hotair--2020-06-06--NFL commissioner: We were wrong to silence our players in the past and now encourage them to speak o

NFL commissioner: We were wrong to silence our players in the past and now encourage them to speak out and protest peacefully

I can ’ t believe that kneeling during the anthem is going to be in the mix as an issue during the home stretch of the campaign this fall in a year when we ’ re coping with a pandemic , an economic collapse , and widespread looting .
But it will .
First Trump and then the NFL made that clear enough yesterday .
Let ’ s back up .
This started a few days ago when Drew Brees told a reporter that he ’ ll never not find it disrespectful when people kneel during the national anthem .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , many of them fellow pro athletes , some of them his own teammates , who couldn ’ t understand why Brees can ’ t understand that the kneeling isn ’ t intended to show disrespect .
It ’ s designed to remind onlookers that America ’ s promise of equality remains unfulfilled so long as police brutality towards black Americans continues to go largely unpunished .
Brees quickly apologized and recanted — more than once .
This thread will catch you up if you missed it on Thursday .
One of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s initial comments was his teammate , Michael Thomas .
A “ rogue ” NFL employee reached out to Thomas with the idea of putting together a video featuring a number of star black NFL players .
But the video wasn ’ t aimed at Brees ; it was aimed at NFL management .
Thomas and his colleagues weren ’ t interested in piling on Brees .
What they wanted was to seize the political moment to create space for protest by players once the league resumes play .
The national uproar over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ quick reconsideration by Brees offered them an opportunity to pressure the NFL to reconsider its Colin-Kaepernick-inspired policies discouraging kneeling or other protests during the anthem before games .
And the league noticed .
Yesterday it tweeted out Thomas ’ s video from its own account with the caption , “ Players , we hear you .
# StrongerTogether ” This issue is right up his alley .
Coronavirus , a struggling economy , and civil unrest are complicated issues ; his ratings on handling two of them are poor and his ratings on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s jobs numbers don ’ t translate into durable momentum .
Respect for the flag is comparatively simple and straightforward , appealing to most voters , and comes packaged in this case with some comfortable racial politics in the form of a white quarterback getting blasted by black colleagues for standing up for the Stars and Stripes .
Brees didn ’ t want any part of it , though .
He ’ d already been shredded by fellow players for criticizing the kneeling .
Imagine the response if he ’ d doubled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump .
“ We can no longer use the flag to turn people away or distract them from the real issues that face our black communities ” is a pretty pointed line coming from a guy who was on Team Stand Respectfully like 36 hours ago .
Some of the players who ’ d been criticizing him before applauded his change of heart , though , including Thomas : The post prompted [ Malcolm ] Jenkins , Brees ’ harshest critic at the time , to come forward and thank the quarterback “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much as your comments hurt me and many other people , I appreciate you for listening because being heard is a big part of it , ” he said in a brief Instagram story… “ A big part of leadership is admitting when you are wrong , and correcting your mistake , ” linebacker Demario Davis wrote on Twitter .
“ A model that All of America can follow , admit the wrong done to the black community , fix the issues and WE ALL move forward together .
Let ’ s all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ … Wide receiver Michael Thomas also tweeted Brees ’ response to Trump with the caption “ MY QB.
” Later in the day NFL commissioner Roger Goodell finally responded to the video Thomas had posted the day before .
I assume he would have done so even if Trump hadn ’ t said anything , but being suddenly forced to choose between siding with the president and siding with his league ’ s players left him with no alternative .
Watch this — and note that he repeats the key bit from Thomas @ @ @ @ @ @ @ above ( nearly ) verbatim .
So Kaepernick is vindicated in the end , at least according to NFL management .
Now we ’ re all set up for the inevitable conclusion when/if play resumes in September : *Lots* of players , Drew Brees probably included , kneeling during the anthem ; Trump ranting about it online ; and Goodell looking constipated ( or more constipated than usual ) amid the political and cultural fallout .
Now that he ’ s made this pledge , though , there ’ s no going back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ backlash emerges among conservative fans .
He ’ s all-in on anthem protests .
And , I guess , so are Joe Biden and the Democrats , as they ’ ll be forced to side with the players against Trump as well .
Let the chips fall where they may .
Maybe it ’ ll work out okay for Goodell and Biden .
Americans are more receptive than they used to be to complaints about police brutality in the wake of Floyd ’ s killing .
And fans are so starved for sports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic that they might be willing to overlook any political display in the name of enjoying some football .
If Kaepernick wants to come out there and burn Old Glory at midfield before the game , whatever .
Just make it fast so that kickoff starts on time .
In lieu of an exit question , read conservative Kimberly Ross on how her views of Kaepernick ’ s protest have evolved in the wake of Floyd ’ s death : “ [ M ] y apologies , Colin Kaepernick .
You weren ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ injustice .
You used the platform at your disposal and , with a calm , peaceful action , sent a message .
”

