hotair--2020-09-02--DC Mayor: The Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial have to go <span class='red'>UPDATE: Mayor

DC Mayor: The Washington Monument and Jefferson Memorial have to go UPDATE: Mayor "disappears" the removal language

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 .
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 “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @

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--2020-09-03--New York Governor threatens President's life

You may have already heard the latest hot rumor suggesting that the President is looking into cutting off funding to various “ anarchist ” cities that are moving to defund or otherwise dismantle their police forces .
New York City obviously made that list since they ’ ve already slashed a billion dollars from the NYPD budget , abolished their plain-clothes crime unit and taken other steps to weaken the cops .
As it turns out , that didn ’ t sit very well with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo ( the more successful brother of “ Fredo ” ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out for more than a couple of hours yesterday before Cuomo called an emergency press conference .
In it , he lambasted the President over a variety of policy issues while slipping in attacks of a personal nature on both Donald Trump and his family .
He calls the President “ a clown ” at one point while insisting that the Pandemic ’ s severe impact on New York City was somehow Trump ’ s fault .
( Ironic , coming from the guy whose disastrous nursing home policy probably killed more people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New York in the past decade . )
But it was allegedly toward the end of his statement where he got himself in some potential trouble .
According to the New York Post , Cuomo put forth a series of statements suggesting that Donald Trump would not be physically safe if he showed back up in his old stomping grounds , suggesting that he “ better have an army ” if he wants to walk the streets of Gotham and that he doesn ’ t have enough security to do so safely .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wednesday all but threatened President Trump ’ s safety if he returns to New York City in a rant responding to an exclusive story by The Post that Trump is looking to pull federal funds from “ lawless ” cities including New York .
Cuomo called an emergency press briefing within a half hour on Wednesday night to tear into Trump for the order , which cites New York ’ s rising murder rate and defunding of the NYPD .
“ He better have an army if he thinks he ’ s gon @ @ @ @ @ @ @ York .
New Yorkers don ’ t want to have anything to do with him , ” the Democrat said , all but threatening the commander in chief .
The followup line from Cuomo was , “ He can ’ t have enough bodyguards to walk through New York City , people don ’ t want to have anything to do with him.
” I don ’ t know if somebody grabbed the Governor ’ s elbow to reel him back in after those threatening remarks ( the announcement was made over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if he realized he had just put his foot in his mouth in a potentially illegal fashion .
Either way , Cuomo finished up that portion of the call by attempting to do a little damage control .
It didn ’ t work out very well .
“ My comment about the president and bodyguards in New York City , all I ’ m saying is that he is persona non grata in New York City .
And I think he knows that .
And he ’ ll never come back to New @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forget how gratuitously mean he has been to New Yorkers and how many times he ’ s tried to kill the city that gave him his start and birthed him .
That ’ s what I meant about the bodyguards.
” Yeah , Governor Cuomo , I ’ m not sure that makes things much better .
Any time you ’ re talking about a need for more bodyguards or “ an army , ” you ’ re suggesting a physical threat that would require mitigation to keep the person safe .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President of the United States , that ’ s a special class of speech that ’ s not quite as free as the rest of the things you might say .
In fact , we have a federal law specifically prohibiting threats against the President or anyone in the line of succession .
Is anyone going to seriously consider charging Cuomo under that statute ?
I highly doubt it .
This was just more political bluster from a career politician with some grievances to air .
Of course , this really isn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s somewhat famous for his short temper and a tendency to lash out at anyone he feels has offended him .
It probably runs in the family because his brother Chris has also reportedly blown his stack on a number of occasions .
For that matter , their father ( a former New York Governor himself ) wasn ’ t exactly known for a flowers and unicorns , peace be with you attitude either .
All Cuomo is really doing here is giving Trump another Democratic target to tee up in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ m sure Cuomo knows that quite well and this may have been a calculated move .
Getting in a fight with Donald Trump is a sure way to gain accolades from your liberal base and most of the media .
And as a New York politician , that ’ s just a cheap and easy way to score some points .

You may have already heard the latest hot rumor suggesting that the President is looking into cutting off funding to various “anarchist” cities that are moving to defund or otherwise dismantle their police forces. New York City obviously made that list since they’ve already slashed a billion dollars from the NYPD budget, abolished their plain-clothes crime unit and taken other steps to weaken the cops.
As it turns out, that didn’t sit very well with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (the more successful brother of “Fredo”). The news hadn’t been out for more than a couple of hours yesterday before Cuomo called an emergency press conference. In it, he lambasted the President over a variety of policy issues while slipping in attacks of a personal nature on both Donald Trump and his family. He calls the President “a clown” at one point while insisting that the Pandemic’s severe impact on New York City was somehow Trump’s fault. (Ironic, coming from the guy whose disastrous nursing home policy probably killed more people than were murdered on the streets of New York in the past decade.)
But it was allegedly toward the end of his statement where he got himself in some potential trouble. According to the New York Post, Cuomo put forth a series of statements suggesting that Donald Trump would not be physically safe if he showed back up in his old stomping grounds, suggesting that he “better have an army” if he wants to walk the streets of Gotham and that he doesn’t have enough security to do so safely.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday all but threatened President Trump’s safety if he returns to New York City in a rant responding to an exclusive story by The Post that Trump is looking to pull federal funds from “lawless” cities including New York. Cuomo called an emergency press briefing within a half hour on Wednesday night to tear into Trump for the order, which cites New York’s rising murder rate and defunding of the NYPD. “He better have an army if he thinks he’s gonna walk down the street in New York. New Yorkers don’t want to have anything to do with him,” the Democrat said, all but threatening the commander in chief.
The followup line from Cuomo was, “He can’t have enough bodyguards to walk through New York City, people don’t want to have anything to do with him.”
I don’t know if somebody grabbed the Governor’s elbow to reel him back in after those threatening remarks (the announcement was made over the phone, not on camera) or if he realized he had just put his foot in his mouth in a potentially illegal fashion. Either way, Cuomo finished up that portion of the call by attempting to do a little damage control. It didn’t work out very well.
“My comment about the president and bodyguards in New York City, all I’m saying is that he is persona non grata in New York City. And I think he knows that. And he’ll never come back to New York, because New Yorkers will never forget how gratuitously mean he has been to New Yorkers and how many times he’s tried to kill the city that gave him his start and birthed him. That’s what I meant about the bodyguards.”
Yeah, Governor Cuomo, I’m not sure that makes things much better. Any time you’re talking about a need for more bodyguards or “an army,” you’re suggesting a physical threat that would require mitigation to keep the person safe. And when you’re talking about the President of the United States, that’s a special class of speech that’s not quite as free as the rest of the things you might say. In fact, we have a federal law specifically prohibiting threats against the President or anyone in the line of succession.
Is anyone going to seriously consider charging Cuomo under that statute? I highly doubt it. This was just more political bluster from a career politician with some grievances to air. Of course, this really isn’t anything new for Cuomo. He’s somewhat famous for his short temper and a tendency to lash out at anyone he feels has offended him. It probably runs in the family because his brother Chris has also reportedly blown his stack on a number of occasions. For that matter, their father (a former New York Governor himself) wasn’t exactly known for a flowers and unicorns, peace be with you attitude either.
All Cuomo is really doing here is giving Trump another Democratic target to tee up in his sights during his next speech. I’m sure Cuomo knows that quite well and this may have been a calculated move. Getting in a fight with Donald Trump is a sure way to gain accolades from your liberal base and most of the media. And as a New York politician, that’s just a cheap and easy way to score some points.


hotair--2020-09-02--Presidential debate moderators announced, not the usual choices

