hotair--2020-09-01--Video: Black Lives Matter protests come to Cajun country

Just as Kenosha , Wisconsin was not expected to be the scene of Black Lives Matter protests , the same can be said for Lafayette , Louisiana .
Yet , the protests have come to Cajun country .
Lafayette is the center of Acadiana .
For those not familiar , Lafayette is the parish seat of Lafayette Parish , Louisiana , located along the Vermilion River in the southwestern part of the state .
It is the state ’ s fourth-largest city , with a population of about 126,185 .
It ’ s a family-friendly city .
I know this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ city is experiencing the same kind of civil unrest that others are experiencing after police shot a black man .
And a familiar name has popped up , too .
Attorney Ben Crump is involved with the family of the black man .
Crump ’ s name has often popped up since the death of George Floyd .
Trayford Pellerin was a 31-year-old black man who was shot eleven times by Lafayette police after he led them on a chase from one gas station to another .
Lafayette police responded to a disturbance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a local gas station .
When officers arrived , they found Pellerin in the parking lot .
They tried to apprehend him but Pellerin fled on foot .
Police pursued him for about a half a mile to another gas station .
At the second gas station , as Pellerin attempted to enter it , police shot him at the door .
He was taken to a hospital where he died .
At least one officer fired his gun .
The officers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
There is video from the scene taken by a witness .
It shows several officers surrounding Pellerin , shots fired , and then Pellerin falls to the ground .
Pellerin has a record of drug violations and served time in state prison for felony drug and firearm possession .
There has been a series of protests since the shooting occurred on August 21 .
The witness who filmed the shooting said it appeared Pellerin had a knife and was walking away from the police .
Pellerin ignored their order for Pellerin to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rickasha Montgomery , a witness who filmed a video of the police shooting of the suspect , said she saw what appeared to be a knife in the man ’ s hand .
She said officers tased him , but he kept walking down Evangeline Thruway away from police .
She saw about six officers with guns pulled out , she said .
Officers yelled for the man to get on the ground , the 18-year-old Montgomery said .
But when the man reached the door of the Shell gas station , officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the family believes Pellerin may have been experiencing mental health problems .
Crump demands that the police officers involved be fired “ immediately ” , because apparently police officers are no longer entitled to due process or believed innocent until proven guilty .
Unlike some other cities top officials , Lafayette Mayor-President Josh Guillory defended Pellerin ’ s shooting .
Guillory said Pellering was “ threatening ” after police confronted him .
He continued to walk away from them even after he was tasered .
Guillory praised officers in a statement .
With @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the family , I ’ m a little surprised that this story hasn ’ t been all over cable news .
Maybe I ’ ve just missed it .
During this period of unrest , Hurricane Laura happened .
The hurricane destroyed parts of coastal Louisiana ( and parts of Texas ) which is putting Lafayette in a tough spot as the city tries to handle hurricane evacuees .
Lafayette is a regular place for those further toward the coast to evacuate to when hurricanes force evacuations .
A top aide to Lafayette @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Guillory ’ s chief administrative officer , is urging nonprofits not to offer shelter to evacuees .
She cites “ a serious threat ” from recent protests .
She also points to the problems coming from outside agitators coming in from out of town , including armed protesters .
It sounds harsh but with coronavirus concerns still out there and now the potential for violent protests and bad actors coming in town , you can see how a city official would sound the alarm to those trying to offer shelter to evacuees .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well as liability issues , I would think .
Wingerter addressed the concerns in an email .
Mayor-President Guillory issued a proclamation limiting public gatherings after weekend protests .
Wingerter asked that non-profit agencies “ take a pause on any action to establish shelters at this time , ” because of the continued protests .
“ This is a serious threat and we must handle this issue before we can care for our neighbors , ” she wrote .
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette issued a statement in support of peaceful @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the campus .
Just peaceful protesters , right ?
Sure , they are peaceful until they aren ’ t .
Black Lives Matter is across the country and supporting protests in cities large and small now .
We know the people who are behind this political movement .
Cities across the country should prepare accordingly .

Just as Kenosha, Wisconsin was not expected to be the scene of Black Lives Matter protests, the same can be said for Lafayette, Louisiana. Yet, the protests have come to Cajun country. Lafayette is the center of Acadiana.
For those not familiar, Lafayette is the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, located along the Vermilion River in the southwestern part of the state. It is the state’s fourth-largest city, with a population of about 126,185. It’s a family-friendly city. I know this from personal experience. Currently, the city is experiencing the same kind of civil unrest that others are experiencing after police shot a black man. And a familiar name has popped up, too. Attorney Ben Crump is involved with the family of the black man. Crump’s name has often popped up since the death of George Floyd.
Trayford Pellerin was a 31-year-old black man who was shot eleven times by Lafayette police after he led them on a chase from one gas station to another. Lafayette police responded to a disturbance involving a person armed with a knife at a local gas station. When officers arrived, they found Pellerin in the parking lot. They tried to apprehend him but Pellerin fled on foot. Police pursued him for about a half a mile to another gas station. At the second gas station, as Pellerin attempted to enter it, police shot him at the door. He was taken to a hospital where he died.
At least one officer fired his gun. The officers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave with pay as an investigation is underway. There is video from the scene taken by a witness. It shows several officers surrounding Pellerin, shots fired, and then Pellerin falls to the ground.
Warning: Graphic language and images.
Lafayette La PD Shoot Citizen He is currently hospitalized. I’m posting this video before the police & the media tell us everything about this man, before they name the government officials who shot him. I’m posting this because he is human, & the government shot him. Repeatedly pic.twitter.com/TLusM2pKlN — Gary Chambers (@GaryChambersJr) August 22, 2020
According to the Louisiana State Police, the agency investigating the shooting, Lafayette officers tased Pellerin and continued to pursue him for nearly half a mile as he walked away from them. As a group of about six officers closed in on him when he approached the entrance to a gas station store, Pellerin was shot multiple times. Officers said he was carrying a knife. “A son was taken,” said Ron Hanley, a lawyer representing the Pellerin family. “A brother was taken, a cousin, a nephew.”
Pellerin has a record of drug violations and served time in state prison for felony drug and firearm possession.
There has been a series of protests since the shooting occurred on August 21. The witness who filmed the shooting said it appeared Pellerin had a knife and was walking away from the police. Pellerin ignored their order for Pellerin to “get on the ground”.
Rickasha Montgomery, a witness who filmed a video of the police shooting of the suspect, said she saw what appeared to be a knife in the man’s hand. She said officers tased him, but he kept walking down Evangeline Thruway away from police. She saw about six officers with guns pulled out, she said. Officers yelled for the man to get on the ground, the 18-year-old Montgomery said. But when the man reached the door of the Shell gas station, officers shot him.
Attorney Ben Crump says the family believes Pellerin may have been experiencing mental health problems. Crump demands that the police officers involved be fired “immediately”, because apparently police officers are no longer entitled to due process or believed innocent until proven guilty.
Ben Crump, a civil rights lawyer hired to represent Pellerin’s family during the investigation into the shooting, said relatives believe Pellerin’s final moments were marked by a mental health crisis. “His family believes that he was suffering a mental illness crisis and what he needed was a helping hand. But what he got was what looks like 11 bullets,” Crump said. Crump called for the officers involved in the shooting, who have been placed on paid administrative leave, to be fired immediately.
Unlike some other cities top officials, Lafayette Mayor-President Josh Guillory defended Pellerin’s shooting. Guillory said Pellering was “threatening” after police confronted him. He continued to walk away from them even after he was tasered. Guillory praised officers in a statement.
“Our hearts and prayers are with our community tonight, and with the men and women in uniform who put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe,” he said. Guillory did not publically offer condolences for the Pellerin family.
With Ben Crump involved as an attorney for the family, I’m a little surprised that this story hasn’t been all over cable news. Maybe I’ve just missed it.
The family has retained Civil Rights attorney Ben Crump. Crump, who is based in Tallahassee, Florida, has represented the families of other Black men who have been killed by police, including George Floyd. He also represented the family of Trayvon Martin, a 17-year-old Black teen who was fatally shot by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman in 2012. “We stand with Trayford’s family in demanding justice and transparency into the reckless shooting and tragic killing of this man,” Crump said in a statement Saturday. “We refuse to let this case resolve like so many others: quietly and without answers and justice.”
During this period of unrest, Hurricane Laura happened. The hurricane destroyed parts of coastal Louisiana (and parts of Texas) which is putting Lafayette in a tough spot as the city tries to handle hurricane evacuees. Lafayette is a regular place for those further toward the coast to evacuate to when hurricanes force evacuations. A top aide to Lafayette Mayor-President Josh Guillory, Cydra Wingerter, Guillory’s chief administrative officer, is urging nonprofits not to offer shelter to evacuees. She cites “a serious threat” from recent protests. She also points to the problems coming from outside agitators coming in from out of town, including armed protesters. It sounds harsh but with coronavirus concerns still out there and now the potential for violent protests and bad actors coming in town, you can see how a city official would sound the alarm to those trying to offer shelter to evacuees. There are personal safety issues involved, as well as liability issues, I would think. Wingerter addressed the concerns in an email. Mayor-President Guillory issued a proclamation limiting public gatherings after weekend protests. Wingerter asked that non-profit agencies “take a pause on any action to establish shelters at this time,” because of the continued protests. “This is a serious threat and we must handle this issue before we can care for our neighbors,” she wrote.
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette issued a statement in support of peaceful protesters but warned against demonstrators bringing firearms to the campus.
But the university condemned demonstrators who brought firearms to the campus during the protest, saying at least one had violated state laws that prohibit guns on campus. The university statement cited its “unwavering priority — and that’s to ensure the health and safety of every member of its campus community.” Marchers left UL on Saturday to return to the statue of Confederate Gen. Alfred Mouton, where at least two people openly carried firearms. They said they were there to protect the demonstrators’ right to protest.
Just peaceful protesters, right? Sure, they are peaceful until they aren’t. Black Lives Matter is across the country and supporting protests in cities large and small now. We know the people who are behind this political movement. Cities across the country should prepare accordingly.