I can’t believe that kneeling during the anthem is going to be in the mix as an issue during the home stretch of the campaign this fall in a year when we’re coping with a pandemic, an economic collapse, and widespread looting.
But it will. First Trump and then the NFL made that clear enough yesterday.
Let’s back up. This started a few days ago when Drew Brees told a reporter that he’ll never not find it disrespectful when people kneel during the national anthem. He was lambasted for that by critics, many of them fellow pro athletes, some of them his own teammates, who couldn’t understand why Brees can’t understand that the kneeling isn’t intended to show disrespect. It’s designed to remind onlookers that America’s promise of equality remains unfulfilled so long as police brutality towards black Americans continues to go largely unpunished. Brees quickly apologized and recanted — more than once. This thread will catch you up if you missed it on Thursday.
One of the players who took exception to Brees’s initial comments was his teammate, Michael Thomas. A “rogue” NFL employee reached out to Thomas with the idea of putting together a video featuring a number of star black NFL players. But the video wasn’t aimed at Brees; it was aimed at NFL management.
https://twitter.com/Cantguardmike/status/1268712743860928513
The key bit, per TMZ:
So, on behalf of the National Football League, this is what we, the players, would like to hear you state: “We, the National Football League, condemn racism and the systematic oppression of black people. We, the National Football League, admit wrong in silencing our players from peacefully protesting. We, the National Football League, believe Black Lives Matter.”
Thomas and his colleagues weren’t interested in piling on Brees. What they wanted was to seize the political moment to create space for protest by players once the league resumes play. The national uproar over the killing of George Floyd and the quick reconsideration by Brees offered them an opportunity to pressure the NFL to reconsider its Colin-Kaepernick-inspired policies discouraging kneeling or other protests during the anthem before games.
And the league noticed. Yesterday it tweeted out Thomas’s video from its own account with the caption, “Players, we hear you. #StrongerTogether”
Then Trump entered the fray:
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1268998143733051394
This issue is right up his alley. Coronavirus, a struggling economy, and civil unrest are complicated issues; his ratings on handling two of them are poor and his ratings on the third could go south if yesterday’s jobs numbers don’t translate into durable momentum. Respect for the flag is comparatively simple and straightforward, appealing to most voters, and comes packaged in this case with some comfortable racial politics in the form of a white quarterback getting blasted by black colleagues for standing up for the Stars and Stripes.
Brees didn’t want any part of it, though. He’d already been shredded by fellow players for criticizing the kneeling. Imagine the response if he’d doubled down by siding against them with Donald Trump.
“We can no longer use the flag to turn people away or distract them from the real issues that face our black communities” is a pretty pointed line coming from a guy who was on Team Stand Respectfully like 36 hours ago. Some of the players who’d been criticizing him before applauded his change of heart, though, including Thomas:
The post prompted [Malcolm] Jenkins, Brees’ harshest critic at the time, to come forward and thank the quarterback “for listening.” “Drew, as much as your comments hurt me and many other people, I appreciate you for listening because being heard is a big part of it,” he said in a brief Instagram story… “A big part of leadership is admitting when you are wrong, and correcting your mistake,” linebacker Demario Davis wrote on Twitter. “A model that All of America can follow, admit the wrong done to the black community, fix the issues and WE ALL move forward together. Let’s all stand together now and find solutions.”… Wide receiver Michael Thomas also tweeted Brees’ response to Trump with the caption “MY QB.”
Later in the day NFL commissioner Roger Goodell finally responded to the video Thomas had posted the day before. I assume he would have done so even if Trump hadn’t said anything, but being suddenly forced to choose between siding with the president and siding with his league’s players left him with no alternative. Watch this — and note that he repeats the key bit from Thomas’s video that I quoted up above (nearly) verbatim.
We, the NFL, condemn racism and the systematic oppression of Black People. We, the NFL, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest. We, the NFL, believe Black Lives Matter. #InspireChange pic.twitter.com/ENWQP8A0sv — NFL (@NFL) June 5, 2020
So Kaepernick is vindicated in the end, at least according to NFL management. Now we’re all set up for the inevitable conclusion when/if play resumes in September: *Lots* of players, Drew Brees probably included, kneeling during the anthem; Trump ranting about it online; and Goodell looking constipated (or more constipated than usual) amid the political and cultural fallout. Now that he’s made this pledge, though, there’s no going back on it no matter what sort of backlash emerges among conservative fans. He’s all-in on anthem protests. And, I guess, so are Joe Biden and the Democrats, as they’ll be forced to side with the players against Trump as well. Let the chips fall where they may.
Maybe it’ll work out okay for Goodell and Biden. Americans are more receptive than they used to be to complaints about police brutality in the wake of Floyd’s killing. And fans are so starved for sports after months of abstinence due to the pandemic that they might be willing to overlook any political display in the name of enjoying some football. If Kaepernick wants to come out there and burn Old Glory at midfield before the game, whatever. Just make it fast so that kickoff starts on time.
In lieu of an exit question, read conservative Kimberly Ross on how her views of Kaepernick’s protest have evolved in the wake of Floyd’s death: “[M]y apologies, Colin Kaepernick. You weren’t wrong for shining a spotlight on injustice. You used the platform at your disposal and, with a calm, peaceful action, sent a message.”