The Commission on Presidential Debates announced the names of moderators for the three presidential debates and one vice-presidential debate .
Surprisingly enough , it looks like a pretty good list .
That doesn ’ t mean any of them are conservatives but at least they aren ’ t unhinged leftists .
We can hope for at least a small measure of professionalism from these journalists .
The journalists come from Fox News , C-SPAN , and NBC .
The best news is that for the first time since 2008 , CNN has been shut out .
We can all rejoice @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t perfect but it ’ s the best that conservatives can hope for in 2020 .
It ’ s probably safe to say they are all Biden voters but it is what it is .
Fox News Channel ’ s Chris Wallace , who has angered some Republicans for his pointed questioning of Trump and White House officials , will moderate the first presidential debate in Cleveland , Ohio , on Sept. 29 .
The second , town-hall style , debate , which will be town-hall style , will be moderated by C-SPAN @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oct. 15 .
The third and final presidential debate will be moderated by Kristen Welker of NBC and will take place in Nashville on Oct. 22 .
There will be one vice presidential debate between Vice President Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris ( D-Calif. ) , which will be moderated by USA Today ’ s Susan Page and will take place in Salt Lake City , Utah .
I like that each debate only has one moderator .
That will make the flow of the debate go smoother without journalists trying to top @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mention how wonderful it is that CNN isn ’ t involved this year ?
I would have preferred someone like Melissa Francis or Sandra Smith or even Martha MacCallum over Chris Wallace but seniority has its privileges .
It is interesting to note that Wallace has interviewed President Trump for his Sunday morning show on Fox but Team Biden has turned down Wallace ’ s weekly invitations to come on his show .
So , Wallace will finally get his chance to ask him questions .
The commission specifically addressed professionalism .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conservatives criticize the liberal leanings of those chosen to moderate the presidential debates .
Yet , with over 90 % of journalists admitting to being Democrat voters , the pool of more fair and balanced journalists is limited .
Are we even sure that Sleepy Joe will show up for the first debate , much less all three of them ?
He won ’ t have the luxury of Dr. Jill sitting at his side giving him signals as to what he should say , keeping him focused .
The Trump campaign wanted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the end of September because early voting is just about to begin in some states .
Here in Texas , we are only six weeks out from early voting .
Team Trump also wanted four debates .
The Biden campaign never even entertained that proposal .
So , no Anderson Cooper or Candy Crowley , or even someone like the late Gwen Ifill , who are/were clearly liberal partisans during presidential debates .
That ’ s a baby step in the right direction for those of us demanding more fair and balanced @ @ @ @ @ @ @ journalist but also a frequent panelist on Fox News Channel ’ s Special Edition with Bret Baier , as well as on other networks .
She ’ ll fangirl Kamala during the vice-presidential debate .
I ’ m sure Mike Pence will be prepared .
Kristen Welker will be the first black woman to moderate a presidential debate .
Correction : Carol Simpson is still alive ; she got mixed up with the late Gwen Ifill .
It has now been corrected .

The Commission on Presidential Debates announced the names of moderators for the three presidential debates and one vice-presidential debate. Surprisingly enough, it looks like a pretty good list. That doesn’t mean any of them are conservatives but at least they aren’t unhinged leftists. We can hope for at least a small measure of professionalism from these journalists.
The journalists come from Fox News, C-SPAN, and NBC. The best news is that for the first time since 2008, CNN has been shut out. We can all rejoice about that. The list isn’t perfect but it’s the best that conservatives can hope for in 2020. It’s probably safe to say they are all Biden voters but it is what it is.
Fox News Channel’s Chris Wallace, who has angered some Republicans for his pointed questioning of Trump and White House officials, will moderate the first presidential debate in Cleveland, Ohio, on Sept. 29. The second, town-hall style, debate, which will be town-hall style, will be moderated by C-SPAN’s Steve Scully in Miami on Oct. 15. The third and final presidential debate will be moderated by Kristen Welker of NBC and will take place in Nashville on Oct. 22. There will be one vice presidential debate between Vice President Pence and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), which will be moderated by USA Today’s Susan Page and will take place in Salt Lake City, Utah.
I like that each debate only has one moderator. That will make the flow of the debate go smoother without journalists trying to top their colleagues’ questions. Did I mention how wonderful it is that CNN isn’t involved this year? I would have preferred someone like Melissa Francis or Sandra Smith or even Martha MacCallum over Chris Wallace but seniority has its privileges. It is interesting to note that Wallace has interviewed President Trump for his Sunday morning show on Fox but Team Biden has turned down Wallace’s weekly invitations to come on his show. So, Wallace will finally get his chance to ask him questions. The commission specifically addressed professionalism.
“We are grateful to these experienced journalists, who will help ensure that the general election presidential debates continue to serve their unique educational purpose of helping the public learn about the candidates,” the commission said in a statement. “Each individual brings great professionalism to moderating and understands that the purpose of the 2020 debate formats is to facilitate in-depth discussion of major topics.”
We’ll see. Every four years conservatives criticize the liberal leanings of those chosen to moderate the presidential debates. Yet, with over 90% of journalists admitting to being Democrat voters, the pool of more fair and balanced journalists is limited. Are we even sure that Sleepy Joe will show up for the first debate, much less all three of them? He won’t have the luxury of Dr. Jill sitting at his side giving him signals as to what he should say, keeping him focused.
The Trump campaign wanted the first debate to happen earlier than at the end of September because early voting is just about to begin in some states. Here in Texas, we are only six weeks out from early voting. Team Trump also wanted four debates. The Biden campaign never even entertained that proposal.
So, no Anderson Cooper or Candy Crowley, or even someone like the late Gwen Ifill, who are/were clearly liberal partisans during presidential debates. That’s a baby step in the right direction for those of us demanding more fair and balanced moderators. Susan Page is a print journalist but also a frequent panelist on Fox News Channel’s Special Edition with Bret Baier, as well as on other networks. She’ll fangirl Kamala during the vice-presidential debate. I’m sure Mike Pence will be prepared. Kristen Welker will be the first black woman to moderate a presidential debate.
Correction: Carol Simpson is still alive; she got mixed up with the late Gwen Ifill. It has now been corrected.


hotair--2020-09-03--Ohio sheriff sends a message to protesters: "Expect us to shoot back"

A sheriff in Butler County , Ohio is making headlines for unequivocally supporting law enforcement officers .
Sheriff Richard Jones is alarmed by what he is seeing in news reports of civil unrest in cities across the country and he has a message to protesters – “ You shoot at the police expect us to shoot back.
” He ’ s isn ’ t playing around when it comes to the safety of his deputies .
He has seen the lawlessness in the streets and the violence perpetrated on law enforcement officers .
He ’ s not having it in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to this county expecting a free pass to harm one of my men or women in uniform keep in mind , nothing in life is free , ” Sheriff Jones stated .
He referenced people dumping water on police in New York , bricks , and frozen water bottles being thrown at police in Portland , Oregon , and people shooting at officers in Chicago .
Jones is not tolerating that behavior toward his own deputies , he said .
“ You shoot at the police expect us to shoot back , ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allow my deputies or any law enforcement officer in Butler County to take the abuse I have seen over the past several months.
” Sheriff Jones posted his statement on the department ’ s Facebook page .
IF YOU THINK ABOUT COMING TO BUTLER COUNTY TO ABUSE POLICE THINK AGAIN Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones states he has seen the lawlessness in the country over the last few months directed towards police .
The Sheriff has seen water dumped on police in New York , bricks and frozen water bottles thrown at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lasers in Portland , Oregon .
In addition , Police have been shot at in Chicago and all across the country .
“ I won ’ t tolerate it , period .
You shoot at the police expect us to shoot back .
I will not allow my deputies or any law enforcement officer in Butler County to take the abuse I have seen over the past several months .
If you come to this county expecting a free pass to harm one of my men or women in uniform keep in mind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” states Sheriff Jones .
Many of the replies to the post echo sentiments from most Americans .
Why isn ’ t every county ’ s law enforcement making the same statement ?
Why are violent protesters allowed to roam wild without consequences , placing law enforcement in harm ’ s way ?
We ’ ve seen actions on the ground get so bad in some places , that the police officers and deputies are resigning .
Instead of the protesters being sent packing , or jailed if violating local laws , it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Appeasement never works .
Seattle ’ s police chief is out , which is a shame .
She was making some inroads within the community before the riots took over in the city .
Sheriff Butler listed some examples he ’ s seen , including people dumping water on police in New York , bricks , and frozen water bottles being thrown at police in Portland , Oregon , and people shooting at officers in Chicago .
It is the same thing we ’ ve all seen in news reports .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ summer that the sheriff has been in the news .
In July he said , “ I am not going to be the mask police.
” That was in reference to Ohio Governor Mike DeWine ’ s statewide mandate for everyone to wear a face mask .
Though not mentioned in the sheriff ’ s press release , this statement in support of his deputies came just two days after police officers came under attack during a police chase .
He was addressing the Defund Police movement .
He ’ s not a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ohio , a flag flown in support of police has come under attack .
The thin blue line version of the American flag was carried onto the field before a high school football game on Friday night .
It was to show support of the relationship the schools had formed with first responders after the Chardon High School shooting in 2012 .
Michael Hanlon , the superintendent of Chardon Local Schools , explained afterwards in a letter that this will no longer be allowed .
He cites the political nature seen by some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the turbulent times facing our nation now.
” Based on discussions that ensued over the weekend , it does not appear that this action was motivated by racism , rather a show of support for one of our coaches who serves as a police officer , as well as for the first responders in our community who have developed a special relationship with our school and students in the wake of our school tragedy of February 27 , 2012 .
Nevertheless , it is understandable how this could be interpreted as a racially-motivated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a school community .
Our school district is fundamentally anti-racist as reflected in Board of Education policies ranging from Equal Employment Opportunity to matters of student and staff activities .
Our goal is to ensure that all students , staff and community members are provided the same opportunities to grow and learn in Chardon Schools and that this occurs in an environment that values the contributions of every school community member .
Our staff members work to support that goal in our classrooms and through lessons learned within the scope of extracurricular @ @ @ @ @ @ @ does not permit engagement in political activity .
Nevertheless , it is important emphasize that we clearly understand how this action could be perceived as political in nature .
As a result , this display will not be a part of future pre-game activities at Chardon athletic contests .
In addition , measures will be put in place by our Athletic Director to review any planned pre-game displays for possible connections to any form of discrimination or particular political views .
The district is committed to an atmosphere that respects and values every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the process of engaging with an equity/organizational development consultant to review policies , practices and systems throughout the district .
The goal of this work will be to improve awareness and to develop specific strategies that will enable us to move forward effectively .
That ’ s 2020 in a nutshell , right ?
The American flag is all about white supremacy , the thin blue line flag is a racist message , and everyone is to be respected except for the police .