hotair--2020-09-01--Another judge tries to pry open the southern border

We haven ’ t heard all that much in the news lately about the illegal immigration issues on the southern border .
( Well , aside from the unpleasantness surrounding We Build the Wall , of course . )
This is most likely due to the fact that the border is essentially closed due to the pandemic anyway .
But there are still legal battles brewing thanks to the open borders crowd , and yet another of those came to a temporary conclusion this week .
A judge in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia ruled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were not qualified to perform screenings for asylum applicants arriving at the U.S. and Mexico border .
While this may not have a lot of impact in the short term , it could end up reversing some of the White House ’ s initiatives in controlling migration once the traffic across the border returns to normal .
( Whenever that is allegedly going to happen . )
This report comes from the Associated Press .
A federal judge on Monday blocked U.S. Customs and Border Protection employees from conducting the initial screening for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to one of the Trump administration ’ s efforts to rein in asylum .
The nationwide injunction will likely have little , if any , immediate impact because the government has effectively suspended asylum during the coronavirus pandemic , citing public health concerns .
The Trump administration argued that designated CBP employees are trained comparably to asylum officers at U.S .
Citizenship and Immigration Services , another agency within the Homeland Security Department .
U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon in Washington disagreed .
You can get a sense of the level of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Judge Richard J. Leon actually used the word “ Poppycock ” with an exclamation point in the text of his ruling .
He determined that the two to five weeks of training that CBP employees receive when learning to conduct asylum interviews is insufficient compared to the six to nine weeks of training given to U.S .
Citizenship and Immigration Services workers .
The report notes that Judge Leon is a Bush 43 appointee , presumably offering that as evidence that this wasn ’ t some sort of partisan maneuver .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply note that Supreme Court Chief Justice John Robers was also appointed by W , and we ’ ve all seen how that ’ s been working out lately .
Judge Leon goes on to opine that CPB agents are not likely to conduct screenings in a “ nonadversarial manner ” as required by law .
I assume he means to imply that USCIS employees are less adversarial by default ?
That ’ s a rather leaping bit of generalization , isn ’ t it ?
Citizenship and Immigration Services employees are also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ valid claims are allowed entry into the country .
Otherwise , why bother screening anyone at all ?
The entire process is “ adversarial ” when looked at in that light .
Similarly , CBP officers are obliged to allow people through the border who are legally entitled to cross .
Both positions require a degree of both convivial and adversarial attitudes depending on the circumstances .
The deeper you go into the judge ’ s decision , the more it seems that the word “ poppycock ” could be applied to this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ policies on asylum screening .
Or perhaps we should say “ malarky ?
” In any event , as I noted at the top , traffic at the border , both legal and illegal , is a relative trickle at the moment when compared to previous periods .
The summer weather makes illegal crossings in desert areas even more brutal than they are otherwise , and the low traffic rates allow for more thorough inspections of vehicles approaching authorized crossing points .
At the moment , the stress placed on our immigration system @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in years , so this ruling shouldn ’ t have too much of an effect .
But if traffic volumes at the border begin to surge again in the fall and winter , this could come back to bite us .
Of course , the government will almost certainly appeal this ruling , so the question may well be moot before that becomes an issue .

We haven’t heard all that much in the news lately about the illegal immigration issues on the southern border. (Well, aside from the unpleasantness surrounding We Build the Wall, of course.) This is most likely due to the fact that the border is essentially closed due to the pandemic anyway. But there are still legal battles brewing thanks to the open borders crowd, and yet another of those came to a temporary conclusion this week. A judge in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia ruled yesterday that Customs and Border Protection agents were not qualified to perform screenings for asylum applicants arriving at the U.S. and Mexico border. While this may not have a lot of impact in the short term, it could end up reversing some of the White House’s initiatives in controlling migration once the traffic across the border returns to normal. (Whenever that is allegedly going to happen.) This report comes from the Associated Press.
A federal judge on Monday blocked U.S. Customs and Border Protection employees from conducting the initial screening for people seeking asylum, dealing a setback to one of the Trump administration’s efforts to rein in asylum. The nationwide injunction will likely have little, if any, immediate impact because the government has effectively suspended asylum during the coronavirus pandemic, citing public health concerns. The Trump administration argued that designated CBP employees are trained comparably to asylum officers at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, another agency within the Homeland Security Department. U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon in Washington disagreed.
You can get a sense of the level of judicial seriousness on display here by noting that Judge Richard J. Leon actually used the word “Poppycock” with an exclamation point in the text of his ruling. He determined that the two to five weeks of training that CBP employees receive when learning to conduct asylum interviews is insufficient compared to the six to nine weeks of training given to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services workers.
The report notes that Judge Leon is a Bush 43 appointee, presumably offering that as evidence that this wasn’t some sort of partisan maneuver. In response to that, I’ll simply note that Supreme Court Chief Justice John Robers was also appointed by W, and we’ve all seen how that’s been working out lately.
Judge Leon goes on to opine that CPB agents are not likely to conduct screenings in a “nonadversarial manner” as required by law. I assume he means to imply that USCIS employees are less adversarial by default? That’s a rather leaping bit of generalization, isn’t it? Citizenship and Immigration Services employees are also charged with ensuring that only those with valid claims are allowed entry into the country. Otherwise, why bother screening anyone at all? The entire process is “adversarial” when looked at in that light.
Similarly, CBP officers are obliged to allow people through the border who are legally entitled to cross. Both positions require a degree of both convivial and adversarial attitudes depending on the circumstances. The deeper you go into the judge’s decision, the more it seems that the word “poppycock” could be applied to this ruling more appropriately than current White House policies on asylum screening. Or perhaps we should say “malarky?”
In any event, as I noted at the top, traffic at the border, both legal and illegal, is a relative trickle at the moment when compared to previous periods. The summer weather makes illegal crossings in desert areas even more brutal than they are otherwise, and the low traffic rates allow for more thorough inspections of vehicles approaching authorized crossing points. At the moment, the stress placed on our immigration system is lower than it’s been in years, so this ruling shouldn’t have too much of an effect. But if traffic volumes at the border begin to surge again in the fall and winter, this could come back to bite us. Of course, the government will almost certainly appeal this ruling, so the question may well be moot before that becomes an issue.


hotair--2020-09-01--NYC school principal finally removed after letting students run wild

Among the many “ reforms ” championed by teachers ’ unions around the country and implemented in many urban school districts was a move to vastly reduce suspensions for disruptive students .
The reason cited in numerous studies was the “ disproportionate racial bias ” in such disciplinary actions , with Black and Latino students being more likely to be suspended than White or Asian children .
One school that seemed to aggressively embrace this theory was Marie Curie Middle School ( MS 158 ) in Queens .
Frequently cited as being one of the better and more successful schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or even violent behavior were almost entirely eliminated over the past couple of years .
The result ?
I ’ m sure you ’ ll be shocked to learn this , but incidents of dangerous behavior by students immediately began to rise .
This year , the parents of the students at Marie Curie clearly reached a breaking point and they packed a parental meeting where the School Chancellor was hounded from the stage .
Calls for the firing of the school principal were loudly aired and this week the district bowed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Henry Schandel was removed .
( NY Post ) The principal of a Queens middle school that became a flashpoint in a citywide debate over classroom safety and discipline last year has been removed , according to the Department of Education .
Former MS 158 Marie Curie principal Henry Schandel will now serve as an assistant principal at another school and be replaced by interim principal Peter McHugh , officials said… [ Schools Chancellor Richard ] Carranza walked off the stage during a raucous January meeting where both teachers and parents complained of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administrators .
How bad had things gotten at MS 158 ?
In the past year , one teenage girl was beaten to the point of requiring medical attention while other students videotaped the incident and multiple teachers looked on .
The students inflicting the beating were not suspended .
One of the teachers told reporters that the staff is “ hesitant to intervene in fights because they fear administrative backlash or accusations of excessive force.
” They added that “ the students run the building .
The environment gets more chaotic by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another teenage girl was sexually assaulted in her classroom .
While the perpetrator was eventually arrested , he was never suspended and continued to attend classes while his victim ’ s family was too frightened to allow her to go to school .
In short , Marie Curie had turned into a middle school version of Animal House , or possibly even worse .
So what happens to Principal Schandel now that “ justice ” is finally being served ?
I mean , he ’ s got to be out on his keister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Not at all .
Schandel will “ serve as an assistant principal at another school.
” Wait a minute .
You mean to say that this guy is so atrociously incompetent at his job that he has to be immediately and unceremoniously removed from his position , but you ’ re just going to shuffle him off to be the second-in-command at yet another school ?
This is reminiscent of the infamous “ rubber rooms ” in the New York City school system that were exposed by the press over a decade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get rid of a dangerously incompetent or even criminally misbehaving teacher in the Big Apple .
Even teachers who were accused of sexually assaulting children wound up staying on the payroll and hanging around in these “ reassignment centers , ” sometimes for years on end .
But the larger problem here is the flawed notion that disciplining aggressive or dangerous students is something to be discouraged if it gives the appearance of being disproportionately applied to minority students .
If that ’ s the reality and there are equally abusive White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start enforcing the rules equally or fire the principals and teachers who are demonstrating such biased favoritism .
But if not , keep the discipline in place .
Sadly , there are too many students who will run completely off the rails without a firm hand to guide them .
This is particularly true if they come from households where discipline is equally lax .
And that ’ s just a reminder that , in the end , the only people truly capable of raising children to be productive citizens are the parents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grow up in a household where that sort of moral guidance is instilled , their odds of success are drastically reduced before they ever leave the nest .