hotair--2020-06-06--Reddit co-founder resigns from board... to show leadership

Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian stepped down from his seat on the social media company ’ s board Friday .
He asks that his replacement is a diverse choice , preferably a black man or woman .
This is 2020 and that sort of action by a corporate leader is all but expected these days .
Reddit prides itself on its reach and calls itself the front page of the internet .
There is a wide variety of voices posting articles on the site .
President Trump is the focus of a popular and powerful subreddit .
His supporters made their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rush through a change in the site ’ s algorithm in 2016 .
The “ r/the donald ” subreddit didn ’ t force the change , the company said at the time but it did hasten the implementation of the change since r/the donald chains were taking over conversations on the site .
In other words , before the election of President Trump and the creation of a popular Reddit account by his supporters , any alleged racism or ugly speech springing forth from users was allowed to stand .
The subreddit was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the Trump campaign but then turned into “ an authoritarian one full of memes and in-jokes , far-right talking points , coded racism , misogyny , homophobia , and Islamophobia , and a hypocritical “ free speech ” rallying point.
” Hmm .
You see where this is going , right ?
Alexis Ohanian is a white man married to tennis superstar Serena Williams , who is black .
They have a young daughter .
Ohanian co-founded the site 15 years ago .
Two years ago he and co-founder Steve Huffman stepped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but remained on the board .
That board is comprised of 1 white woman and 4 white men , including him .
Did he suddenly wake up Friday and realize that he sits on an all – white board of directors of his own making ?
He is resigning from the board in order to show leadership , he says .
Steve Huffman says he will honor Ohanian ’ s request .
“ I want to take responsibility for the history of our policies over the years that got us here , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reddit has come under fire frequently for charges of racist and hateful posts .
Now that he is a father , Ohanian wants to have an answer , should his daughter ever ask what he did during this year ’ s social unrest .
So , what better way to virtue-signal than to quit his job , now that he ’ s made millions , and ask that a black person join that all-white board ?
And , he ’ s going to contribute $ 1M to Colin Kaepernick ’ s nonprofit Know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s his money .
Perhaps a letter released by Steve Huffman in support of Black Lives Matter on June 1 prompted Ohanian to act now .
A former Reddit employee wasn ’ t having it without blasting Huffman for hypocrisy – especially since the Trump supporters ’ account is still up .
And , yesterday Huffman posted a statement on changes that will be made to counter racism on the site going forward .
We are already working to fix these problems , and this is a promise for more urgency .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ rules for what you can not do on Reddit .
In many respects , it ’ s served us well .
Under it , we have made meaningful progress cleaning up the platform ( and done so without undermining the free expression and authenticity that fuels Reddit ) .
That said , we still have work to do .
This current policy lists only what you can not do , articulates none of the values behind the rules , and does not explicitly take a stance on hate or racism .
We will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vision for Reddit and its communities to aspire to , a statement on hate , the context for the rules , and a principle that Reddit isn ’ t to be used as a weapon .
We have details to work through , and while we will move quickly , I do want to be thoughtful and also gather feedback from our moderators ( through our Mod Councils ) .
With more moderator engagement , the timeline is weeks , not months .
So , there you have it .
All the racism @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conversations on the site over the past 15 years of its existence are now being addressed because , let ’ s face it , it ’ s an election year and Trump supporters are an easy scapegoat for the left .
But , it makes liberals feel good to “ do something ” and to write a fat check .

Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian stepped down from his seat on the social media company’s board Friday. He asks that his replacement is a diverse choice, preferably a black man or woman. This is 2020 and that sort of action by a corporate leader is all but expected these days.
Reddit prides itself on its reach and calls itself the front page of the internet. There is a wide variety of voices posting articles on the site. President Trump is the focus of a popular and powerful subreddit. His supporters made their subreddit so popular that Reddit had to rush through a change in the site’s algorithm in 2016. The “r/the donald” subreddit didn’t force the change, the company said at the time but it did hasten the implementation of the change since r/the donald chains were taking over conversations on the site. In other words, before the election of President Trump and the creation of a popular Reddit account by his supporters, any alleged racism or ugly speech springing forth from users was allowed to stand.
The subreddit was originally just a straightforward political community focused on the Trump campaign but then turned into “an authoritarian one full of memes and in-jokes, far-right talking points, coded racism, misogyny, homophobia, and Islamophobia, and a hypocritical “free speech” rallying point.” Hmm. You see where this is going, right?
Alexis Ohanian is a white man married to tennis superstar Serena Williams, who is black. They have a young daughter. Ohanian co-founded the site 15 years ago. Two years ago he and co-founder Steve Huffman stepped away from the day to day operations but remained on the board. That board is comprised of 1 white woman and 4 white men, including him. Did he suddenly wake up Friday and realize that he sits on an all – white board of directors of his own making? He is resigning from the board in order to show leadership, he says. Steve Huffman says he will honor Ohanian’s request. “I want to take responsibility for the history of our policies over the years that got us here, and we still have work to do.”
Reddit has come under fire frequently for charges of racist and hateful posts. Now that he is a father, Ohanian wants to have an answer, should his daughter ever ask what he did during this year’s social unrest. So, what better way to virtue-signal than to quit his job, now that he’s made millions, and ask that a black person join that all-white board?
I co-founded @reddit 15 years ago to help people find community and a sense of belonging.⁰ It is long overdue to do the right thing. I’m doing this for me, for my family, and for my country. — §AlexisOhanian 7⃣7⃣6⃣ (@alexisohanian) June 5, 2020
I’m saying this as a father who needs to be able to answer his black daughter when she asks: “What did you do?”⁰https://t.co/4UiozIOo8P — §AlexisOhanian 7⃣7⃣6⃣ (@alexisohanian) June 5, 2020
And, he’s going to contribute $1M to Colin Kaepernick’s nonprofit Know Your Rights Camp. Ok, it’s his money.
I've resigned as a member of the reddit board, I have urged them to fill my seat with a black candidate, + I will use future gains on my Reddit stock to serve the black community, chiefly to curb racial hate, and I’m starting with a pledge of $1M to @kaepernick7’s @yourrightscamp — §AlexisOhanian 7⃣7⃣6⃣ (@alexisohanian) June 5, 2020
Perhaps a letter released by Steve Huffman in support of Black Lives Matter on June 1 prompted Ohanian to act now. A former Reddit employee wasn’t having it without blasting Huffman for hypocrisy – especially since the Trump supporters’ account is still up.
I am obligated to call you out: You should have shut down the_donald instead of amplifying it and its hate, racism, and violence. So much of what is happening now lies at your feet. You don't get to say BLM when reddit nurtures and monetizes white supremacy and hate all day long https://t.co/VN5XCiYp5g — Ellen K. Pao (@ekp) June 2, 2020
And, yesterday Huffman posted a statement on changes that will be made to counter racism on the site going forward.
We are already working to fix these problems, and this is a promise for more urgency. Our current content policy is effectively nine rules for what you cannot do on Reddit. In many respects, it’s served us well. Under it, we have made meaningful progress cleaning up the platform (and done so without undermining the free expression and authenticity that fuels Reddit). That said, we still have work to do. This current policy lists only what you cannot do, articulates none of the values behind the rules, and does not explicitly take a stance on hate or racism. We will update our content policy to include a vision for Reddit and its communities to aspire to, a statement on hate, the context for the rules, and a principle that Reddit isn’t to be used as a weapon. We have details to work through, and while we will move quickly, I do want to be thoughtful and also gather feedback from our moderators (through our Mod Councils). With more moderator engagement, the timeline is weeks, not months.
So, there you have it. All the racism and hatefulness that may have crept into conversations on the site over the past 15 years of its existence are now being addressed because, let’s face it, it’s an election year and Trump supporters are an easy scapegoat for the left. But, it makes liberals feel good to “do something” and to write a fat check.