A sheriff in Butler County, Ohio is making headlines for unequivocally supporting law enforcement officers. Sheriff Richard Jones is alarmed by what he is seeing in news reports of civil unrest in cities across the country and he has a message to protesters – “You shoot at the police expect us to shoot back.”
He’s isn’t playing around when it comes to the safety of his deputies. He has seen the lawlessness in the streets and the violence perpetrated on law enforcement officers. He’s not having it in his county.
“If you come to this county expecting a free pass to harm one of my men or women in uniform keep in mind, nothing in life is free,” Sheriff Jones stated. He referenced people dumping water on police in New York, bricks, and frozen water bottles being thrown at police in Portland, Oregon, and people shooting at officers in Chicago. Jones is not tolerating that behavior toward his own deputies, he said. “You shoot at the police expect us to shoot back,” Jones said. “I will not allow my deputies or any law enforcement officer in Butler County to take the abuse I have seen over the past several months.”
Sheriff Jones posted his statement on the department’s Facebook page.
IF YOU THINK ABOUT COMING TO BUTLER COUNTY TO ABUSE POLICE
THINK AGAIN Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones states he has seen the lawlessness in the country over the last few months directed towards police. The Sheriff has seen water dumped on police in New York, bricks and frozen water bottles thrown at police as well as officers blinded by lasers in Portland, Oregon. In addition, Police have been shot at in Chicago and all across the country. “I won’t tolerate it, period. You shoot at the police expect us to shoot back. I will not allow my deputies or any law enforcement officer in Butler County to take the abuse I have seen over the past several months. If you come to this county expecting a free pass to harm one of my men or women in uniform keep in mind, nothing in life is free,” states Sheriff Jones.
Many of the replies to the post echo sentiments from most Americans. Why isn’t every county’s law enforcement making the same statement? Why are violent protesters allowed to roam wild without consequences, placing law enforcement in harm’s way? We’ve seen actions on the ground get so bad in some places, that the police officers and deputies are resigning. Instead of the protesters being sent packing, or jailed if violating local laws, it’s law enforcement that is leaving. Appeasement never works. Seattle’s police chief is out, which is a shame. She was making some inroads within the community before the riots took over in the city.
Sheriff Butler listed some examples he’s seen, including people dumping water on police in New York, bricks, and frozen water bottles being thrown at police in Portland, Oregon, and people shooting at officers in Chicago. It is the same thing we’ve all seen in news reports. This isn’t the first time this summer that the sheriff has been in the news. In July he said, “I am not going to be the mask police.” That was in reference to Ohio Governor Mike DeWine’s statewide mandate for everyone to wear a face mask.
Though not mentioned in the sheriff’s press release, this statement in support of his deputies came just two days after police officers came under attack during a police chase. He was addressing the Defund Police movement. He’s not a fan.
The most recent incident involving shots fired at police officers locally occurred Monday in suburban Warren County, when a chase resulted in a shootout during which a Middletown police officer sustained gunshot wounds.
On Tuesday, elsewhere in Ohio, a flag flown in support of police has come under attack. The thin blue line version of the American flag was carried onto the field before a high school football game on Friday night. It was to show support of the relationship the schools had formed with first responders after the Chardon High School shooting in 2012. Michael Hanlon, the superintendent of Chardon Local Schools, explained afterwards in a letter that this will no longer be allowed. He cites the political nature seen by some in the gesture. He blames “the turbulent times facing our nation now.”
Based on discussions that ensued over the weekend, it does not appear that this action was motivated by racism, rather a show of support for one of our coaches who serves as a police officer, as well as for the first responders in our community who have developed a special relationship with our school and students in the wake of our school tragedy of February 27, 2012. Nevertheless, it is understandable how this could be interpreted as a racially-motivated action and, therefore, not acceptable in a school community. Our school district is fundamentally anti-racist as reflected in Board of Education policies ranging from Equal Employment Opportunity to matters of student and staff activities. Our goal is to ensure that all students, staff and community members are provided the same opportunities to grow and learn in Chardon Schools and that this occurs in an environment that values the contributions of every school
community member. Our staff members work to support that goal in our classrooms and through lessons
learned within the scope of extracurricular activities. Further, school district policy does not permit engagement in political activity. Nevertheless, it is important emphasize that we clearly understand how this action could be perceived as political in nature. As a result, this display will not be a part of future pre-game activities at Chardon athletic contests. In addition,measures will be put in place by our Athletic Director to review any planned pre-game displays for
possible connections to any form of discrimination or particular political views. The district is committed to an atmosphere that respects and values every individual within our school community and is in the process of engaging with an equity/organizational development consultant to review policies, practices and systems throughout the district. The goal of this work will be to improve awareness and to develop specific strategies that will enable us to move forward effectively.
That’s 2020 in a nutshell, right? The American flag is all about white supremacy, the thin blue line flag is a racist message, and everyone is to be respected except for the police.


hotair--2020-09-03--Atlantic: Trump skipped a visit to a Paris cemetery in 2018 saying it was filled with 'losers' (Upda

Atlantic: Trump skipped a visit to a Paris cemetery in 2018 saying it was filled with 'losers' (Update: White House denies)

Writing at the Atlantic , Jeffrey Goldberg has published a claim which he says is backed up by several people who were there as part of Trump ’ s 2018 trip to Paris , though none of them are named in his story .
When President Donald Trump canceled a visit to the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery near Paris in 2018 , he blamed rain for the last-minute decision , saying that “ the helicopter couldn ’ t fly ” and that the Secret Service wouldn ’ t drive him there .
Neither claim was true .
Trump rejected the idea @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hair would become disheveled in the rain , and because he did not believe it important to honor American war dead , according to four people with firsthand knowledge of the discussion that day .
In a conversation with senior staff members on the morning of the scheduled visit , Trump said , “ Why should I go to that cemetery ?
It ’ s filled with losers.
” In a separate conversation on the same trip , Trump referred to the more than 1,800 marines who lost their lives at Belleau Wood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Belleau Wood is a consequential battle in American history , and the ground on which it was fought is venerated by the Marine Corps .
America and its allies stopped the German advance toward Paris there in the spring of 1918 .
But Trump , on that same trip , asked aides , “ Who were the good guys in this war ?
” He also said that he didn ’ t understand why the United States would intervene on the side of the Allies .
Chief of Staff John Kelly attended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on to argue that Trump ’ s expression of contempt for the military is in keeping with Trump ’ s criticism of John McCain who he said was “ not a war hero ” because he ’ d been captured .
However , it ’ s worth noting that President Trump made a visit to a different cemetery in the suburbs of Paris the next day ( additional photo at the link ) : President Donald Trump paid tribute to the “ great warriors ” who died in World War I as he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a day after drawing fire for cancelling a similar trip due to bad weather .
Speaking at Suresnes military cemetery in the western Paris suburbs , Trump hailed the “ great warriors who gave everything for family , country , God and freedom ” .
Trump , who was in Paris to attend a ceremony marking 100 years since the end of the war , also praised the courage of the French and other Allied troops killed in “ one of the bloodiest conflicts in human history ” .
Karen wrote about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it happened .
As mentioned above , the claims at the time was that Trump cancelled the visit because of bad weather .
A Bloomberg reporter suggested information on the cancellation could be verified by checking with the Secret Service : Despite this explanation , Trump took a lot of heat at the time for skipping the cemetery including this hit from David Frum : The Washington Post published a story about a tweet from the French army that appeared to be mocking President Trump ’ s excuse .
It said , “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not matter .
We remain motivated.
” So there was plenty of criticism of the decision at the time , but the claim that Trump called the war dead “ losers ” is new .
It ’ s the kind of story that could potentially turn off a lot of pro-military voters if true .
The fact that it is being revealed now , two years after it allegedly happened and just two months before an election strongly suggests the people leaking this to the Atlantic have a particular political goal .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s true .
If it ’ s true then Trump deserves whatever blowback he gets .
I guess the remaining question is why the people who claim this happened haven ’ t come forward under their own names .
These are obviously people who don ’ t support Trump and therefore probably aren ’ t working for him two years later .
So why not speak on the record ?
Update : Here ’ s the White House response to this story .