Among the many “reforms” championed by teachers’ unions around the country and implemented in many urban school districts was a move to vastly reduce suspensions for disruptive students. The reason cited in numerous studies was the “disproportionate racial bias” in such disciplinary actions, with Black and Latino students being more likely to be suspended than White or Asian children. One school that seemed to aggressively embrace this theory was Marie Curie Middle School (MS 158) in Queens. Frequently cited as being one of the better and more successful schools in the district, suspensions for disruptive or even violent behavior were almost entirely eliminated over the past couple of years.
The result? I’m sure you’ll be shocked to learn this, but incidents of dangerous behavior by students immediately began to rise. This year, the parents of the students at Marie Curie clearly reached a breaking point and they packed a parental meeting where the School Chancellor was hounded from the stage. Calls for the firing of the school principal were loudly aired and this week the district bowed to the wishes of the parents and Principal Henry Schandel was removed. (NY Post)
The principal of a Queens middle school that became a flashpoint in a citywide debate over classroom safety and discipline last year has been removed, according to the Department of Education. Former MS 158 Marie Curie principal Henry Schandel will now serve as an assistant principal at another school and be replaced by interim principal Peter McHugh, officials said… [Schools Chancellor Richard] Carranza walked off the stage during a raucous January meeting where both teachers and parents complained of deteriorating classroom safety and lax discipline from administrators.
How bad had things gotten at MS 158? In the past year, one teenage girl was beaten to the point of requiring medical attention while other students videotaped the incident and multiple teachers looked on. The students inflicting the beating were not suspended. One of the teachers told reporters that the staff is “hesitant to intervene in fights because they fear administrative backlash or accusations of excessive force.” They added that “the students run the building. The environment gets more chaotic by the day.”
In a separate incident, another teenage girl was sexually assaulted in her classroom. While the perpetrator was eventually arrested, he was never suspended and continued to attend classes while his victim’s family was too frightened to allow her to go to school. In short, Marie Curie had turned into a middle school version of Animal House, or possibly even worse.
So what happens to Principal Schandel now that “justice” is finally being served? I mean, he’s got to be out on his keister after this sort of debacle, right? Not at all. Schandel will “serve as an assistant principal at another school.”
Wait a minute. You mean to say that this guy is so atrociously incompetent at his job that he has to be immediately and unceremoniously removed from his position, but you’re just going to shuffle him off to be the second-in-command at yet another school? This is reminiscent of the infamous “rubber rooms” in the New York City school system that were exposed by the press over a decade ago. It’s virtually impossible to get rid of a dangerously incompetent or even criminally misbehaving teacher in the Big Apple. Even teachers who were accused of sexually assaulting children wound up staying on the payroll and hanging around in these “reassignment centers,” sometimes for years on end.
But the larger problem here is the flawed notion that disciplining aggressive or dangerous students is something to be discouraged if it gives the appearance of being disproportionately applied to minority students. If that’s the reality and there are equally abusive White students who are not being suspended, start enforcing the rules equally or fire the principals and teachers who are demonstrating such biased favoritism. But if not, keep the discipline in place. Sadly, there are too many students who will run completely off the rails without a firm hand to guide them.
This is particularly true if they come from households where discipline is equally lax. And that’s just a reminder that, in the end, the only people truly capable of raising children to be productive citizens are the parents. If the children don’t grow up in a household where that sort of moral guidance is instilled, their odds of success are drastically reduced before they ever leave the nest.


hotair--2020-09-01--LA next? Police shooting prompts BLM demonstrations in Los Angeles

A fatal police shooting in Los Angeles yesterday could touch off a new round of protests and riots in a summer-long national urban meltdown .
A vehicle-code stop on a bicycle escalated quickly into an assault on officers , resulting in the shooting death of Dijon Kizzee in south LA .
The sheriff ’ s office explained that Kizzee had a weapon and had initiated an assault on the officers , but Black Lives Matter LA called for immediate demonstrations — and they materialized quickly , albeit peaceful thus far : Cell phone video captured the man running from deputies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Witnesses could be heard in that video yelling out at the deputies involved .
One woman , who didn ’ t want to be identified , said she knew the man and saw the whole thing .
“ He had a towel and he had his clothes and his pants couldn ’ t even stay up , so that ’ s what made him slow down so they had enough to get him , ” she said .
“ They didn ’ t have to shoot him more than 5 times , they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the leg .
“ What ’ s the use of having the prison system if y ’ all are just gon na kill us , ” the woman said through tears .
“ What are y ’ all here for ?
Who are you protecting ?
” One side note : The “ shoot them in the leg ” idea is about as idiotic as it gets .
Police aim for center mass because ( a ) they ’ re only supposed to shoot to stop a threat to the lives of officers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it ’ s the best practice to keep a bullet from hitting someone else other than the target .
Besides , a leg shooting can be just as fatal to a human being , especially in the upper leg .
Penetrate the femoral artery and a person can bleed out within a couple of minutes .
How did a vehicle-code stop on a bicycle turn into a fatal police shooting ?
The LA Sheriff ’ s Department told the media that the suspect initiated a physical confrontation , and then dropped a gun @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was holding some items of clothing in his hands , punched one of the officers in the face and then dropped the items in his hands , ” Lt. Brandon Dean said .
“ The deputies noticed that inside the clothing items that he dropped was a black semiautomatic handgun , at which time a deputy-involved shooting occurred.
” Investigators said a handgun was recovered at the scene .
Speculatively , the sudden appearance of one handgun doesn ’ t mean that the suspect didn ’ t have another .
Having assaulted one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ handgun , one presumes every deputy drew their weapons and ordered Kizzee to stop .
The body cams will tell the full story , presumably , but this is an unfortunate part of the risk in traffic stops of any kind .
People act irrationally , especially those already breaking the law , and law enforcement officers are particularly vulnerable in these situations because of it .
We shouldn ’ t just assume that the deputies acted properly , but at the same time we shouldn ’ t assume they didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have investigations into all police shootings , and one reason why law enforcement agencies now routinely wear body cams .
Why not wait for the evidence before calling for protests and demanding street action ?
The answer to that question is : Because the people who organize street action aren ’ t interested in justice , at least not how it is commonly defined .
They want to impose their own vision of justice , not just on police but on everyone else .
Assumptions are therefore much more valuable to them than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we ’ ll see the evidence eventually .
If it tells a different story than the LASD claimed yesterday , watch out .
And if it supports the LASD ’ s claims … watch out anyway .