hotair--2020-06-06--NY Times op-ed: White people should stop talking to relatives until they support BLM

The NY Times published an op-ed Friday titled “ I Don ’ t Need ‘ Love ’ Texts From My White Friends.
” Here ’ s how it opens : “ My book is coming out in a few months , and I don ’ t know if I ’ m going to be alive to see it , because I ’ m a black man.
” That combination of humble-bragging and self-pity gets repeated for a dozen or more paragraphs with the author repeatedly saying he ’ s tired of white friends texting to express their support which he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guilt .
He doesn ’ t want them to say they care about him as a person , he wants them to do something practical for the cause .
And one of the things he recommends is to text their relatives and let them know they are being cut off socially and emotionally unless and until those relatives show support for “ black lives.
” [ emphasis added ] So please , stop sending # love .
Stop sending positive vibes .
Stop sending your thoughts .
Here are three suggestions on more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • None Money : To funds that pay legal fees for black people who are unjustly arrested , imprisoned or killed or to black politicians running for office .
• None Texts : To your relatives and loved ones telling them you will not be visiting them or answering phone calls until they take significant action in supporting black lives either through protest or financial contributions .
• None Protection : To fellow black protesters who are at greater risk of harm during demonstrations .
Yes , these actions may seem grave .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and love requires sacrifice .
Text messages are unlimited on most data plans .
Emojis are not sacrificial .
I can ’ t take credit for noticing this .
It was pointed out on Twitter by Quillette editor Jonathan Kay who compared this to the demands made by a cult .
He ’ s not wrong .
This is exactly the kind of thing Scientology does , requiring those inside the cult to cut themselves off from those outside , even close family members .
In fact , in Scientology those on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ distance themselves from friends and family who aren ’ t supportive .
Even apart from the cultic nature of this , it should strike people as obviously wrong .
The author isn ’ t recommending an appeal based on reason or empathy , he jumps directly to emotional blackmail .
It would have been one thing if he ’ d merely said , ‘ talk to your friends about why this matters.
’ But he ’ s gone beyond that to saying anyone who really cares should demand compliance .
The creepiest part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ i.e .
“ love requires sacrifice.
” If you love me , you ’ ll sacrifice your relationship with your friends and parents .
This is the point at which adults should suddenly realize they ’ ve been asked to join a cult and should tell author Chad Sanders they aren ’ t interested in his “ friendship.
” Seriously , have any of your friends ever told you to cut yourself off from your own parents ?
What would you say to them if they tried it ?
This author is so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spare a thought for anyone else .
Imagine being an elderly parent or grandparent whose child calls to say that they ’ ve decided they can ’ t speak to you again unless you send money to Black Lives Matter or go out in the midst of a pandemic to join a march .
The author doesn ’ t even hesitate .
He ’ s far more concerned about the vanishingly small possibility that he ’ ll be murdered ( before his book comes out ) .
Last night Tucker Carlson opened his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extremism of some Black Lives Matter supporters .
He points out that some parents are now getting attention by making little children hold up signs describing themselves as privileged .
This NY Times op-ed is one more piece of evidence that he may have been on to something .