Writing at the Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg has published a claim which he says is backed up by several people who were there as part of Trump’s 2018 trip to Paris, though none of them are named in his story.
When President Donald Trump canceled a visit to the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery near Paris in 2018, he blamed rain for the last-minute decision, saying that “the helicopter couldn’t fly” and that the Secret Service wouldn’t drive him there. Neither claim was true. Trump rejected the idea of the visit because he feared his hair would become disheveled in the rain, and because he did not believe it important to honor American war dead, according to four people with firsthand knowledge of the discussion that day. In a conversation with senior staff members on the morning of the scheduled visit, Trump said, “Why should I go to that cemetery? It’s filled with losers.” In a separate conversation on the same trip, Trump referred to the more than 1,800 marines who lost their lives at Belleau Wood as “suckers” for getting killed. Belleau Wood is a consequential battle in American history, and the ground on which it was fought is venerated by the Marine Corps. America and its allies stopped the German advance toward Paris there in the spring of 1918. But Trump, on that same trip, asked aides, “Who were the good guys in this war?” He also said that he didn’t understand why the United States would intervene on the side of the Allies.
Chief of Staff John Kelly attended the ceremony instead. The piece goes on to argue that Trump’s expression of contempt for the military is in keeping with Trump’s criticism of John McCain who he said was “not a war hero” because he’d been captured. However, it’s worth noting that President Trump made a visit to a different cemetery in the suburbs of Paris the next day (additional photo at the link):
President Donald Trump paid tribute to the “great warriors” who died in World War I as he visited a US cemetery in France, a day after drawing fire for cancelling a similar trip due to bad weather. Speaking at Suresnes military cemetery in the western Paris suburbs, Trump hailed the “great warriors who gave everything for family, country, God and freedom”. Trump, who was in Paris to attend a ceremony marking 100 years since the end of the war, also praised the courage of the French and other Allied troops killed in “one of the bloodiest conflicts in human history”.
Karen wrote about the cancellation in Paris two years ago when it happened. As mentioned above, the claims at the time was that Trump cancelled the visit because of bad weather. A Bloomberg reporter suggested information on the cancellation could be verified by checking with the Secret Service:
Fact: White House has lost so much credibility that some don’t believe info it shares. Reporters can check with Secret Service sources on security reasons one of Trump’s 2 visits to U.S. graves was canceled, but world will still go nuts calling it international embarrassment. — Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) November 10, 2018
Despite this explanation, Trump took a lot of heat at the time for skipping the cemetery including this hit from David Frum:
It's incredible that a president would travel to France for this significant anniversary – and then remain in his hotel room watching TV rather than pay in person his respects to the Americans who gave their lives in France for the victory gained 100 years ago tomorrow — David Frum (@davidfrum) November 10, 2018
The Washington Post published a story about a tweet from the French army that appeared to be mocking President Trump’s excuse. It said, “There is rain, but it does not matter. We remain motivated.”
#MondayMotivation Il y a de la pluie, mais c'est pas grave 😅 On reste motivé 👊 pic.twitter.com/29hOJ9ITF0 — Armée de Terre (@armeedeterre) November 12, 2018
So there was plenty of criticism of the decision at the time, but the claim that Trump called the war dead “losers” is new.
It’s the kind of story that could potentially turn off a lot of pro-military voters if true. The fact that it is being revealed now, two years after it allegedly happened and just two months before an election strongly suggests the people leaking this to the Atlantic have a particular political goal. That shouldn’t matter if it’s true. If it’s true then Trump deserves whatever blowback he gets.
I guess the remaining question is why the people who claim this happened haven’t come forward under their own names. These are obviously people who don’t support Trump and therefore probably aren’t working for him two years later. So why not speak on the record?
Update: Here’s the White House response to this story.


hotair--2020-09-03--DC police release body cam video of Deon Kay shooting (plus activists show up at Mayor Bowser's home

DC police release body cam video of Deon Kay shooting (plus activists show up at Mayor Bowser's home)

There was a police shooting in Washington , DC yesterday .
An 18-year-old named Deon Kay was shot once and died from his injuries .
Immediately , there were claims that police had “ murdered ” Kay by shooting him in the back .
But today police released the body camera footage which showed that Kay did have a gun and was shot in the chest while running toward an officer , not in the back .
Here ’ s the briefing video already queued up to the description of the incident .
The video is graphic : The whole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to watch it a few times to get a sense of what was happening .
The officer whose perspective we ’ re seeing was running after another suspect who ’ d gotten out of the car first .
About the time he reached the position where that suspect ’ s car was parked , Deon Kay got out of the passenger side of the same vehicle .
The officer shouts “ Don ’ t move !
” several times and as he turns back toward Kay , he raises his gun .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did have a gun in his right hand just before the officer fired .
By pausing and restarting , it appears to me the gun had actually left his hand a fraction of a second before the shot was fired .
But obviously the officer wasn ’ t able to scrub through the incident in this way .
He saw Kay running up on him with a gun in his right hand , his arm coming up , and he fired a shot .
I ’ m not sure how he could possibly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intended to throw the gun not fire it .
Obviously if he ’ d guessed wrong the result could have been very serious for him .
So that ’ s what actually happened but long before any details were released , activists were accusing the police of murder : Police did release some details in a statement last night , i.e .
the fact that Kay had a gun when the shooting took place .
They even released a picture : But as I mentioned , that ’ s not the story that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Many people , who hadn ’ t seen the police video , were convinced that Kay had been shot in the back like Jacob Blake was in Kenosha or like some people claimed ( falsely ) that Mike Brown had been in Ferguson .
Here ’ s one angry DC resident explaining what happened to a Deadspin reporter last night : And here ’ s Kay ’ s aunt repeating the same story : Chuck Modi was called out last night for helping to spread these unconfirmed ( now shown to be false @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : The anger is real even if the details aren ’ t accurate .
Actually , no .
People get angry , in large part , because of the details .
When they hear stories about innocent unarmed teens being gunned down by racist police while they had their hands up in surrender , they understandably get angry .
That was the initial take on the Mike Brown shooting and it was false but the anger generated by that story was very real and remains with us to this day .
There was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night and it seems most people had heard this ( false ) version of the shooting : Here ’ s the same relative interviewed above demanding to know why police shot her nephew in the back : I ’ m actually sympathetic to what she ’ s saying about how the family is hurting but the officer is right that the thing to do is wait to see what the body camera shows before jumping to conclusions .
Later last night , around 1 am , a group of people turned up for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ house .
As in Portland , when they can ’ t get to their target , they turn on the target ’ s neighbors : Anyway , now that the video has been released , you ’ ll be shocked to learn that no one has changed their opinion .
Deon Kay ’ s death is a terrible outcome , obviously for him and his family but also for his community , which was given false information about what happened .
There ’ s no getting around the fact that what he did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t see how you can fault the officer for thinking a kid running at him and raising his arm with a gun in his hand might be about to shoot him .