A fatal police shooting in Los Angeles yesterday could touch off a new round of protests and riots in a summer-long national urban meltdown. A vehicle-code stop on a bicycle escalated quickly into an assault on officers, resulting in the shooting death of Dijon Kizzee in south LA. The sheriff’s office explained that Kizzee had a weapon and had initiated an assault on the officers, but Black Lives Matter LA called for immediate demonstrations — and they materialized quickly, albeit peaceful thus far:
Cell phone video captured the man running from deputies moments before he was fatally shot. Witnesses could be heard in that video yelling out at the deputies involved. One woman, who didn’t want to be identified, said she knew the man and saw the whole thing. “He had a towel and he had his clothes and his pants couldn’t even stay up, so that’s what made him slow down so they had enough to get him,” she said. “They didn’t have to shoot him more than 5 times, they could have shot him one time in the leg. “What’s the use of having the prison system if y’all are just gonna kill us,” the woman said through tears. “What are y’all here for? Who are you protecting?”
One side note: The “shoot them in the leg” idea is about as idiotic as it gets. Police aim for center mass because (a) they’re only supposed to shoot to stop a threat to the lives of officers and others, and (b) it’s the best practice to keep a bullet from hitting someone else other than the target. Besides, a leg shooting can be just as fatal to a human being, especially in the upper leg. Penetrate the femoral artery and a person can bleed out within a couple of minutes.
How did a vehicle-code stop on a bicycle turn into a fatal police shooting? The LA Sheriff’s Department told the media that the suspect initiated a physical confrontation, and then dropped a gun during the melee:
“Our suspect was holding some items of clothing in his hands, punched one of the officers in the face and then dropped the items in his hands,” Lt. Brandon Dean said. “The deputies noticed that inside the clothing items that he dropped was a black semiautomatic handgun, at which time a deputy-involved shooting occurred.” Investigators said a handgun was recovered at the scene.
Speculatively, the sudden appearance of one handgun doesn’t mean that the suspect didn’t have another. Having assaulted one of the deputies and then dropping the handgun, one presumes every deputy drew their weapons and ordered Kizzee to stop. The body cams will tell the full story, presumably, but this is an unfortunate part of the risk in traffic stops of any kind. People act irrationally, especially those already breaking the law, and law enforcement officers are particularly vulnerable in these situations because of it.
We shouldn’t just assume that the deputies acted properly, but at the same time we shouldn’t assume they didn’t, either. That is why we have investigations into all police shootings, and one reason why law enforcement agencies now routinely wear body cams. Why not wait for the evidence before calling for protests and demanding street action? The answer to that question is: Because the people who organize street action aren’t interested in justice, at least not how it is commonly defined. They want to impose their own vision of justice, not just on police but on everyone else. Assumptions are therefore much more valuable to them than evidence and rational investigation.
Nonetheless, we’ll see the evidence eventually. If it tells a different story than the LASD claimed yesterday, watch out. And if it supports the LASD’s claims … watch out anyway.


hotair--2020-09-02--DC Mayor: The Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial have to go

The Mayor of Washington , D.C. has come up with an ambitious plan to make the nation ’ s capital more woke .
She had previously taken some small-scale , temporary measures like painting a gigantic Black Lives Matter mural on 16th Street NW on the north side of Lafayette Square , near the White House .
But that clearly wasn ’ t enough of a gesture to get the message across .
Her new idea , published just this week , is far more sweeping .
She ’ s set her sights on the Washington Monument , the Jefferson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Andrew Jackson .
She would like them to either be removed entirely , relocated , or “ differently contextualized ” ( whatever that ’ s supposed to mean ) .
Needless to say , the President wasn ’ t exactly a fan of the plan .
Kayleigh McEnany , the White House Press Secretary , came out with her usual level of candor , describing the idea as one that would only further incite divisiveness and violence in the streets , while further erasing our nation ’ s history .
( Washington Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ D.C. , Mayor Muriel Bowser on Tuesday night for a “ ludicrous ” plan to remove , relocate or “ contextualize ” the Washington Monument , the Jefferson Memorial and other monuments in the nation ’ s capital .
“ By publishing a plan that recommends potentially removing the Washington Monument , Christopher Columbus Statue , Andrew Jackson Statue , and Jefferson Memorial—among many other ludicrous recommendations — the radically liberal mayor of Washington , D.C. , is repeating the same left-wing narrative used to incite dangerous riots : demolishing our history and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany .
She said “ as long as President Trump is in the White House , the mayor ’ s irresponsible recommendations will go absolutely nowhere , and as the mayor of our Nation ’ s capital city — a city that belongs to the American people — she ought to be ashamed for even suggesting them for consideration.
” To be fair , Bowser didn ’ t come up with this crackpot scheme entirely on her own .
It was apparently part of a set of recommendations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Commemorative Expressions working group .
But it ’ s still pretty much entirely Bowser ’ s brainchild .
Also known as DCFACES , this is a a group that Bowser summoned into existence only last month , charged with “ evaluating ” all of the memorials and buildings in the capital to see if they are in keeping with “ D.C. ’ s values.
” The group is co-chaired by one of Bowser ’ s top advisors , so you know where all of this is coming from .
We ’ ve already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the country showing that a majority of people are opposed to tearing down historic statues and monuments , even when they represent places and people associated with the Confederacy .
When you start going after the Founding Fathers , support totally craters .
And now they ’ re talking about tearing down the Washington Monument ?
That ’ s going to go over like a lead balloon .
It ’ s also unlikely that the municipal government of D.C. even has the authority to make such changes .
Those parks and monuments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ were crazy enough to actually attempt this they would probably be shut down in court so fast it would make their heads spin .
What I ’ d really like to know at this point is how Joe Biden feels about this plan .
Is anyone from the media going to ask him ?
I ’ d wager that it would be an entertaining conversation to tune in for .
Biden isn ’ t so far gone around the bend that he could possibly be in support of this .
But if he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ ll once again wind up disappointing his woke base .
I ’ m sure you could get Kamala Harris to sign on because at this point she ’ ll say anything that gets her one step closer to the Vice Presidency and eventually the Oval Office and she ’ s supposed to be the one keeping both the socialist base and minority voters enthusiastic about the ticket .
It ’ s a fair bet that Bernie Sanders would go along with it as well .
But I ’ ll be very ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , MSNBC or the alphabet news networks actually ask Biden .
They don ’ t like troubling Uncle Joe with pesky questions that might hurt his poll numbers .
Until we hear anything else on this subject , perhaps DCFACES could take on a parallel project .
Someone needs to take Bowser and have her head examined .

The Mayor of Washington, D.C. has come up with an ambitious plan to make the nation’s capital more woke. She had previously taken some small-scale, temporary measures like painting a gigantic Black Lives Matter mural on 16th Street NW on the north side of Lafayette Square, near the White House. But that clearly wasn’t enough of a gesture to get the message across. Her new idea, published just this week, is far more sweeping. She’s set her sights on the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial and the statues of Columbus and Andrew Jackson. She would like them to either be removed entirely, relocated, or “differently contextualized” (whatever that’s supposed to mean).
Needless to say, the President wasn’t exactly a fan of the plan. Kayleigh McEnany, the White House Press Secretary, came out with her usual level of candor, describing the idea as one that would only further incite divisiveness and violence in the streets, while further erasing our nation’s history. (Washington Times)
The White House slammed Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser on Tuesday night for a “ludicrous” plan to remove, relocate or “contextualize” the Washington Monument, the Jefferson Memorial and other monuments in the nation’s capital. “By publishing a plan that recommends potentially removing the Washington Monument, Christopher Columbus Statue, Andrew Jackson Statue, and Jefferson Memorial—among many other ludicrous recommendations — the radically liberal mayor of Washington, D.C., is repeating the same left-wing narrative used to incite dangerous riots: demolishing our history and destroying our great heritage,” said White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany. She said “as long as President Trump is in the White House, the mayor’s irresponsible recommendations will go absolutely nowhere, and as the mayor of our Nation’s capital city — a city that belongs to the American people — she ought to be ashamed for even suggesting them for consideration.”
To be fair, Bowser didn’t come up with this crackpot scheme entirely on her own. It was apparently part of a set of recommendations from the District of Columbia Facilities and Commemorative Expressions working group. But it’s still pretty much entirely Bowser’s brainchild. Also known as DCFACES, this is a a group that Bowser summoned into existence only last month, charged with “evaluating” all of the memorials and buildings in the capital to see if they are in keeping with “D.C.’s values.” The group is co-chaired by one of Bowser’s top advisors, so you know where all of this is coming from.
We’ve already seen fairly consistent polling in other parts of the country showing that a majority of people are opposed to tearing down historic statues and monuments, even when they represent places and people associated with the Confederacy. When you start going after the Founding Fathers, support totally craters. And now they’re talking about tearing down the Washington Monument? That’s going to go over like a lead balloon.
It’s also unlikely that the municipal government of D.C. even has the authority to make such changes. Those parks and monuments are federal property. If these wackjobs were crazy enough to actually attempt this they would probably be shut down in court so fast it would make their heads spin.
What I’d really like to know at this point is how Joe Biden feels about this plan. Is anyone from the media going to ask him? I’d wager that it would be an entertaining conversation to tune in for. Biden isn’t so far gone around the bend that he could possibly be in support of this. But if he comes out in opposition to it he’ll once again wind up disappointing his woke base. I’m sure you could get Kamala Harris to sign on because at this point she’ll say anything that gets her one step closer to the Vice Presidency and eventually the Oval Office and she’s supposed to be the one keeping both the socialist base and minority voters enthusiastic about the ticket. It’s a fair bet that Bernie Sanders would go along with it as well.
But I’ll be very (pleasantly) surprised if anyone from CNN, MSNBC or the alphabet news networks actually ask Biden. They don’t like troubling Uncle Joe with pesky questions that might hurt his poll numbers. Until we hear anything else on this subject, perhaps DCFACES could take on a parallel project. Someone needs to take Bowser and have her head examined.
UPDATE: As noted on social media by D. Dean Johnson, the media “cleanup crew” is offering the Mayor cover after she removed the page from the report where it discussed “removing or relocating” the monuments.