The NY Times published an op-ed Friday titled “I Don’t Need ‘Love’ Texts From My White Friends.” Here’s how it opens: “My book is coming out in a few months, and I don’t know if I’m going to be alive to see it, because I’m a black man.”
That combination of humble-bragging and self-pity gets repeated for a dozen or more paragraphs with the author repeatedly saying he’s tired of white friends texting to express their support which he sees as just a way to express guilt. He doesn’t want them to say they care about him as a person, he wants them to do something practical for the cause. And one of the things he recommends is to text their relatives and let them know they are being cut off socially and emotionally unless and until those relatives show support for “black lives.” [emphasis added]
So please, stop sending #love. Stop sending positive vibes. Stop sending your thoughts. Here are three suggestions on more immediately impactful things to offer instead: Money: To funds that pay legal fees for black people who are unjustly arrested, imprisoned or killed or to black politicians running for office.
Texts: To your relatives and loved ones telling them you will not be visiting them or answering phone calls until they take significant action in supporting black lives either through protest or financial contributions.
Protection: To fellow black protesters who are at greater risk of harm during demonstrations. Yes, these actions may seem grave. But you insist that you love me, and love requires sacrifice. Text messages are unlimited on most data plans. Emojis are not sacrificial.
I can’t take credit for noticing this. It was pointed out on Twitter by Quillette editor Jonathan Kay who compared this to the demands made by a cult.
https://twitter.com/jonkay/status/1269253611109912576
He’s not wrong. This is exactly the kind of thing Scientology does, requiring those inside the cult to cut themselves off from those outside, even close family members. In fact, in Scientology those on the inside are denounced for failing to distance themselves from friends and family who aren’t supportive.
Even apart from the cultic nature of this, it should strike people as obviously wrong. The author isn’t recommending an appeal based on reason or empathy, he jumps directly to emotional blackmail. It would have been one thing if he’d merely said, ‘talk to your friends about why this matters.’ But he’s gone beyond that to saying anyone who really cares should demand compliance. The creepiest part is his justification of this demand, i.e. “love requires sacrifice.”
If you love me, you’ll sacrifice your relationship with your friends and parents.
This is the point at which adults should suddenly realize they’ve been asked to join a cult and should tell author Chad Sanders they aren’t interested in his “friendship.” Seriously, have any of your friends ever told you to cut yourself off from your own parents? What would you say to them if they tried it?
This author is so self-involved he doesn’t seem to spare a thought for anyone else. Imagine being an elderly parent or grandparent whose child calls to say that they’ve decided they can’t speak to you again unless you send money to Black Lives Matter or go out in the midst of a pandemic to join a march. The author doesn’t even hesitate. He’s far more concerned about the vanishingly small possibility that he’ll be murdered (before his book comes out).
Last night Tucker Carlson opened his show with a segment on the cult-like extremism of some Black Lives Matter supporters. He points out that some parents are now getting attention by making little children hold up signs describing themselves as privileged. This NY Times op-ed is one more piece of evidence that he may have been on to something.


hotair--2020-06-06--The web's five star rating system needs to go

While I realize this might be a bit far afield from our normal topics , bear with me for a moment .
If you ’ re a consumer of podcasts on the web or if you purchase products and services from online vendors , you ’ re probably familiar with the nearly ubiquitous five-star rating system employed by so many sites .
Web users can also assign similar ratings in a variety of other venues , such as submitting reviews on Google , Yelp or other browsing services .
While this started out as a very positive development and one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for years , this system has now devolved into something of a freakshow , offering little value to the consumer and providing endless frustration to the providers who live and die by these ratings .
Allow me to offer a recent example before explaining myself .
Some weeks back I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts while preparing my lunch .
( I won ’ t call them out by name here . )
At the beginning of the show , the host took the time to thank listeners who had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Then his tone took a bit of a turn when he complained about some listeners who had given him some compliments but assigned the show a three or four-star review .
He said , ( paraphrasing from memory ) Look .
You need to understand that anything less than a five-star review is a bad review .
I happened to be listening to the show on speaker rather than my earbuds and my wife was in the room when that remark was made .
She immediately responded by saying , “ That ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she actually said something a bit less refined , having to do with the excrement of male bovines , but we try to keep this place at a PG-13 level wherever possible . )
And she ’ s totally correct .
The thing about the five-star rating system that was beautiful in the beginning , at least for users like me , was that it allowed people to write thoughtful reviews and make distinctions along a scale of quality .
Specifically , when it comes to podcasts , I used to try to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best shows I found .
They were the ones in my regular , weekly rotation list that I considered “ can ’ t miss ” in terms of their quality and how much they applied to my personal interests .
( I ’ ve never bothered reviewing content covering areas I don ’ t care about and wouldn ’ t investigate . )
But there are other podcasts that I find to be enjoyable on most occasions , with the occasional issues that might put me off , but not enough to have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ assign those shows three or four stars accordingly .
I rarely do bad reviews .
If the show is so bad that it ’ s a total turnoff , I just don ’ t listen .
But if the sound quality is so horrible that it ’ s unlistenable or the content is so riddled with easily debunked errors as to be little more than nonsense or propaganda , sure… I might toss it a one-star review .
The whole point here is , why bother having a five-star rating system if you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if you assign anything but a five or a one ?
Why not just have a “ thumbs-up , thumbs-down ” rating system ?
It ’ s a disservice to the really good podcasts that the listener honestly feels are head and shoulders above the rest and an equal disservice to other listeners who might base their choices on a preponderance of such reviews .
Don ’ t get me wrong .
I understand where the content providers are coming from also .
Most consumers , when looking for new podcasts , tend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ways .
It ’ s either suggested by someone else they listen to so they search for a particular show specifically , or they browse the content by category .
And browsers are notoriously averse to doing a lot of scrolling .
If the shows are ranked by ratings and your show ’ s average isn ’ t at or near the top , many prospective listeners will likely never see it , so your potentially great show withers in anonymity .
I get it .
But that still doesn ’ t do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Also , the graded rating system is always open to abuse .
Yelp is notorious for having restaurant personnel and their friends launch “ attacks ” of one-star reviews on their competitors no matter how good the quality might be .
The same can be done for people on E-Bay or any other online vending system .
Back in the day , Rotten Tomatoes came up with something promising .
It was a way for the public to provide their own ratings on entertainment as a herd , rather than relying on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could be based on criteria that didn ’ t apply to you .
But in the end , even their pool wound up being poisoned by “ popularity campaigns ” launched by people with broad social media influence and reach .
Perhaps , in the end , we should all consider just adopting YouTube ’ s “ thumbs-up , thumbs-down ” rating model .
It ’ s far less subtle , but if there are enough reviews , browsers can at least get a sense of how many people liked it versus finding @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a beautiful solution , but it ’ s probably still more useful than the current crap festival that the five-star system has become .