There was a police shooting in Washington, DC yesterday. An 18-year-old named Deon Kay was shot once and died from his injuries. Immediately, there were claims that police had “murdered” Kay by shooting him in the back. But today police released the body camera footage which showed that Kay did have a gun and was shot in the chest while running toward an officer, not in the back. Here’s the briefing video already cued up to the description of the incident. The video is graphic:
The whole incident happens very fast. I had to watch it a few times to get a sense of what was happening. The officer whose perspective we’re seeing was running after another suspect who’d gotten out of the car first. About the time he reached the position where that suspect’s car was parked, Deon Kay got out of the passenger side of the same vehicle. The officer shouts “Don’t move!” several times and as he turns back toward Kay, he raises his gun.
In a freeze-frame you can see that Kay did have a gun in his right hand just before the officer fired. By pausing and restarting, it appears to me the gun had actually left his hand a fraction of a second before the shot was fired. But obviously the officer wasn’t able to scrub through the incident in this way. He saw Kay running up on him with a gun in his right hand, his arm coming up, and he fired a shot. I’m not sure how he could possibly have known in that instant that Kay intended to throw the gun not fire it. Obviously if he’d guessed wrong the result could have been very serious for him.
So that’s what actually happened but long before any details were released, activists were accusing the police of murder:
It doesn't sound like the police were in any danger. @DCPoliceDept are refusing to say that the man they murdered had a gun or not. @ChiefNewsham why can't you be straight forward with the public? Tell us the truth. Stop protecting murderers. #BlackLivesMatter #DC — Jason Charter (@JasonRCharter) September 2, 2020
This is the kid the race soldiers in Washington DC shot in the back and killed today..Deon Kay. The only thing more cowardly than shooting someone in the back, is ppl in a society who collectively justify state sanctioned executioners shooting teens in the back#AntiBlackWar pic.twitter.com/DA5lubt28R — Tariq Nasheed 🇺🇸 (@tariqnasheed) September 3, 2020
Police did release some details in a statement last night, i.e. the fact that Kay had a gun when the shooting took place. They even released a picture:
DC Police say the 18-year-old man fatally shot by an officer tonight in SE DC had brandished a handgun during a foot pursuit and was shot by police. He’s been identified as Deon Kay of DC. A second suspect fled the scene. More here from @ashrafkhalil: https://t.co/Gq2xVwqix7 pic.twitter.com/gMaGflgI2u — Mike Balsamo (@MikeBalsamo1) September 3, 2020
But as I mentioned, that’s not the story that was circulating on the street yesterday. Many people, who hadn’t seen the police video, were convinced that Kay had been shot in the back like Jacob Blake was in Kenosha or like some people claimed (falsely) that Mike Brown had been in Ferguson. Here’s one angry DC resident explaining what happened to a Deadspin reporter last night:
“I’m tired of that shyt because my tax money just paid for that young man to get murdered” #DeonKay Outside Police Line #DCProtests pic.twitter.com/sZBOBvWmXe — ChuckModi (@ChuckModi1) September 3, 2020
And here’s Kay’s aunt repeating the same story:
“The police officer killed my nephew. Shot him in the back” She said his name is Deon Kay#MPDShooting #DCProtests pic.twitter.com/HxgU1iSO0I — ChuckModi (@ChuckModi1) September 3, 2020
Chuck Modi was called out last night for helping to spread these unconfirmed (now shown to be false) claims:
https://twitter.com/ZaidJilani/status/1301366554454560768
Modi’s response: The anger is real even if the details aren’t accurate.
If I chased likes/RTs, I’d stay on my couch & have 400K followers lifting other ppl’s videos, a staple of 6-figure Twitter. But I go on location to allow ppl never given a platform to express themselves. Whatever details of video, his voice & anger is real & didn’t begin today https://t.co/JLrt1KMsOu — ChuckModi (@ChuckModi1) September 3, 2020
Actually, no. People get angry, in large part, because of the details. When they hear stories about innocent unarmed teens being gunned down by racist police while they had their hands up in surrender, they understandably get angry. That was the initial take on the Mike Brown shooting and it was false but the anger generated by that story was very real and remains with us to this day.
There was an anti-police protest at the precinct last night and it seems most people had heard this (false) version of the shooting:
People expressing themselves to police at 7th precinct in DC after police reportedly shoot 18 yo #DeonKay in the back #DCProtests pic.twitter.com/njPg6N063G — ChuckModi (@ChuckModi1) September 3, 2020
Here’s the same relative interviewed above demanding to know why police shot her nephew in the back:
“He don’t care. He don’t care” Aunt of #DeonKay confronts Lt. Bagshaw about her nephew#DCProtests outside 7th Precinct pic.twitter.com/wUL3MSRB14 — ChuckModi (@ChuckModi1) September 3, 2020
I’m actually sympathetic to what she’s saying about how the family is hurting but the officer is right that the thing to do is wait to see what the body camera shows before jumping to conclusions.
Later last night, around 1 am, a group of people turned up for a protest outside Mayor Bowser’s house.
"Why the fuck did I vote for you?" one of the late night activists yelled into the home of @MayorBowser. Bowser – a Democrat – is largely seen by BLM activists as an enemy who sides with police. "Do you hear this neighbors? Do y'all know who you live next to?" pic.twitter.com/P5mIT5NW9E — Ford Fischer (@FordFischer) September 3, 2020
Protesters pointed a strobe light at a cop's galoshes, who pointed his strobe back at them. The activists used an umbrella as cover in what basically ended up being a game of flash light tag with the cop. pic.twitter.com/kuqps2q6Cp — Ford Fischer (@FordFischer) September 3, 2020
As in Portland, when they can’t get to their target, they turn on the target’s neighbors:
One neighbor was more sympathetic. Speaking from his second floor window at 2am, he said "I didn't even know, that is horrible" about the shooting. "We're sorry to wake you up-" "No, we're not sorry for waking you up, we thank you for waking up and talking to us." pic.twitter.com/rOJcioOtj3 — Ford Fischer (@FordFischer) September 3, 2020
Inspector Robert Glover: "Jason, go home." "Glover, fuck off." "Go home." "I don't know who Jason is." "Ok, alright Mr. Charter, have a nice night," Inspector Glover said, apparently ID'ing an activist as @JasonRCharter. "Go home." pic.twitter.com/V22auzmt3b — Ford Fischer (@FordFischer) September 3, 2020
Protesters continued challenging the police. "You touch me, you go to jail," said a cop. "Why don't you fuck off?" said an activist. "That's not nice," said cop. Dialogue continued. Activist: "Relax, chill out." Cop: "Oh I'm very chill." "Are you?" "I am." Walks away. pic.twitter.com/AkHL30ouSg — Ford Fischer (@FordFischer) September 3, 2020
Anyway, now that the video has been released, you’ll be shocked to learn that no one has changed their opinion.
BREAKING: Body camera footage just released from yesterday's fatal shooting of 18yo Deon Kay in DC. The officer could have used "less-lethal tactics" but chose to SHOOT him instead… Even after he threw his gun on the ground. We need police reform NOW. #JusticeForDeonKay pic.twitter.com/4QR4htb82Q — Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) September 3, 2020
Deon Kay’s death is a terrible outcome, obviously for him and his family but also for his community, which was given false information about what happened. There’s no getting around the fact that what he did here was incredibly reckless. I don’t see how you can fault the officer for thinking a kid running at him and raising his arm with a gun in his hand might be about to shoot him.


hotair--2020-09-03--Prince Harry and Meghan cash in with massive Netflix deal

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have secured a deal with Netflix to create documentaries , documentary series , feature films , scripted shows , and children ’ s programming , too .
Mind you , these two have absolutely no experience in doing any of this but that doesn ’ t matter .
Netflix is happy to allow the royals to cash in on their titles and bring their celebrity to the online streaming service .
It ’ s a multi-year deal , exclusive to Netflix , which is one of their first since abandoning their royal duties and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Duchess Meghan , a D-list actress before her marriage to Prince Harry , planned to use her new position in life as a means of securing more acting jobs because there is video .
During a reception with celebrities and other royals , Prince Harry is seen and heard all but begging a top man at Disney to hire Meghan for voiceover work in the reception line .
It must have worked because Meghan provided voice work on a Disney production about elephants .
She has some experience as a supporting actress but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ currently seen in Rising Phoenix , a Netflix documentary about the Paralympic Games .
He founded the Invictus Games for wounded veterans .
It is reported that Harry and Meghan met with Netflix competitors Disney , Apple , and NBCUniversal in recent months , hoping to create a bidding war .
The amount of money offered to them hasn ’ t been disclosed and their production company doesn ’ t even have a name yet .
Their deal is said to be similar to that of their pals , the Obamas , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of $ 200M .
I wonder how much Prince William and Kate could get for their titles ?
The Obamas also had no previous experience in the entertainment business .
There is a whole lot of money in liberal Hollywood .
Netflix provides liberal social justice warriors a platform with which to promote their pet causes .
Meghan is currently out in front with her support of Black Lives Matter and working to fundamentally change America .
Harry , too , is far-left liberal and just daft enough to humor her with her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowed her to break up the royal family .
They are said to want to produce “ inspirational family content ” .
Ironic , given her hand in Harry abandoning his family .
One entertainment professional admitted that the couple will hire “ shadow producers ” to do the work , it ’ s their royal titles that are valuable to Netflix .
And , if Meghan still wants to act , what better way to do it ?
He said : “ It is a staggering deal .
Never before has a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Family ‒ this is historic .
“ Meghan and Harry will hire shadow producers to do the work but their names alone attached to Netflix are gold dust.
” However , Mr Shalit has previously claimed that Meghan could also make big bucks if she agreed to start acting again .
He insisted she could make £37million ( $ 50million ) if she got back in front of the camera .
While Meghan and her husband work to address white privilege and the past , they probably shouldn ’ t look to anyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ life .
Instead of doing the work expected of them since Harry was born into the royal family and enjoys the benefits of that lifestyle , they are working for themselves .
Harry is in support of the Green New Deal and radical environmentalism , for example , which is ironic given the fact he travels by private jet and yachts .
His and Meghan ’ s carbon footprint has increased in America as they have purchased a $ 14.7 million home in Montecito , an oceanside enclave about an hour north of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also have estates there .
Harry and Meghan ’ s statement is full of woke words and exaggerated egos .
“ Our lives , both independent of each other , and as a couple have allowed us to understand the power of the human spirit : of courage , resilience , and the need for connection , ” said The Duke and Duchess of Sussex in a statement .
“ Through our work with diverse communities and their environments , to shining a light on people and causes around the world , our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ informs but also gives hope .
As new parents , making inspirational family programming is also important to us , as is powerful storytelling through a truthful and relatable lens .
We are pleased to work with Ted and the team at Netflix whose unprecedented reach will help us share impactful content that unlocks action ” .
The development of family programming is important to Netflix , especially now with increased demands on streaming services to provide entertainment for families locked down at home .
Currently , Harry and Meghan have an animated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inspiring women .
In Hollywood , it is important for the cool kids to hang with other cool kids .
The royal couple is following the playbook of the Obamas , with whom they have a friendship developed during the Obama administration .
In 2018 , Netflix struck a deal with Barack and Michelle Obama to produce shows and films .
That partnership in March yielded “ Crip Camp , ” a feel-good documentary about the origins of the disability rights movement that is an early favorite to win the 2021 Oscar for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said the Obamas have also proved to be valuable as a magnet for other deals : In Hollywood , the cool kids want to be around other cool kids .
“ The value of this signing to Netflix is unquantifiable , ” Jonathan Shalit , chairman of InterTalent Rights Group , a London agency , said in an email .
“ Never before has a real-life royal of this magnitude gone commercial and to Hollywood.
” They share the same agent as the Obamas .
Perhaps a podcast will be next , given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ latest endeavor .
Harry and Meghan are living their best lives in Hollywood circles .
It ’ s quite a feat that a D-list American actress has pulled off , right ?
All Harry had to do was willingly cash in on the family royalty .