hotair--2020-09-01--U.S. Open champ brings Black Lives Matter mask protest to the tennis court

The 2020 U.S.Open began yesterday and runs through September 13 .
For however long she lasts in the two-week tournament , Naomi Osaka will wear a black face mask with the name of a person who was shot by police .
She is bringing the Black Lives Matter protests to the U.S. Open .
Naomi Osaka is a champion tennis player .
She is the 2018 U.S. Open champion , 2019 Australian Open champion , and the first Asian to claim the world ’ s number one ranking in tennis .
She is young – only 22 years old .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ stand for the Black Lives Matter movement .
During her first-round match on Monday , she wore a black face mask bearing the name of Breonna Taylor .
She came prepared with seven such masks in case she lasts through the U.S. Open competition .
“ I ’ m aware that tennis is watched all over the world , and maybe there is someone that doesn ’ t know Breonna Taylor ’ s story , ” Osaka , the No .
4 seed in the tournament , told reporters after her 6-2 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Maybe they ’ ll Google it or something .
For me , [ it ’ s ] just spreading awareness .
I feel like the more people know the story , then the more interesting or interested they ’ ll become in it.
” “ It ’ s quite sad that seven masks isn ’ t enough for the amount of names , ” said Osaka , the 2018 U.S. Open and 2019 Australian Open champion .
“ Hopefully I ’ ll get to the finals and you can see all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ young woman who says she fights shyness is ready to be a social justice warrior in America .
Osaka was born in Japan to a Haitian father and a Japanese mother .
She has lived and trained in the United States since she was three years old .
Just last week she made headlines as a sports star who walked away from a game in the name of social justice and Jacob Blake .
She said , “ I felt like I needed to raise my voice.
” Last week , Osaka was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the NBA and other sports who opted not to compete after Jacob Blake , a Black man , was shot seven times in the back by a Kenosha , Wis. , police officer .
She refused to play in a semifinal of the Western & Southern Open and agreed to continue after the tournament shut down for a day .
She won Friday and ended up pulling out of Saturday ’ s final against Victoria Azarenka because of a hamstring injury .
Typically , tennis isn ’ t a sport with a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come from the behavior of players – including Serena Williams who behaved badly as Osaka won the 2018 title .
Osaka went on Twitter to accuse the police of genocide against black people .
“ As a Black woman I feel as though there are much more important matters at hand that need immediate attention , rather than watching me play tennis , ” Osaka tweeted Aug. 26 .
“ I don ’ t expect anything drastic to happen with me not playing , but if I can get a conversation started in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a step in the right direction .
Watching the continued genocide of Black people at the hand of the police is honestly making me sick to my stomach.
” Genocide ?
Perhaps she doesn ’ t understand the meaning and implication of that charge , or maybe she does and thinks by grossly exaggerating a social problem is a way to be noticed .
There are not more black Americans shot than white or other racial groups but since African-Americans only constitute 13 % of the population in America , statistically they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Post analysis , black Americans are disproportionately affected by police violence across the United States .
The data refers specifically to police shootings and it relies primarily on news accounts , social media postings and police reports .
Since January 01 , 2015 , 4,728 people have died in police shootings and around half , 2,385 , were white .
1,252 were black , 877 were Hispanic and 214 were from other racial groups .
As a share of the population , however , things are very different .
Black Americans account for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ population but the rate at which they are shot and killed by police is more than twice as high as the rate for white Americans .
She is the highest-earning female athlete , according to Forbes , which puts her among the ranks of other privileged professional athletes who are coopting sports into vehicles for political statements .
How nice for her and for the others that they can do so in a country with free speech guarantees .
They can afford to take off a game here and there to make statements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they feel like it .
The ones that lose are the fans who lose the chance to see their favorite athletes play – the ones that help them achieve such financial freedom and power .
She ’ s just joining the crowd .

The 2020 U.S.Open began yesterday and runs through September 13. For however long she lasts in the two-week tournament, Naomi Osaka will wear a black face mask with the name of a person who was shot by police. She is bringing the Black Lives Matter protests to the U.S. Open.
Naomi Osaka is a champion tennis player. She is the 2018 U.S. Open champion, 2019 Australian Open champion, and the first Asian to claim the world’s number one ranking in tennis. She is young – only 22 years old. She’s decided to take a stand for the Black Lives Matter movement. During her first-round match on Monday, she wore a black face mask bearing the name of Breonna Taylor. She came prepared with seven such masks in case she lasts through the U.S. Open competition.
“I’m aware that tennis is watched all over the world, and maybe there is someone that doesn’t know Breonna Taylor’s story,” Osaka, the No. 4 seed in the tournament, told reporters after her 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 victory over Misaki Doi. “Maybe they’ll Google it or something. For me, [it’s] just spreading awareness. I feel like the more people know the story, then the more interesting or interested they’ll become in it.” “It’s quite sad that seven masks isn’t enough for the amount of names,” said Osaka, the 2018 U.S. Open and 2019 Australian Open champion. “Hopefully I’ll get to the finals and you can see all of them.”
It looks like the young woman who says she fights shyness is ready to be a social justice warrior in America. Osaka was born in Japan to a Haitian father and a Japanese mother. She has lived and trained in the United States since she was three years old. Just last week she made headlines as a sports star who walked away from a game in the name of social justice and Jacob Blake. She said, “I felt like I needed to raise my voice.”
Last week, Osaka was one of a number of athletes across the NBA and other sports who opted not to compete after Jacob Blake, a Black man, was shot seven times in the back by a Kenosha, Wis., police officer. She refused to play in a semifinal of the Western & Southern Open and agreed to continue after the tournament shut down for a day. She won Friday and ended up pulling out of Saturday’s final against Victoria Azarenka because of a hamstring injury.
Typically, tennis isn’t a sport with a lot of controversies. Usually, the headlines come from the behavior of players – including Serena Williams who behaved badly as Osaka won the 2018 title. Osaka went on Twitter to accuse the police of genocide against black people.
“As a Black woman I feel as though there are much more important matters at hand that need immediate attention, rather than watching me play tennis,” Osaka tweeted Aug. 26. “I don’t expect anything drastic to happen with me not playing, but if I can get a conversation started in a majority white sport I consider that a step in the right direction. Watching the continued genocide of Black people at the hand of the police is honestly making me sick to my stomach.”
Genocide? Perhaps she doesn’t understand the meaning and implication of that charge, or maybe she does and thinks by grossly exaggerating a social problem is a way to be noticed. There are not more black Americans shot than white or other racial groups but since African-Americans only constitute 13% of the population in America, statistically they are disproportionately affected.
According to a Washington Post analysis, black Americans are disproportionately affected by police violence across the United States. The data refers specifically to police shootings and it relies primarily on news accounts, social media postings and police reports. Since January 01, 2015, 4,728 people have died in police shootings and around half, 2,385, were white. 1,252 were black, 877 were Hispanic and 214 were from other racial groups. As a share of the population, however, things are very different. Black Americans account for less than 13% of the U.S. population but the rate at which they are shot and killed by police is more than twice as high as the rate for white Americans.
She is the highest-earning female athlete, according to Forbes, which puts her among the ranks of other privileged professional athletes who are coopting sports into vehicles for political statements. How nice for her and for the others that they can do so in a country with free speech guarantees. They can afford to take off a game here and there to make statements and then go back to playing when they feel like it. The ones that lose are the fans who lose the chance to see their favorite athletes play – the ones that help them achieve such financial freedom and power. She’s just joining the crowd.
.@naomiosaka walked out in a Breonna Taylor mask for her night match at Arthur Ashe stadium.#USOpen pic.twitter.com/Ubxwst54kl — US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 1, 2020


hotair--2020-09-02--Politico: My, but Trump's attacks are taking a toll on Black Lives Matter support