While I realize this might be a bit far afield from our normal topics, bear with me for a moment. If you’re a consumer of podcasts on the web or if you purchase products and services from online vendors, you’re probably familiar with the nearly ubiquitous five-star rating system employed by so many sites. Web users can also assign similar ratings in a variety of other venues, such as submitting reviews on Google, Yelp or other browsing services. While this started out as a very positive development and one that I’ve happily participated in for years, this system has now devolved into something of a freakshow, offering little value to the consumer and providing endless frustration to the providers who live and die by these ratings.
Allow me to offer a recent example before explaining myself. Some weeks back I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts while preparing my lunch. (I won’t call them out by name here.) At the beginning of the show, the host took the time to thank listeners who had recently rated and reviewed his podcast. Then his tone took a bit of a turn when he complained about some listeners who had given him some compliments but assigned the show a three or four-star review. He said, (paraphrasing from memory) Look. You need to understand that anything less than a five-star review is a bad review.
I happened to be listening to the show on speaker rather than my earbuds and my wife was in the room when that remark was made. She immediately responded by saying, “That’s total nonsense.” (Okay, she actually said something a bit less refined, having to do with the excrement of male bovines, but we try to keep this place at a PG-13 level wherever possible.) And she’s totally correct.
The thing about the five-star rating system that was beautiful in the beginning, at least for users like me, was that it allowed people to write thoughtful reviews and make distinctions along a scale of quality. Specifically, when it comes to podcasts, I used to try to reserve my five-star reviews for the absolute best shows I found. They were the ones in my regular, weekly rotation list that I considered “can’t miss” in terms of their quality and how much they applied to my personal interests. (I’ve never bothered reviewing content covering areas I don’t care about and wouldn’t investigate.) But there are other podcasts that I find to be enjoyable on most occasions, with the occasional issues that might put me off, but not enough to have me drop them entirely. I would assign those shows three or four stars accordingly.
I rarely do bad reviews. If the show is so bad that it’s a total turnoff, I just don’t listen. But if the sound quality is so horrible that it’s unlistenable or the content is so riddled with easily debunked errors as to be little more than nonsense or propaganda, sure… I might toss it a one-star review. The whole point here is, why bother having a five-star rating system if you’re a “bad person” if you assign anything but a five or a one? Why not just have a “thumbs-up, thumbs-down” rating system? It’s a disservice to the really good podcasts that the listener honestly feels are head and shoulders above the rest and an equal disservice to other listeners who might base their choices on a preponderance of such reviews.
Don’t get me wrong. I understand where the content providers are coming from also. Most consumers, when looking for new podcasts, tend to get them in one of two ways. It’s either suggested by someone else they listen to so they search for a particular show specifically, or they browse the content by category. And browsers are notoriously averse to doing a lot of scrolling. If the shows are ranked by ratings and your show’s average isn’t at or near the top, many prospective listeners will likely never see it, so your potentially great show withers in anonymity. I get it. But that still doesn’t do anything about the relative quality question.
Also, the graded rating system is always open to abuse. Yelp is notorious for having restaurant personnel and their friends launch “attacks” of one-star reviews on their competitors no matter how good the quality might be. The same can be done for people on E-Bay or any other online vending system.
Back in the day, Rotten Tomatoes came up with something promising. It was a way for the public to provide their own ratings on entertainment as a herd, rather than relying on the opinions of elite film reviewers whose evaluations could be based on criteria that didn’t apply to you. But in the end, even their pool wound up being poisoned by “popularity campaigns” launched by people with broad social media influence and reach. Perhaps, in the end, we should all consider just adopting YouTube’s “thumbs-up, thumbs-down” rating model. It’s far less subtle, but if there are enough reviews, browsers can at least get a sense of how many people liked it versus finding it useless. It’s not a beautiful solution, but it’s probably still more useful than the current crap festival that the five-star system has become.


hotair--2020-06-06--No D-Day veterans on Normandy beaches to honor the anniversary

