipping school and scolding adults; the committee exercised a bit of sense at the last moment and gave it to the relatively more deserving Abiy Ahmed, the prime minister of Ethiopia.
Still, when oddsmakers are surprised a Nordic teenager with a good nose for publicity didn’t win the award, that should be a sign things are amiss in Oslo.
Now that President Donald Trump has been nominated for the peace prize because of his role brokering a peace deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Graeme Wood has suddenly come to the convenient conclusion that it’s time to abolish the award.
If you’re unfamiliar, Wood is usually one of the more tolerable writers in The Atlantic’s stable. I’m not a fan of his politics, but stylistically, he’s excellent. He’s the author of an admirable tome, “The Way of the Strangers: Encounters with the Islamic State.” His denunciation of far-left author Vicky Osterweil’s recent book “In Defense of Looting” is one of the best treatments of that dismal subject and deserves a read.
Wood had a conniption when Norwegian parliamentarian Christian Tybring-Gjedde nominated Trump for the award. The conservative lawmaker said he wasn’t “a big Trump supporter” but that “[t]he committee should look at the facts and judge him on the facts — not on the way he behaves sometimes. The people who have received the Peace Prize in recent years have done much less than Donald Trump. For example, Barack Obama did nothing.”
Wood didn’t take kindly to this, as shown by the simple title of his Friday piece: “End the Nobel Peace Prize.”
“Trolls are a Scandinavian invention, straight from the frigid sagas of Norse mythology,” Wood began his article, “but Christian Tybring-Gjedde, a Norwegian parliamentarian, swears that he is not one. Observers of his antics this week could be forgiven for thinking otherwise.”
He went on to note that the committee had, on occasion, not given out any prize. (The most recent occasion for this was in 1972.) He thinks that ought to happen again because the Orange Man was nominated.
“Giving the peace prize to no one at all is a tradition the Nobel Committee should revive, perhaps on a permanent basis. The record of achievement of the peace laureates is so spotty, and the rationales for their awards so eclectic, that the committee should take a long break to consider whether peace is a category coherent enough to be worth recognizing,” Wood wrote.
“Peace had its chance, and blew it. The Trump nomination — one of hundreds, including this second from a Swede — helps show why.”
The second one, I assume, is Trump’s second nomination for the prize, this time from Swedish parliamentarian Magnus Jacobsson in recognition of the president’s separate role brokering a deal between Serbia and Kosovo.
I have nominated the US Gov. and the governments of Kosovo and Serbia for the Nobel Peace Prize for their joint work for peace and economic development, through the cooperation agreement signed in the White House. Trade and communications are important building blocks for peace. pic.twitter.com/XuhkLbHZAV — Magnus Jacobsson (@magnusjacobsson) September 11, 2020
Wood talked with Tybring-Gjedde, who argued that Trump’s troop withdrawals from Iraq and Afghanistan met the prize’s criteria for “the abolition or reduction of standing armies” even as he built up the U.S. military.
“He admitted that Trump won’t win the prize, if only because of the man’s vulgarity and crude behavior,” Wood wrote, before quoting Tybring-Gjedde: “I know a couple of [the five members of the committee],” the parliamentarian told Wood.
“And they are looking for people who should behave a certain way. It’s not like chemistry — if they find out you have four divorces and are bad personally, they will never not give you the chemistry prize for that.”
So, naturally, Wood thinks it’s time to abolish the prize.
“By now the contradictions of the peace prize should be apparent. Is it given for peace, or for rumors of peace? Do you deserve a prize for maintaining despots, as long as the despots are part of a stable network? Is it given for accidentally wrecking a great military — or only if the destruction is intentional?” Wood wrote.
“What if you do all the right things, but you are a boor, or an alleged rapist? To these questions one might add a counsel of humility: If you have given the prize to enablers of genocide, kleptocrats, serial fabricators, and AIDS conspiracists, maybe you should sit out the next few rounds.”
Wood was likely referring to four other problematic winners: Burmese democracy campaigner Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been criticized for her relative silence in the face of the country’s campaign of genocide; Yasser Arafat, whose rule of Palestine was marred by his arrant kleptocracy; Rigoberta Menchu, the Guatemalan indigenous campaigner who won the award in 1992 and eventually had her backstory dismantled; and Wangari Maathai, the Kenyan ecologist who won the award in 2004 and believes AIDS is a biological agent.
Should Donald Trump win the Nobel Peace Prize? Yes No
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Wood wrote that the prize “has always been subjective” but that “its incoherence has become too great.”
“The honor doesn’t incentivize peace, if one year you give it to [Henry] Kissinger (starter of many conflicts, ender of one), and another you give it to Mother Teresa (who never started a war, but who — as Christopher Hitchens liked to point out — used her Nobel lecture to inform the world that the ‘greatest destroyer of world peace’ was abortion),” he wrote.
“Tybring-Gjedde suggests that brief conversations with hideous men are a reason to award the prize, and its history suggests that he might be right. Then again, Barack Obama won the prize in 2009, while refusing to meet with Kim Jong-il and, by the way, expanding America’s drone program. (He won for his promotion of, notably not his success in achieving, ‘cooperation between peoples.’)”