Is Politico sure that Donald Trump is that influential ?
Or could it be that the riots accompanying Black Lives Matter protests , while not necessarily committed by the same people , are turning off Americans ?
Or maybe the gradual exposure pf their hardline Marxist agenda , including the destruction of the nuclear-family model , could be a buzzkill for most Americans who like the idea of raising their own children .
President Donald Trump has spent weeks attacking the Black Lives Matter movement , and it ’ s moving the polls — though not necessarily in a way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ favorable views of the Black Lives Matter movement has dropped by 9 percentage points since June , including a 13-point dip among Republicans , according to new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll .
The shift comes after the recent police shooting of another Black man : Jacob Blake in Kenosha , Wis. , last week .
… The dip in support for Black Lives Matter , reflected across multiple polls in recent weeks , doesn ’ t come as a surprise to activists nor Democratic pollsters who expected Republican backlash to the movement ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Lives Matter dropped from 61 percent support in June to 52 percent now , according to the POLITICO/Morning Consult poll conducted Friday through Sunday .
“ This is the direct effect of the strategy of Donald Trump and Fox News , ” said veteran Democratic pollster Cornell Belcher .
“ The movement to a certain extent , over the last month or so , had been losing ground in controlling the narrative.
” Curiously , the same poll shows Donald Trump ’ s approval rating at 42/57 .
Does that sound like someone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ off of the approval rating of a social movement ?
Let ’ s call that unlikely , at least .
The problem with this take is that it ’ s disconnected from other data in the same poll .
For instance , the Kenosha protests and protesters get plurality support ( 49 % and 45 % , respectively ) , but the police in Kenosha get majority support ( 55 % ) .
The messaging from BLM to reduce or eliminate policing goes right up against that support for law enforcement .
Then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about BLM ’ s top policy goal .
Only 19 % of respondents think policing needs a “ complete overhaul , ” as BLM advocates and agitates to impose .
Almost twice as many ( 34 % ) think policing needs only minor reforms or no reforms at all .
Given that “ defund the police ” has been BLM ’ s banner demand for the last three months , it seems clear that they aren ’ t winning that argument — and that the demand itself is much more likely a cause @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , I ’ d guess that polling on BLM might overestimate their support , at least in terms of their politics .
It ’ s fashionable at the moment to express support for them in a superficial way , to the point of perhaps having reluctance to express disapproval publicly .
The 52 % support for the group doesn ’ t match up well with the 19 % support for their top policy goal , which suggests that the support expressed here is of the cheap-virtue-signaling kind .
The more that their radical @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quicker that will burn off , regardless of what Donald Trump has to say about it .

Is Politico sure that Donald Trump is that influential? Or could it be that the riots accompanying Black Lives Matter protests, while not necessarily committed by the same people, are turning off Americans? Or maybe the gradual exposure pf their hardline Marxist agenda, including the destruction of the nuclear-family model, could be a buzzkill for most Americans who like the idea of raising their own children.
Naaah. Must be Trump:
President Donald Trump has spent weeks attacking the Black Lives Matter movement, and it’s moving the polls — though not necessarily in a way that boosts his electoral chances. Voters’ favorable views of the Black Lives Matter movement has dropped by 9 percentage points since June, including a 13-point dip among Republicans, according to new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll. The shift comes after the recent police shooting of another Black man: Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wis., last week. … The dip in support for Black Lives Matter, reflected across multiple polls in recent weeks, doesn’t come as a surprise to activists nor Democratic pollsters who expected Republican backlash to the movement’s newfound support. Favorability for Black Lives Matter dropped from 61 percent support in June to 52 percent now, according to the POLITICO/Morning Consult poll conducted Friday through Sunday. “This is the direct effect of the strategy of Donald Trump and Fox News,” said veteran Democratic pollster Cornell Belcher. “The movement to a certain extent, over the last month or so, had been losing ground in controlling the narrative.”
Curiously, the same poll shows Donald Trump’s approval rating at 42/57. Does that sound like someone who can knock ten or so points off of the approval rating of a social movement? Let’s call that unlikely, at least.
The problem with this take is that it’s disconnected from other data in the same poll. For instance, the Kenosha protests and protesters get plurality support (49% and 45%, respectively), but the police in Kenosha get majority support (55%). The messaging from BLM to reduce or eliminate policing goes right up against that support for law enforcement.
Then, take into consideration how respondents feel about BLM’s top policy goal. Only 19% of respondents think policing needs a “complete overhaul,” as BLM advocates and agitates to impose. Almost twice as many (34%) think policing needs only minor reforms or no reforms at all. Given that “defund the police” has been BLM’s banner demand for the last three months, it seems clear that they aren’t winning that argument — and that the demand itself is much more likely a cause for their diminishing support.
In fact, I’d guess that polling on BLM might overestimate their support, at least in terms of their politics. It’s fashionable at the moment to express support for them in a superficial way, to the point of perhaps having reluctance to express disapproval publicly. The 52% support for the group doesn’t match up well with the 19% support for their top policy goal, which suggests that the support expressed here is of the cheap-virtue-signaling kind. The more that their radical agenda and rhetoric get exposed, the quicker that will burn off, regardless of what Donald Trump has to say about it.


hotair--2020-09-02--Pelosi on hair salon embarrassment: I was 'set up' and 'this Salon owes me an apology'

As Karen wrote earlier , Nancy Pelosi decided to ignore the shutdown of California hair salons and go get her hair done .
She wasn ’ t even wearing a mask .
The owner of the salon told Fox News , “ It was a slap in the face that she went in , you know , that she feels that she can just go and get her stuff done while no one else can go in , and I can ’ t work.
” So with the video of that visit now circulating , Pelosi was asked about it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the problem is that she ’ s just too trusting : “ I take responsibility for trusting the word of a neighborhood Salon that I ’ ve been to over the years many times .
And when they said we ’ re able to accommodate people one person at a time and that we can set up that time , I trusted that.
” Pelosi added , “ As it turns out , it was a setup .
So I take responsibility for falling for a setup .
And that ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on that.
” In my head , I ’ m hearing the Beastie Boys ’ s Sabotage at this point : “ I can ’ t stand it , I know you planned it… ” In any case , that was not all Pelosi said on the topic because the next question was also about the salon trip .
In response , Pelosi rejected the idea that she owed anyone an apology .
On the contrary , she said she was owed an apology by the Salon .
“ Well , I don @ @ @ @ @ @ @ owes me an apology for setting up , ” she said .
She added , “ But I will say this in fairness to him .
We have to get our country moving again and I will not let this subject take away from the fact that we have 180,000 plus people who have died from this virus… ” She said this while waving her hand at the assembled media .
She was then handed a note with details of the coronavirus death toll .
Here ’ s Guy Benson ’ s astounded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that Pelosi can be caught red-handed violating the rules and her response is that the people who caught her were at fault .
Since Nancy seems to have missed the whole point , let me explain it .
If she doesn ’ t really think going to a closed salon and not wearing a mask is a big deal , why should anyone else ?
Instead of apologizing for breaking the rules she clearly expects to be given a pass .
Not only that , she expects to be seen as a victim @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bottom line : When reporters tried to ask more questions she cut them off and repeated her statement .
“ If the salon is saying that they ’ re able to do this and they ’ re not , then they should not have said that and they should not have been open for me to go there .
But we trusted a neighborhood salon that I ’ ve been to for years.
” In other words , obeying the rules is solely on the business not the elected representative who should know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ By repeatedly calling this a setup , Pelosi is basically begging the media to do what they probably want to do anyway and dig into everyone involved in this to find out of maybe one of them sent money to a Republican at some point .
She ’ s made an allegation and now it ’ s up to the media to substantiate it .
I ’ m sure they ’ ll do their best to bail her out .

As Karen wrote earlier, Nancy Pelosi decided to ignore the shutdown of California hair salons and go get her hair done. She wasn’t even wearing a mask. The owner of the salon told Fox News, “It was a slap in the face that she went in, you know, that she feels that she can just go and get her stuff done while no one else can go in, and I can’t work.”
So with the video of that visit now circulating, Pelosi was asked about it today during a press conference. She said the problem is that she’s just too trusting: “I take responsibility for trusting the word of a neighborhood Salon that I’ve been to over the years many times. And when they said we’re able to accommodate people one person at a time and that we can set up that time, I trusted that.”
Pelosi added, “As it turns out, it was a setup. So I take responsibility for falling for a setup. And that’s all I’m going to say on that.”
In my head, I’m hearing the Beastie Boys’s Sabotage at this point: “I can’t stand it, I know you planned it…”
In any case, that was not all Pelosi said on the topic because the next question was also about the salon trip. In response, Pelosi rejected the idea that she owed anyone an apology. On the contrary, she said she was owed an apology by the Salon.
“Well, I don’t. I think this Salon owes me an apology for setting up,” she said. She added, “But I will say this in fairness to him. We have to get our country moving again and I will not let this subject take away from the fact that we have 180,000 plus people who have died from this virus…” She said this while waving her hand at the assembled media. She was then handed a note with details of the coronavirus death toll. Here’s Guy Benson’s astounded reaction:
🚨Pelosi claims it’s the Salon’s fault (!) … you know, the people who can’t work at their business due to SF restrictions. They’re the villains here, apparently. She’s the victim of a “setup.” *She’s* owed the apology. Holy s*** that’s brazen. https://t.co/NnW5Jq1rJy — Guy Benson (@guypbenson) September 2, 2020
It’s really incredible that Pelosi can be caught red-handed violating the rules and her response is that the people who caught her were at fault. Since Nancy seems to have missed the whole point, let me explain it. If she doesn’t really think going to a closed salon and not wearing a mask is a big deal, why should anyone else? Instead of apologizing for breaking the rules she clearly expects to be given a pass. Not only that, she expects to be seen as a victim in this. Here’s the bottom line:
We all owe Nancy Pelosi an apology. — Melissa Mackenzie (@MelissaTweets) September 2, 2020
When reporters tried to ask more questions she cut them off and repeated her statement. “If the salon is saying that they’re able to do this and they’re not, then they should not have said that and they should not have been open for me to go there. But we trusted a neighborhood salon that I’ve been to for years.” In other words, obeying the rules is solely on the business not the elected representative who should know better.
.@SpeakerPelosi blames a small business owner for her using their salon despite a San Fran ban: “It was clearly a setup … they owe me an apology” pic.twitter.com/dYgJ91Kqkw — Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) September 2, 2020
One final point here. By repeatedly calling this a setup, Pelosi is basically begging the media to do what they probably want to do anyway and dig into everyone involved in this to find out of maybe one of them sent money to a Republican at some point. She’s made an allegation and now it’s up to the media to substantiate it. I’m sure they’ll do their best to bail her out.