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have secured a deal with Netflix to create documentaries, documentary series, feature films, scripted shows, and children’s programming, too. Mind you, these two have absolutely no experience in doing any of this but that doesn’t matter. Netflix is happy to allow the royals to cash in on their titles and bring their celebrity to the online streaming service.
It’s a multi-year deal, exclusive to Netflix, which is one of their first since abandoning their royal duties and relocating to California. We know that Duchess Meghan, a D-list actress before her marriage to Prince Harry, planned to use her new position in life as a means of securing more acting jobs because there is video. During a reception with celebrities and other royals, Prince Harry is seen and heard all but begging a top man at Disney to hire Meghan for voiceover work in the reception line. It must have worked because Meghan provided voice work on a Disney production about elephants. She has some experience as a supporting actress but no experience in production. Harry is currently seen in Rising Phoenix, a Netflix documentary about the Paralympic Games. He founded the Invictus Games for wounded veterans.
It is reported that Harry and Meghan met with Netflix competitors Disney, Apple, and NBCUniversal in recent months, hoping to create a bidding war. The amount of money offered to them hasn’t been disclosed and their production company doesn’t even have a name yet. Their deal is said to be similar to that of their pals, the Obamas, which means it could be in the range of $200M. I wonder how much Prince William and Kate could get for their titles? The Obamas also had no previous experience in the entertainment business.
Although Netflix didn’t disclose how much it is paying the couple, the streamer has a history of paying a high price to work exclusively with influential people: It reportedly paid Black-ish creator Kenya Barris $100 million, Grey’s Anatomy creator Shondra Rhimes $150 million, American Horror Story creator Ryan Murphy up to $300 million, and Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and Dan Weiss $200 million for multi-year contracts.
There is a whole lot of money in liberal Hollywood. Netflix provides liberal social justice warriors a platform with which to promote their pet causes. Meghan is currently out in front with her support of Black Lives Matter and working to fundamentally change America. Harry, too, is far-left liberal and just daft enough to humor her with her ambitious agenda. After all, he allowed her to break up the royal family. They are said to want to produce “inspirational family content”. Ironic, given her hand in Harry abandoning his family.
In a statement, the Sussexes said: “Our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope. “As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us.”
One entertainment professional admitted that the couple will hire “shadow producers” to do the work, it’s their royal titles that are valuable to Netflix. And, if Meghan still wants to act, what better way to do it?
He said: “It is a staggering deal. Never before has a Hollywood studio got hold of British Royal Family ‒ this is historic. “Meghan and Harry will hire shadow producers to do the work but their names alone attached to Netflix are gold dust.” However, Mr Shalit has previously claimed that Meghan could also make big bucks if she agreed to start acting again. He insisted she could make £37million ($50million) if she got back in front of the camera.
While Meghan and her husband work to address white privilege and the past, they probably shouldn’t look to anyone to feel sorry for them and their life. Instead of doing the work expected of them since Harry was born into the royal family and enjoys the benefits of that lifestyle, they are working for themselves. Harry is in support of the Green New Deal and radical environmentalism, for example, which is ironic given the fact he travels by private jet and yachts. His and Meghan’s carbon footprint has increased in America as they have purchased a $14.7 million home in Montecito, an oceanside enclave about an hour north of Malibu. Oprah Winfrey and Ellen DeGeneres also have estates there.
Netflix released a statement about the deal.
“Harry and Meghan have inspired millions of people all around the world with their authenticity, optimism and leadership,” said Ted Sarandos, co-CEO and Chief Content Officer of Netflix. “We’re incredibly proud they have chosen Netflix as their creative home – and are excited about telling stories with them that can help build resilience and increase understanding for audiences everywhere.”
Harry and Meghan’s statement is full of woke words and exaggerated egos.
“Our lives, both independent of each other, and as a couple have allowed us to understand the power of the human spirit: of courage, resilience, and the need for connection,” said The Duke and Duchess of Sussex in a statement. “Through our work with diverse communities and their environments, to shining a light on people and causes around the world, our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope. As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us, as is powerful storytelling through a truthful and relatable lens. We are pleased to work with Ted and the team at Netflix whose unprecedented reach will help us share impactful content that unlocks action”.
The development of family programming is important to Netflix, especially now with increased demands on streaming services to provide entertainment for families locked down at home. Currently, Harry and Meghan have an animated series in development that is focused on inspiring women.
In Hollywood, it is important for the cool kids to hang with other cool kids. The royal couple is following the playbook of the Obamas, with whom they have a friendship developed during the Obama administration.
In 2018, Netflix struck a deal with Barack and Michelle Obama to produce shows and films. That partnership in March yielded “Crip Camp,” a feel-good documentary about the origins of the disability rights movement that is an early favorite to win the 2021 Oscar for best nonfiction film. Netflix executives have said the Obamas have also proved to be valuable as a magnet for other deals: In Hollywood, the cool kids want to be around other cool kids. “The value of this signing to Netflix is unquantifiable,” Jonathan Shalit, chairman of InterTalent Rights Group, a London agency, said in an email. “Never before has a real-life royal of this magnitude gone commercial and to Hollywood.”
They share the same agent as the Obamas. Perhaps a podcast will be next, given that it is Michelle Obama’s latest endeavor.
In June, they signed a deal with the Harry Walker Agency for speaking engagements, with per-speech fees estimated at $1 million and topics (for Harry) including mental health and grieving. (Harry Walker also represents the Obamas.) There has been widespread speculation that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex could copy another part of the Obamas’ playbook and make a podcast deal with Spotify. A Spotify spokesman declined to comment.
Harry and Meghan are living their best lives in Hollywood circles. It’s quite a feat that a D-list American actress has pulled off, right? All Harry had to do was willingly cash in on the family royalty.


hotair--2020-09-03--Fauci: "Conceivable" we could have vaccine by October

Will an approved COVID-19 vaccine — or several of them — become Donald Trump ’ s October surprise ?
Administration critics have accused the White House and CDC of playing electoral politics after the latter sent a letter to states ’ health administrations , advising them to ready their distribution channels for one or more vaccines by November 1 .
Anthony Fauci dismisses the idea that politics are driving the approval decisions , telling CNN ’ s Jim Sciutto that there are too many independent oversight structures to allow for shenanigans .
As for the timing , Fauci says that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” although he also says that it ’ s not what he ’ s expecting to happen : CBS This Morning spoke with HHS Secretary Alex Azar earlier today about the timing of the vaccine , and also about the skepticism with which some people are approaching .
Azar isn ’ t sure when the data will fully report on the vaccine candidates — it might take longer or shorter depending on community transmission rates — but says that they want to move quickly if and when they get data that the candidates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ host takes issue with Azar ’ s promotion of Donald Trump , and ends up focusing on the politics of the alert and its specific date two days before the election .
“ It has nothing to do with elections , ” Azar responds , saying that “ career people ” came up with the timeline : As much as Azar objects to politicizing the CDC alert , it ’ s inevitable under the circumstances — and he ’ s just as responsible for it as anyone .
Leading off these announcements @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politicization of the process , just as expressing concerns over an October surprise is .
Trump ’ s declaration during the convention that a vaccine might come ahead of the election also set that tone .
Had everyone held their tongue , they could have taken credit after the CDC alert , or better yet , wait for the approved vaccines to show up before doing the back-slapping .
Still , Fauci ’ s correct — the FDA is not going to approve a vaccine ahead of the data , because they aren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without it being instantly exposed .
There are too many people in the loop that would blow the whistle in a heartbeat if that happened .
Once the vaccine emerges , or better yet multiple vaccines , the real challenge to deliver them will begin .
That ’ s why the CDC sent out the alert in the first place .