All of this has been well-known for a while, mind you; noted Mother Teresa- and Henry Kissinger-hater Christopher Hitchens, who Wood name-checked, has been dead for almost a decade and spent the better part of his career railing against them. Menchu was exposed over 20 years ago and Maathai began getting Infowars-y on HIV/AIDS over 15 years ago. Yasser Arafat was always sick joke of a man, no matter how many people refused to see it.
So, why now? Wood makes it clear he thinks the award is getting too political, but it’s interesting to see him come to this conclusion so recently.
For him, the Nobel committee is left with two choices: Either it can give the award to one of those supranational organizations “or it can keep the prize locked away for a while, and reevaluate its reasoning for a modern era.
“I suspect that that reevaluation will end, if the committee is honest, with the admission that peace can be recognized only by its fruits, which take decades to mature, and not by its seeds. To keep giving awards for the seeds is to court embarrassment, and to make yourself hostage to wacky attention-seeking nominations like Trump’s. Better to shut it down, before the trolls do first.”
Too late for that.
Barack Obama, again, had done nothing but spend four years in the Senate and win a national election when he was awarded his 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.
Wood has come up with nothing new about the fatuousness of the prize, merely that he’s just been awakened (dare I say “woked?”) to the senselessness of it all because someone nominated President Trump for the award.
At least Trump did something before he was nominated — and he still won’t win.
The mere nomination is enough to raise Wood’s hackles, however. I’m sure there’s a lesson here about the politicization of the Nobel Peace Prize process, but darned if I can find it.
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westernjournal--2020-09-13--19 Families Pool Resources, Buy Up 97 Acres To Create New City for Black People

When Rev .
Dr. Martin Luther King looked to the future , he had a vision .
“ I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia , the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood , ” King said in his “ I Have a Dream ” speech .
But for real estate agent Ashley Scott and a group of 19 black families , their dream is a city founded by and for black residents .
Scott wanted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a village , again , a tribe , again , ” she told CNN .
In August , the group purchased 97 acres east of Macon in Wilkinson County , Georgia , to begin making that dream come true .
They have named their venture “ Freedom.
” TRENDING : CNN Hosts Lemon and Cuomo Launch Into Unhinged Rant Against Poor White People “ I ’ m hoping that it will be a thriving safe haven for people of color , for black families in particular , ” Scott said .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is thriving , that is safe , that has agriculture and commercial businesses that are supporting one another and that dollars circulating in our community , that is our vision.
” She said that protests are important because they bring “ attention to the injustices of black people , ” but that “ we wanted to create this safe space where we can address our own issues and concerns.
” Investor and entrepreneur Renee Walters said anxiety drove her involvement .
“ We both have black husbands .
We both have black sons @ @ @ @ @ @ @ overwhelmed and have a sense of anxiety when my husband will leave the house to go to work , ” she said .
“ So , it was like , OK , what can we do ?
” she said .
The search took some time , but then they found the land they were seeking .
“ It was just such a beautiful piece of land .
It was affordable , and it just made sense that we could create something that would be amazing for our families , ” Scott said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tensions Can Be Healed Through God The next step will be clearing the land , farming and creating a lake for sustainable fishing .
Scott added it would be wrong to paint her as aiming to create a segregated community .
“ It ’ s impossible to have anything exclusively black because our families are integrated , ” she said .
“ We are an integrated , tolerant and diverse community even as black people , so we don ’ t intend for it to be exclusively black , but we do intend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way.
” We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism .
Read our editorial standards .

When Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King looked to the future, he had a vision.
“I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood,” King said in his “I Have a Dream” speech.
But for real estate agent Ashley Scott and a group of 19 black families, their dream is a city founded by and for black residents.
Scott wanted to create a place “where we could be a village, again, a tribe, again,” she told CNN.
In August, the group purchased 97 acres east of Macon in Wilkinson County, Georgia, to begin making that dream come true. They have named their venture “Freedom.”
“We’re hoping to create legacy.”
A collective of 19 Black families recently bought more than 95 acres of land to create a safe community they intend to name Freedom, Georgia. https://t.co/toSx6gt0kr pic.twitter.com/AP3EJ85A3y — CNN (@CNN) September 12, 2020
“I’m hoping that it will be a thriving safe haven for people of color, for black families in particular,” Scott said.
“Being able to create a community that is thriving, that is safe, that has agriculture and commercial businesses that are supporting one another and that dollars circulating in our community, that is our vision.”
Do you think it would be considered racist if white people made their own town? Yes No
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She said that protests are important because they bring “attention to the injustices of black people,” but that “we wanted to create this safe space where we can address our own issues and concerns.”
Investor and entrepreneur Renee Walters said anxiety drove her involvement.
“We both have black husbands. We both have black sons. And I was starting to get overwhelmed and have a sense of anxiety when my husband will leave the house to go to work,” she said. “So, it was like, OK, what can we do?” she said.
The search took some time, but then they found the land they were seeking.
“It was just such a beautiful piece of land. It was affordable, and it just made sense that we could create something that would be amazing for our families,” Scott said.
The next step will be clearing the land, farming and creating a lake for sustainable fishing.
Scott added it would be wrong to paint her as aiming to create a segregated community.
“It’s impossible to have anything exclusively black because our families are integrated,” she said.
“We are an integrated, tolerant and diverse community even as black people, so we don’t intend for it to be exclusively black, but we do intend for it to be pro-black in every way.”
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