hotair--2020-09-02--Dominos falling: Delta, American dropping flight change fees

A couple of days ago I looked at the surprising news that United Airlines had been struck with a sudden fit of generosity , eliminating all of their fees for passengers who need to reschedule their flights .
The change was described as being permanent .
At the time , I noted that the major airlines have traditionally worked as a sort of hidden trust , collaborating on pricing and services while divvying up the country into various “ hub ” zones .
But I wondered at the time if this sort of announcement , obviously designed to lure customers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the rest of the airlines .
As the saying goes , that didn ’ t take long at all .
Only 48 hours later , Delta and American have similarly dropped all of their rescheduling fees .
So today we should be asking ourselves whether this is a sign of true competition in the industry , benefitting travelers by saving them some money on fees , or if the whole thing was coordinated from the beginning , with United just being the first one to push out the big reveal .
Probably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and American has one very big string attached to it , which we ’ ll get to in a moment .
( Associated Press ) This could be the final boarding call for the $ 200 ticket-change fee that has enraged so many U.S. airline travelers over the past decade .
Delta Air Lines and American Airlines said Monday that they are dropping the fee on most tickets for domestic flights , copying United Airlines ’ move one day earlier .
Southwest Airlines didn ’ t levy change fees to start with , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the four biggest U.S. carriers will have roughly similar policies .
Before you get too excited , here ’ s the catch I referenced above .
Delta and American have permanently dropped change fees for all domestic flights for premium and most economy fares , but not the cheapest seats , known as basic economy .
Guess what .
Basic economy accounts for the vast majority of the seats sold on all of these airlines .
Unless you ’ re a business traveler or someone who is well enough off to be able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least the economy seats with extra legroom ) , you ’ re probably using a booking app that helps you search for the lowest fares .
And those are always the basic economy seats .
It probably won ’ t take people very long to notice this difference .
The first time they need to change flights due to an emergency or change of plans , they ’ ll get hit with the $ 200 fee and be reminded all over again why they hate dealing with the airlines .
And sooner or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United isn ’ t charging that fee .
Suddenly , the savvy shoppers among them will start refining their ticket searches with a preference for United .
Assuming that effect takes hold , it shouldn ’ t be too long before Delta and American throw in the towel and drop the fees entirely .
And if that ’ s the case , some true competition may actually be creeping into this business .
That would represent one of the greatest benefits to consumers we could hope for under the circumstances .
But would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ As the linked report goes on to note , all of these airlines have made a ton of cash off of those flight change fees .
In just the past decade , they report that Delta collected $ 8.2 billion , American a bit less than $ 7 billion , and United charged almost $ 6.5 billion .
They ’ re a business with a bottom line to protect , so they ’ re not just going to soak up losses in those amounts .
They ’ re going to make the money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , new , additional fees or simply cramming the seats even closer together so they can jam more people in if air travel patterns return to previous levels .
I ’ m not trying to be too much of a Debby Downer here , but these things just seem predictable .
The airlines are scoring some good headlines right now for “ helping people ” by dropping fees .
But experience teaches us that this probably isn ’ t going to last .

A couple of days ago I looked at the surprising news that United Airlines had been struck with a sudden fit of generosity, eliminating all of their fees for passengers who need to reschedule their flights. The change was described as being permanent. At the time, I noted that the major airlines have traditionally worked as a sort of hidden trust, collaborating on pricing and services while divvying up the country into various “hub” zones. But I wondered at the time if this sort of announcement, obviously designed to lure customers away from their competitors, would spread to the rest of the airlines.
As the saying goes, that didn’t take long at all. Only 48 hours later, Delta and American have similarly dropped all of their rescheduling fees. So today we should be asking ourselves whether this is a sign of true competition in the industry, benefitting travelers by saving them some money on fees, or if the whole thing was coordinated from the beginning, with United just being the first one to push out the big reveal. Probably not, because the announcement from Delta and American has one very big string attached to it, which we’ll get to in a moment. (Associated Press)
This could be the final boarding call for the $200 ticket-change fee that has enraged so many U.S. airline travelers over the past decade. Delta Air Lines and American Airlines said Monday that they are dropping the fee on most tickets for domestic flights, copying United Airlines’ move one day earlier. Southwest Airlines didn’t levy change fees to start with, so Monday’s announcements mean that the four biggest U.S. carriers will have roughly similar policies.
Before you get too excited, here’s the catch I referenced above. Delta and American have permanently dropped change fees for all domestic flights for premium and most economy fares, but not the cheapest seats, known as basic economy. Guess what. Basic economy accounts for the vast majority of the seats sold on all of these airlines. Unless you’re a business traveler or someone who is well enough off to be able to afford first class (or at least the economy seats with extra legroom), you’re probably using a booking app that helps you search for the lowest fares. And those are always the basic economy seats.
It probably won’t take people very long to notice this difference. The first time they need to change flights due to an emergency or change of plans, they’ll get hit with the $200 fee and be reminded all over again why they hate dealing with the airlines. And sooner or later, somebody will point out that United isn’t charging that fee. Suddenly, the savvy shoppers among them will start refining their ticket searches with a preference for United.
Assuming that effect takes hold, it shouldn’t be too long before Delta and American throw in the towel and drop the fees entirely. And if that’s the case, some true competition may actually be creeping into this business. That would represent one of the greatest benefits to consumers we could hope for under the circumstances.
But would it really deliver any tangible benefits? As the linked report goes on to note, all of these airlines have made a ton of cash off of those flight change fees. In just the past decade, they report that Delta collected $8.2 billion, American a bit less than $7 billion, and United charged almost $6.5 billion. They’re a business with a bottom line to protect, so they’re not just going to soak up losses in those amounts. They’re going to make the money back somehow, either in higher fares, new, additional fees or simply cramming the seats even closer together so they can jam more people in if air travel patterns return to previous levels.
I’m not trying to be too much of a Debby Downer here, but these things just seem predictable. The airlines are scoring some good headlines right now for “helping people” by dropping fees. But experience teaches us that this probably isn’t going to last.


hotair--2020-09-02--Oregon State Troopers were deputized by the feds so they can make arrests on federal charges (Update

Oregon State Troopers were deputized by the feds so they can make arrests on federal charges (Update)

There are a lot of moving parts to this one so let ’ s quickly recap .
There have been 95 straight nights of protests in Portland since the death of George Floyd and on 25 occasions those have been declared riots .
Mayor Ted Wheeler has been more vocal lately about denouncing the violence and in response the mob has targeted him at his home with occupations , vandalism , arson and rioting .
Mayor Wheeler has now told his neighbors that for their safety he plans to move .
Meanwhile , after a pro-Trump individual was murdered in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ supporter , the state ’ s governor announced a plan to curb the violence by asking police from nearby suburbs of Portland to help the city by sending more officers .
The sheriff ’ s in those suburbs said no , citing the general lack of support for police and , in particular , the county ’ s new DA Mike Schmidt who has said his office will drop charges against protesters unless they involve assault or arson .
In practice this means that anyone arrested for a lesser charge like resisting arrest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us to this story discussed on KGW8 last night .
Ever since the federal police left Portland , state police have stepped in to help out .
But it turns out the feds deputized some of those state troopers which means they have the ability to arrest people on federal charges and to potentially bypass the county DA : KGW reporter Pat Dooris suggested this change could be significant for the rioters in Portland : This is basically the ground changing under the feet of the protesters .
because when the state police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ [ U.S .
Marshals ] , they ’ re able to make arrests under the federal law .
And I ’ m told there is something similar to interfering with a police officer under the federal law .
[ Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt ] will not prosecute someone for that charge , but the U.S. Attorney ’ s Office has been much more aggressive at holding people accountable and prosecuting for all kinds of charges .
So , I think you ’ re going to see a lot more of that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officers arrive .
KOIN 6 has a reaction from the Oregon State Police saying this is not intended as a criticism of DA Mike Schmidt .
Buy , well , they are trying to get things done and he ’ s basically in the way : As of last week , 74 people were facing federal charges in connection with Portland protests/riots .
Obviously that hasn ’ t been enough to discourage the rioters yet since we ’ ve had multiple riots and one murder in the last week .
Still , this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chaos and that ’ s a good thing .
Update : Another local news report from KOIN 6 on this .
Andy Ngo reports this is the first person charged under the system ( 2nd tweet below ) :