Will an approved COVID-19 vaccine — or several of them — become Donald Trump’s October surprise? Administration critics have accused the White House and CDC of playing electoral politics after the latter sent a letter to states’ health administrations, advising them to ready their distribution channels for one or more vaccines by November 1. Anthony Fauci dismisses the idea that politics are driving the approval decisions, telling CNN’s Jim Sciutto that there are too many independent oversight structures to allow for shenanigans.
As for the timing, Fauci says that a late-October approval is “conceivable,” although he also says that it’s not what he’s expecting to happen:
“It is conceivable that you could have it by October, though I don't think that that's likely,” Dr. Anthony Fauci tells @jimsciutto about a coronavirus vaccine as CDC documents say states should prepare to distribute vaccines as soon as late October. https://t.co/hVC9nZv9pr pic.twitter.com/XRZJqv16pY — CNN (@CNN) September 3, 2020
“I think most of the people feel it’s going to be November, December,” Fauci said in a CNN interview when asked about the possibility of an earlier release, adding a clinical trial could prompt drug developers to decide a vaccine works sooner. “It is conceivable that you can have it by October, though I don’t think that that’s likely.”
Scuitto summarized it on Twitter:
4- On whether politics is driving vaccine approval: "Data has always been the thing that has driven me & my colleagues here at the NIH..FDA & CDC…so I think that people can feel confident that when these data come in, they will be examined appropriately and a decision made." — Jim Sciutto (@jimsciutto) September 3, 2020
CBS This Morning spoke with HHS Secretary Alex Azar earlier today about the timing of the vaccine, and also about the skepticism with which some people are approaching. Azar isn’t sure when the data will fully report on the vaccine candidates — it might take longer or shorter depending on community transmission rates — but says that they want to move quickly if and when they get data that the candidates are both safe and effective.
CBS’ host takes issue with Azar’s promotion of Donald Trump, and ends up focusing on the politics of the alert and its specific date two days before the election. “It has nothing to do with elections,” Azar responds, saying that “career people” came up with the timeline:
As much as Azar objects to politicizing the CDC alert, it’s inevitable under the circumstances — and he’s just as responsible for it as anyone. Leading off these announcements by hailing Donald Trump is an explicit politicization of the process, just as expressing concerns over an October surprise is. Trump’s declaration during the convention that a vaccine might come ahead of the election also set that tone. Had everyone held their tongue, they could have taken credit after the CDC alert, or better yet, wait for the approved vaccines to show up before doing the back-slapping.
Still, Fauci’s correct — the FDA is not going to approve a vaccine ahead of the data, because they aren’t set up to do that without it being instantly exposed. There are too many people in the loop that would blow the whistle in a heartbeat if that happened. Once the vaccine emerges, or better yet multiple vaccines, the real challenge to deliver them will begin. That’s why the CDC sent out the alert in the first place.


hotair--2020-09-03--ProPublica: Police pull back when morale sinks and that can lead to more violent crime

My headline doesn ’ t fully capture what this new ProPublica article conveys .
In part that ’ s because the article is long and has a lot to say about policing in various cities .
It ’ s also because the piece doesn ’ t seem terribly clear about what it is trying to say .
And some of what it does say about recent events in some cities is clearly wrong which makes it very difficult to work out any sort of clear takeaway from this .
But stick with me and I ’ ll do my best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s start with the subhead which is probably as close to a summary as anyone can get : “ In cities across the country , leaders face a phenomenon encountered in Baltimore and Chicago : officers slowing their work in the wake of high-profile episodes of police violence .
Reporter Alec MacGillis asks : Will the result be different this time ?
” The idea , based on one working paper , is that under certain specific circumstances police officers tend to pull back and that can result in a spike of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the paper come down to two factors .
First , if there ’ s a viral incident of police violence , i.e .
the death of Mike Brown or Freddie Gray .
Second , if that viral incident results in a federal investigation ( which often leads to a consent decree ) .
Only when both of those things happen at once do police tend to pull back and does violent crime go up : A June working paper by Roland Fryer , a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in most cities where police have been under federal investigations in recent decades , a step that often leads to consent decrees , rates of violent crime have not increased — just as they didn ’ t in Seattle .
There was one set of exceptions in the latter study , though .
Federal investigations and de-policing did correlate with a sharp rise in violent crime in cities that had experienced what the study referred to as “ viral ” incidents : a high-profile , highly controversial instance of police using deadly force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cities are contending with today… In their paper , Fryer and Devi note that spikes in violence were not observed in cities that had a viral incident but no ensuing federal investigation , such as North Charleston , South Carolina , following the 2015 police shooting of Walter Scott as he ran from an officer .
In those cases , Fryer said in an interview , police seem able to compartmentalize the criticism of the incident , rather than see it as an indictment of the entire force .
“ If the police @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , which is what they tend to feel if there ’ s a viral incident and no investigation , then they continue on , ” Fryer said .
Fryer said he was also struck to find that investigations not sparked by viral incidents also did not produce spikes in violent crime .
But something about the combination of the two — a viral incident leading to an investigation — seemed to lead to police pullbacks and higher rates of violence .
I don ’ t know how they frame it in their working @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pointing to is Black Lives Matter , i.e .
when an individual incident of police violence becomes a cause celebre and that leads to an investigation and generalized condemnation of police , the police pull back and violence goes up .
But the article anonymously quotes several police officers who suggest that the reasons this happens are pretty rational : One veteran Baltimore police officer said that the 2015 pullback was the result of almost instantaneous demoralization that spread across the department .
Officers resented the lack of official direction and protective equipment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and the charges against the six officers involved in Gray ’ s arrest , which the Baltimore state ’ s attorney , Marilyn Mosby , had delivered in a ringing tone from the steps of the city ’ s War Memorial Building .
The resentment was exacerbated by the fact that Mosby ’ s own office had recently requested heightened enforcement in exactly the area where Gray was arrested .
“ You were responding to calls — if an old lady was being robbed , you were going to stop them .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing proactive patrolling of the sort that Mosby had demanded , that was over , ” the officer said… In Baltimore , the pullback has persisted five years later , in an evolved form .
The resentment that police harbored over the charges against the six officers has dissipated ; none of the cases ended with a conviction .
Now , the veteran officer said , the continued decline in arrest rates and proactive-policing levels are driven more by uncertainty over what is allowed under the city ’ s new consent decree , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the sessions have been useful , the officer said — for instance , on the rules around searches and seizures .
But officers are still uncertain about the expanded use-of-force definitions , he said , which include forcible handcuffing , as in Seattle , and about when and how they are allowed to clear crowds from major drug corners , so they often choose to simply drive by them .
“ The officers are confused .
I have no idea what I can do and what I can ’ t do , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for 20 years , ” he said .
“ The good members of the community want us to do our job .
But the small number of noisy people who are getting in trouble over and over are out there dictating policy to the detriment of the city.
” The article notes that in Baltimore , the consent decree actually requires the city to hire more officers , putting it completely at odds with the demands being made by current BLM activists who want police defunded and the number of officers cut sharply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ George Floyd in Minneapolis as an event that set off police pullbacks in multiple cities .
But here some of the analysis of the situation seems badly off base : During the protests that followed Floyd ’ s death , Seattle police withdrew from their precinct house in the Capitol Hill neighborhood , allowing the area to become an “ autonomous ” zone .
In the following days , they were slow to respond to several emergency calls in or near the zone , including a shooting inside the area that left a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The police attributed their slow response to having been impeded by the zone ’ s occupiers . )
Many officers have also refused to uncover their badge numbers , deterring identification .
[ Former Seattle Mayor Michael ] McGinn has been observing from the sidelines as the city , now under the leadership of Mayor Jenny Durkan , appears to be experiencing its own version of a silent strike protesting the activists and Durkan , who initially said the autonomous zone had a “ block-party atmosphere .
There ’ s a lot of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fully under control of the mayor .
No mayor can admit that , but all evidence seems to suggest that , ” McGinn said in July , just before police finally moved to clear the autonomous zone .
“ They ’ re engaging in their own version of civil disobedience — showing that they ’ re the thin blue line and that without them there will be chaos .
That ’ s what they believe and they want to go out there and prove it.
” McGinn has the situation bass ackwards .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hill precinct by rioters who then set up roadblocks to control who could enter the area .
Almost immediately , Police Chief Carmen Best expressed anger at having to abandon the precinct and said the decision had not been hers .
She repeatedly expressed her eagerness to get back into the building and noted there were significant delays responding to 911 calls because of the disruption .
Chief Best even went into the CHAZ and called what was happening “ irresponsible.
” Meanwhile , Mayor Durkan who had suggested the CHAZ might lead @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” was clearly in to mood to confront the protesters .
Her idea of de-escalation eventually resulted in five people shot within a week .
Finally , the mayor came to her senses and said enough was enough .
If the police were out of control it was only in the sense that they were straining to engage and deal with the situation while the mayor was muttering about a block party .
The CHAZ is simply not a good example of police pulling back .
It ’ s an example of a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ protesters .
And that ’ s a major part of the story that doesn ’ t get much attention in this piece .
Criminologist Richard Rosenfeld , who recently released a report showing violent crime was on the rise in cities across the country , said the rise in crime can ’ t be put at the feet of police .
There are other dynamics at play in these cities : Having blamed police for everything else , some are now trying to blame them for their own demoralization in the wake of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sides .
But ultimately it makes little sense to blame police for pulling back when the clarion call of activists , amplified by the media nationwide , is ‘ defund police.
’ If sustained public condemnation of the police creates a decrease in morale and a rise in violence , then maybe we should stop doing that .
If less police activity creates a vacuum that leads to more violence then maybe slashing police budgets isn ’ t a good idea .
In short , maybe we ought to think about how we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reform presently before making dramatic changes that could impact these cities for many years to come .