It ’ s a sad milestone this year as the world takes a moment to commemorate the 76th anniversary of D-Day .
There will be no D-Day veterans on the beaches of Normandy due to the coronavirus pandemic .
Commemorative events have been canceled and only a small gathering of representatives from nine countries is scheduled for a short ceremony .
For the first time , no veterans or members of the public will be allowed to attend ceremonies at the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-Sur-Mer , France .
Instead of the traditional ceremony , a private wreath-laying ceremony will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and France .
Where there is a will , there is a way though , and thanks to “ Operation Pictures and Patches ” , the U.S. military will continue one tradition with roots from that day on June 6 , 1944 .
However , the U.S. military has launched “ Operation Pictures and Patches ” in an attempt to continue the tradition — which began on D-Day — of soldiers handing out patches from their units to local children as souvenirs .
Although servicemen and women can not be present this year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ themselves along with patches from their units to four cities in Normandy to be distributed to local school children .
This year ’ s events will be live-streamed to the shrinking number of elderly veterans of Operation Overlord .
Most of them are well into their 90s now .
A website will transmit events commemorating the day when 150,000 troops swarmed ashore at strategic points along 50 miles ( 80km ) of France ’ s north-west coastline .
That day in 1944 they were met with a hail of machine gun fire and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them 2,500 dead .
Saturday ’ s commemorations will include a flypast by the French air force ’ s air acrobatic team , the Patrouille de France .
“ Since 1945 , every year we have paid homage to the men who fought for our freedom , ” said Jean-Marc Lefranc , the president of the Comité du Débarquement ( D-day Landing Committee ) .
“ This year , for the first time it will not be open to the public.
” Public gatherings of more than 10 people are banned in France @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has claimed more than 29,000 lives across the country .
Villages along the coast are encouraged to decorate their homes with allied flags and church bells will ring at 6:44 P.M. on Saturday .
Local officials told residents it is important for the veterans to know they are not forgotten .
The weather is expected to add to the sadness .
Wind and rain are in the forecast .
The eerie atmosphere touches the French as well as Americans .
“ The sadness is almost too much , because there is no one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ Plus you have their stories .
The history is sad and it ’ s even more overwhelming now between the weather , the ( virus ) situation and , and , and.
” The locals in this northwestern part of France have come out year after year to show their gratitude for the soldiers from the United States , Britain , Canada and other countries who liberated them from Adolf Hitler ’ s Nazi forces .
World leaders and the Department of Defense are weighing in on Twitter : As I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a tweet from President Trump on his Twitter account yet .

It’s a sad milestone this year as the world takes a moment to commemorate the 76th anniversary of D-Day. There will be no D-Day veterans on the beaches of Normandy due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Commemorative events have been canceled and only a small gathering of representatives from nine countries is scheduled for a short ceremony. For the first time, no veterans or members of the public will be allowed to attend ceremonies at the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-Sur-Mer, France. Instead of the traditional ceremony, a private wreath-laying ceremony will take place with representatives from the U.S. and France.
Where there is a will, there is a way though, and thanks to “Operation Pictures and Patches”, the U.S. military will continue one tradition with roots from that day on June 6, 1944.
However, the U.S. military has launched “Operation Pictures and Patches” in an attempt to continue the tradition — which began on D-Day — of soldiers handing out patches from their units to local children as souvenirs. Although servicemen and women can not be present this year, 300 soldiers will send pictures of themselves along with patches from their units to four cities in Normandy to be distributed to local school children.
This year’s events will be live-streamed to the shrinking number of elderly veterans of Operation Overlord. Most of them are well into their 90s now.
A website will transmit events commemorating the day when 150,000 troops swarmed ashore at strategic points along 50 miles (80km) of France’s north-west coastline. That day in 1944 they were met with a hail of machine gun fire and bombardments, leaving 10,000 casualties, among them 2,500 dead. Saturday’s commemorations will include a flypast by the French air force’s air acrobatic team, the Patrouille de France. “Since 1945, every year we have paid homage to the men who fought for our freedom,” said Jean-Marc Lefranc, the president of the Comité du Débarquement (D-day Landing Committee). “This year, for the first time it will not be open to the public.” Public gatherings of more than 10 people are banned in France under measures to combat coronavirus, which has claimed more than 29,000 lives across the country.
Villages along the coast are encouraged to decorate their homes with allied flags and church bells will ring at 6:44 P.M. on Saturday. Local officials told residents it is important for the veterans to know they are not forgotten.
The weather is expected to add to the sadness. Wind and rain are in the forecast.
The eerie atmosphere touches the French as well as Americans. “The sadness is almost too much, because there is no one,” said local guide Adeline James. “Plus you have their stories. The history is sad and it’s even more overwhelming now between the weather, the (virus) situation and, and, and.” The locals in this northwestern part of France have come out year after year to show their gratitude for the soldiers from the United States, Britain, Canada and other countries who liberated them from Adolf Hitler’s Nazi forces.
World leaders and the Department of Defense are weighing in on Twitter:
This year marks the 76th anniversary of #DDay. The bravery and sacrifice of the #GreatestGeneration will always be remembered. #HonorThem #DODRemembers75 pic.twitter.com/iHbnMYuGRj — Department of Defense 🇺🇸 (@DeptofDefense) June 6, 2020
Today is #DDay. A day to honor our heroes. More than 160,000 brave Allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of heavily-fortified French coastline to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy, France, June 6, 1944. pic.twitter.com/RNMDuI6eLB — U.S. Army (@USArmy) June 6, 2020
Today on the 76th anniversary of D-Day, we honor the sacrifice and service of Allied forces in Europe that led to victory in WWII. #TogetherWeRemember #RememberTheFallen pic.twitter.com/46dp7y7NVH — U.S. Navy (@USNavy) June 6, 2020
Today I am thinking of the men who landed on the beaches of Normandy 76 years ago, who fought and died so that we can be free from the evils of fascism. We will always be grateful for their courage, and we will always remember their sacrifice.#DDay76 #DDay pic.twitter.com/a7WgvK6s8j — Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) June 6, 2020
As I write this, there isn’t a tweet from President Trump on his Twitter account yet.