There are a lot of moving parts to this one so let’s quickly recap. There have been 95 straight nights of protests in Portland since the death of George Floyd and on 25 occasions those have been declared riots. Mayor Ted Wheeler has been more vocal lately about denouncing the violence and in response the mob has targeted him at his home with occupations, vandalism, arson and rioting. Mayor Wheeler has now told his neighbors that for their safety he plans to move.
Meanwhile, after a pro-Trump individual was murdered in the city Saturday allegedly by an Antifa supporter, the state’s governor announced a plan to curb the violence by asking police from nearby suburbs of Portland to help the city by sending more officers. The sheriff’s in those suburbs said no, citing the general lack of support for police and, in particular, the county’s new DA Mike Schmidt who has said his office will drop charges against protesters unless they involve assault or arson. In practice this means that anyone arrested for a lesser charge like resisting arrest is immediately released.
And that brings us to this story discussed on KGW8 last night. Ever since the federal police left Portland, state police have stepped in to help out. But it turns out the feds deputized some of those state troopers which means they have the ability to arrest people on federal charges and to potentially bypass the county DA:
The move actually happened earlier this summer, when state troopers were brought in to help facilitate the departure of federal officers from downtown Portland, according to Gov. Kate Brown’s deputy communications director. But the cross-deputization of OSP troopers could allow state police to bypass the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office entirely when it comes to charges against arrested protesters.
KGW reporter Pat Dooris suggested this change could be significant for the rioters in Portland:
This is basically the ground changing under the feet of the protesters. because when the state police come in and are cross-deputized by the [U.S. Marshals], they’re able to make arrests under the federal law. And I’m told there is something similar to interfering with a police officer under the federal law. [Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt] will not prosecute someone for that charge, but the U.S. Attorney’s Office has been much more aggressive at holding people accountable and prosecuting for all kinds of charges. So, I think you’re going to see a lot more of that start to happen as soon as these officers arrive.
KOIN 6 has a reaction from the Oregon State Police saying this is not intended as a criticism of DA Mike Schmidt. Buy, well, they are trying to get things done and he’s basically in the way:
“OSP is not criticizing any officials and we respect the authority of the [Multnomah County] District Attorney, but to meet the Governor’s charge of bringing violence to an end we will use all lawful methods at our disposal,” an Oregon State Police spokesperson said.
As of last week, 74 people were facing federal charges in connection with Portland protests/riots.
The charges against the arrested protesters include arson, failing to obey lawful orders and damaging federal property. Those convicted of assaulting a federal officer face up to 20 years in prison. The same applies to those convicted of arson, with a mandatory minimum sentence of five years.
Obviously that hasn’t been enough to discourage the rioters yet since we’ve had multiple riots and one murder in the last week. Still, this raises the penalty for those creating nightly chaos and that’s a good thing.

Update: Another local news report from KOIN 6 on this.
Andy Ngo reports this is the first person charged under the system (2nd tweet below):


hotair--2020-09-02--Fetal until fatal: The sad case of Antifa's Crying Commander Red

It ’ s not the risible pathos that makes the story of Matthew “ Commander Red ” Banta notable .
It ’ s the fact that the Antifa domestic terrorist had to get arrested twice that should raise questions , even with the superficially humorous anecdote of how Banta reacted to it .
Police in Green Bay , Wisconsin reported over the weekend that they had caught “ Commander Red ” with a flamethrower and smoke grenades on his way to a protest , but that he curled up into the fetal position and began crying when detained : A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grenades and fireworks during a demonstration in Green Bay Saturday night , according to police and prosecutors .
Matthew Banta , 23 , is charged with obstructing an officer and two counts of felony bail jumping .
… Green Bay police say they were called for “ a whole bunch of white people with sticks , baseball bats and helmets headed… towards the police ” on Walnut St. near Webster Ave. “ I don ’ t know who comes to a protest with a baseball bat for anything other than criminal or illegal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chief Andrew Smith .
A responding officer says he saw four individuals walking towards a protest with baseball bats .
One man was wearing a metal helmet with goggles and military-style gear with multiple pouches , and was carrying an Antifa flag .
When the officer pulled his squad car in front of the group , they ran away .
The officer caught Banta , who was carrying the flag , and says Banta “ dropped into the fetal position and began crying.
” He accused the officer of lying on him ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Keep in mind that this is a tactical and strategic response for Antifa members .
When approached by superior police force , they attempt to make themselves look like victims of police abuse , or at least nothing more than innocent demonstrators .
It might be amusing to watch and to read about later — heck , it is amusing to read that Commander Red cried like an infant — but people should understand it as a tactic .
What is much less amusing , and perhaps even enraging , is that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all this past weekend .
Just a few weeks earlier , Banta had been charged with pointing a loaded rifle at a police officer , biting and kicking a police officer , and using a dangerous weapon to resist arrest .
Not only was the rifle loaded and a bullet chambered in it , Banta was carrying 117 rounds of ammunition at the time to the demonstration .
That ’ s not the kind of weapon nor the ammo load for self-defense , but it does fit an intent to commit an offensive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the street again ?
He only got assessed $ 10,000 for bail in the first incident despite his multiple charges , and was admonished not to carry dangerous weapons as a condition of his release .
Not only did Banta participate in more Antifa actions , he specifically violated that bail arrangement .
What did the arraigning judge do in this second instance ?
He set Banta ’ s bail at a whopping $ 2500 , a quarter of the bail in the earlier case , even though Banta deliberately violated those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ actually kills someone before addressing the fact that that ’ s his clear goal ?
Banta ’ s fetal-crying act is a ruse ; his strategic acts are what should be grabbing our attention , and the courts ’ attention .
The reason that domestic terrorists foment violence on the streets is because they have a sense of impunity , which judges and prosecutors feed by not taking these crimes seriously .
The sobbing tactic is a joke within a joke , and the best advice we can give is to stop laughing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will only get better when judges and prosecutors begin imposing serious , years-long consequences for the Commander Reds on the streets .
Meanwhile , they are just laughing at us through their crocodile tears .

It’s not the risible pathos that makes the story of Matthew “Commander Red” Banta notable. It’s the fact that the Antifa domestic terrorist had to get arrested twice that should raise questions, even with the superficially humorous anecdote of how Banta reacted to it. Police in Green Bay, Wisconsin reported over the weekend that they had caught “Commander Red” with a flamethrower and smoke grenades on his way to a protest, but that he curled up into the fetal position and began crying when detained:
A Neenah man had a flamethrower, smoke grenades and fireworks during a demonstration in Green Bay Saturday night, according to police and prosecutors. Matthew Banta, 23, is charged with obstructing an officer and two counts of felony bail jumping. … Green Bay police say they were called for “a whole bunch of white people with sticks, baseball bats and helmets headed… towards the police” on Walnut St. near Webster Ave. “I don’t know who comes to a protest with a baseball bat for anything other than criminal or illegal activity,” said Green Bay Police Chief Andrew Smith. A responding officer says he saw four individuals walking towards a protest with baseball bats. One man was wearing a metal helmet with goggles and military-style gear with multiple pouches, and was carrying an Antifa flag. When the officer pulled his squad car in front of the group, they ran away. The officer caught Banta, who was carrying the flag, and says Banta “dropped into the fetal position and began crying.” He accused the officer of lying on him; the officer replied nobody was on him.
Keep in mind that this is a tactical and strategic response for Antifa members. When approached by superior police force, they attempt to make themselves look like victims of police abuse, or at least nothing more than innocent demonstrators. It might be amusing to watch and to read about later — heck, it is amusing to read that Commander Red cried like an infant — but people should understand it as a tactic.
What is much less amusing, and perhaps even enraging, is that Banta was out on the street at all this past weekend. Just a few weeks earlier, Banta had been charged with pointing a loaded rifle at a police officer, biting and kicking a police officer, and using a dangerous weapon to resist arrest. Not only was the rifle loaded and a bullet chambered in it, Banta was carrying 117 rounds of ammunition at the time to the demonstration. That’s not the kind of weapon nor the ammo load for self-defense, but it does fit an intent to commit an offensive operation.
So why was Banta out on the street again? He only got assessed $10,000 for bail in the first incident despite his multiple charges, and was admonished not to carry dangerous weapons as a condition of his release. Not only did Banta participate in more Antifa actions, he specifically violated that bail arrangement. What did the arraigning judge do in this second instance? He set Banta’s bail at a whopping $2500, a quarter of the bail in the earlier case, even though Banta deliberately violated those conditions. Are they waiting until Banta actually kills someone before addressing the fact that that’s his clear goal?
Banta’s fetal-crying act is a ruse; his strategic acts are what should be grabbing our attention, and the courts’ attention. The reason that domestic terrorists foment violence on the streets is because they have a sense of impunity, which judges and prosecutors feed by not taking these crimes seriously. The sobbing tactic is a joke within a joke, and the best advice we can give is to stop laughing and take these threats seriously. This will only get better when judges and prosecutors begin imposing serious, years-long consequences for the Commander Reds on the streets. Meanwhile, they are just laughing at us through their crocodile tears.