My headline doesn’t fully capture what this new ProPublica article conveys. In part that’s because the article is long and has a lot to say about policing in various cities. It’s also because the piece doesn’t seem terribly clear about what it is trying to say. And some of what it does say about recent events in some cities is clearly wrong which makes it very difficult to work out any sort of clear takeaway from this. But stick with me and I’ll do my best to make sense of it.
Let’s start with the subhead which is probably as close to a summary as anyone can get: “In cities across the country, leaders face a phenomenon encountered in Baltimore and Chicago: officers slowing their work in the wake of high-profile episodes of police violence. Reporter Alec MacGillis asks: Will the result be different this time?”
The idea, based on one working paper, is that under certain specific circumstances police officers tend to pull back and that can result in a spike of violent crime. The big factors identified in the paper come down to two factors. First, if there’s a viral incident of police violence, i.e. the death of Mike Brown or Freddie Gray. Second, if that viral incident results in a federal investigation (which often leads to a consent decree). Only when both of those things happen at once do police tend to pull back and does violent crime go up:
A June working paper by Roland Fryer, a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, and Tanaya Devi found that in most cities where police have been under federal investigations in recent decades, a step that often leads to consent decrees, rates of violent crime have not increased — just as they didn’t in Seattle. There was one set of exceptions in the latter study, though. Federal investigations and de-policing did correlate with a sharp rise in violent crime in cities that had experienced what the study referred to as “viral” incidents: a high-profile, highly controversial instance of police using deadly force against a civilian — precisely what several cities are contending with today… In their paper, Fryer and Devi note that spikes in violence were not observed in cities that had a viral incident but no ensuing federal investigation, such as North Charleston, South Carolina, following the 2015 police shooting of Walter Scott as he ran from an officer. In those cases, Fryer said in an interview, police seem able to compartmentalize the criticism of the incident, rather than see it as an indictment of the entire force. “If the police feel like the management has their back, which is what they tend to feel if there’s a viral incident and no investigation, then they continue on,” Fryer said. Fryer said he was also struck to find that investigations not sparked by viral incidents also did not produce spikes in violent crime. But something about the combination of the two — a viral incident leading to an investigation — seemed to lead to police pullbacks and higher rates of violence.
I don’t know how they frame it in their working paper but what they seem to be pointing to is Black Lives Matter, i.e. when an individual incident of police violence becomes a cause celebre and that leads to an investigation and generalized condemnation of police, the police pull back and violence goes up. But the article anonymously quotes several police officers who suggest that the reasons this happens are pretty rational:
One veteran Baltimore police officer said that the 2015 pullback was the result of almost instantaneous demoralization that spread across the department. Officers resented the lack of official direction and protective equipment during the riots, he said, and the charges against the six officers involved in Gray’s arrest, which the Baltimore state’s attorney, Marilyn Mosby, had delivered in a ringing tone from the steps of the city’s War Memorial Building. The resentment was exacerbated by the fact that Mosby’s own office had recently requested heightened enforcement in exactly the area where Gray was arrested. “You were responding to calls — if an old lady was being robbed, you were going to stop them. But as far as being very aggressive and doing proactive patrolling of the sort that Mosby had demanded, that was over,” the officer said… In Baltimore, the pullback has persisted five years later, in an evolved form. The resentment that police harbored over the charges against the six officers has dissipated; none of the cases ended with a conviction. Now, the veteran officer said, the continued decline in arrest rates and proactive-policing levels are driven more by uncertainty over what is allowed under the city’s new consent decree, even after multiple training sessions. Some of the sessions have been useful, the officer said — for instance, on the rules around searches and seizures. But officers are still uncertain about the expanded use-of-force definitions, he said, which include forcible handcuffing, as in Seattle, and about when and how they are allowed to clear crowds from major drug corners, so they often choose to simply drive by them. “The officers are confused. I have no idea what I can do and what I can’t do, and I’ve been an officer for 20 years,” he said. “The good members of the community want us to do our job. But the small number of noisy people who are getting in trouble over and over are out there dictating policy to the detriment of the city.”
The article notes that in Baltimore, the consent decree actually requires the city to hire more officers, putting it completely at odds with the demands being made by current BLM activists who want police defunded and the number of officers cut sharply.
The article frames the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis as an event that set off police pullbacks in multiple cities. But here some of the analysis of the situation seems badly off base:
During the protests that followed Floyd’s death, Seattle police withdrew from their precinct house in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, allowing the area to become an “autonomous” zone. In the following days, they were slow to respond to several emergency calls in or near the zone, including a shooting inside the area that left a 19-year-old dead and another injured. (The police attributed their slow response to having been impeded by the zone’s occupiers.) Many officers have also refused to uncover their badge numbers, deterring identification. [Former Seattle Mayor Michael] McGinn has been observing from the sidelines as the city, now under the leadership of Mayor Jenny Durkan, appears to be experiencing its own version of a silent strike protesting the activists and Durkan, who initially said the autonomous zone had a “block-party atmosphere. There’s a lot of evidence that the police today are not fully under control of the mayor. No mayor can admit that, but all evidence seems to suggest that,” McGinn said in July, just before police finally moved to clear the autonomous zone. “They’re engaging in their own version of civil disobedience — showing that they’re the thin blue line and that without them there will be chaos. That’s what they believe and they want to go out there and prove it.”
McGinn has the situation bass ackwards. Police were forced out of the Capitol Hill precinct by rioters who then set up roadblocks to control who could enter the area. Almost immediately, Police Chief Carmen Best expressed anger at having to abandon the precinct and said the decision had not been hers. She repeatedly expressed her eagerness to get back into the building and noted there were significant delays responding to 911 calls because of the disruption. Chief Best even went into the CHAZ and called what was happening “irresponsible.” Meanwhile, Mayor Durkan who had suggested the CHAZ might lead to a “summer of love,” was clearly in to mood to confront the protesters. Her idea of de-escalation eventually resulted in five people shot within a week. Finally, the mayor came to her senses and said enough was enough.
If the police were out of control it was only in the sense that they were straining to engage and deal with the situation while the mayor was muttering about a block party. The CHAZ is simply not a good example of police pulling back. It’s an example of a mayor bending over backwards to appease violent protesters. And that’s a major part of the story that doesn’t get much attention in this piece.
Criminologist Richard Rosenfeld, who recently released a report showing violent crime was on the rise in cities across the country, said the rise in crime can’t be put at the feet of police. There are other dynamics at play in these cities:
“Those are cities where the community’s relationship with police is enormously fraught, and in those situations, people tend to withdraw from the police and take matters into their own hands,” he said. “It’s not just what police are or aren’t doing that could be provoking more incidents. It’s also the community reacting to police brutality.”
Having blamed police for everything else, some are now trying to blame them for their own demoralization in the wake of daily attacks on the profession from many sides. But ultimately it makes little sense to blame police for pulling back when the clarion call of activists, amplified by the media nationwide, is ‘defund police.’ If sustained public condemnation of the police creates a decrease in morale and a rise in violence, then maybe we should stop doing that. If less police activity creates a vacuum that leads to more violence then maybe slashing police budgets isn’t a good idea. In short, maybe we ought to think about how we’re handing the issue of police reform presently before making dramatic changes that could impact these cities for many years to come.