hotair--2020-06-06--Drug cartels, white supremacists, outsider arrests: MN elected officials worst offenders for riot mi

Drug cartels, white supremacists, outsider arrests: MN elected officials worst offenders for riot misinformation

Much of what people heard about the nature and sources of rioting in the Twin Cities turned out to be false .
And much of that , the Star Tribune lays out in a stinging after-action report today , came from Minnesota ’ s elected leadership — who should have known better than to spread unverified rumors .
From drug cartels to Confederate-flag-waving truck driver all the way to white supremacists , official channels from the governor ’ s office on down made matters worse : St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter apologized Saturday for saying “ every single person we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of state , after data showed most were from Minnesota .
The mayor said he received inaccurate figures before the briefing and has “ taken further steps to safeguard our ability to provide relevant and accurate information.
” Even Gov .
Tim Walz , who criticized Winkler ’ s now-deleted tweet as “ not helpful , ” had to walk back some statements he gave as he led the state ’ s response .
On Saturday morning , as the Twin Cities reeled from another night of unrest , the governor blamed outside @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and St. Paul .
About 80 % of protesters , he said , were from out of state .
… Rumors and false claims about the aftermath of Floyd ’ s death surged over the past week , fueled largely by social media .
Media research company Zignal Labs has tracked more than 1.7 million mentions of misinformation related to Floyd ’ s death on May 25 and subsequent protests .
Some top state officials have expressed concerns that some disinformation is being deliberately spread .
But public officials are not immune .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ cartels and white supremacists , a National Guard retreat and plans to block cellphone service during protests flourished after coming up through official channels .
The problem now is that the lies went around the world before the truth got its boots on .
Everyone heard the initial claims , but few have heard the walkbacks .
To this moment , people in Minnesota are still convinced that the riots were instigated by white supremacists and “ boogaloos , ” and/or that the drug cartels played a role in them .
Despite later @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impression that all of this was created by out-of-state agitators ( boosted by Donald Trump after Carter ’ s claim ) remains firmly fixed .
My friend Steven Schier told the Strib that bad information comes up in a crisis , or a “ fog of conflict , ” as Steven puts it .
That , however , means public officials have to be more careful about what they share — and have to ensure that the corrections get as much traction as the misinformation : That ’ s certainly true , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ slanted in one particular direction .
It doesn ’ t seem like an accident that the mayor of a very progressive city would want to amplify a narrative of outsiders as the cause of the unrest , even though Carter could have easily checked with the police department before making that claim .
( The Star Tribune checked it the next day and punched holes in Carter ’ s claim . )
It also doesn ’ t seem like an accident that the top-ranking Democrat in the state legislature rushed to Twitter to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a truck driver intentionally hitting protesters while waving “ Confederate flags and white supremacist insignia.
” That turned out to be completely false , as the truck driver was trying to make sure a black-owned gas station had enough fuel before the city shut down the highways .
And it doesn ’ t seem like an accident that our Democratic governor embraced all of these rumors as an explanation rather than the more obvious conclusion that anarchists — home grown and otherwise — had exploited the protests to pursue an agenda and tactics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ riots in Seattle twenty-one years ago .
All of this was clearly misinformation , even if chalked up to the “ fog of conflict , ” and perhaps truly was an artifact of legitimate confusion .
However , its unifying theme of blaming the extreme right certainly looks convenient in retrospect .
At the very least , it demonstrates the lack of leadership Minnesota has had in place in this crisis , and the way bad leadership can make crises much worse than they needed to be .
And that doesn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all but disappeared in the first couple of days of rioting .
From this point forward , Minnesotans can be forgiven if they have this reaction to any more crisis updates from Walz , Carter , Jacob Frey , and John Harrington .
The “ thank you ” is just to maintain Minnesota nice .
Update : Be sure to read Gary Gross ’ thoughts on the “ outside agitators ” claim , too .
It ’ s likely there were a few , and perhaps more than a few , but we @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Much of what people heard about the nature and sources of rioting in the Twin Cities turned out to be false. And much of that, the Star Tribune lays out in a stinging after-action report today, came from Minnesota’s elected leadership — who should have known better than to spread unverified rumors. From drug cartels to Confederate-flag-waving truck driver all the way to white supremacists, official channels from the governor’s office on down made matters worse:
St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter apologized Saturday for saying “every single person we arrested last night” was from out of state, after data showed most were from Minnesota. The mayor said he received inaccurate figures before the briefing and has “taken further steps to safeguard our ability to provide relevant and accurate information.” Even Gov. Tim Walz, who criticized Winkler’s now-deleted tweet as “not helpful,” had to walk back some statements he gave as he led the state’s response. On Saturday morning, as the Twin Cities reeled from another night of unrest, the governor blamed outside agitators for the worst damage to Minneapolis and St. Paul. About 80% of protesters, he said, were from out of state. … Rumors and false claims about the aftermath of Floyd’s death surged over the past week, fueled largely by social media. Media research company Zignal Labs has tracked more than 1.7 million mentions of misinformation related to Floyd’s death on May 25 and subsequent protests. Some top state officials have expressed concerns that some disinformation is being deliberately spread. But public officials are not immune. In Minnesota, unconfirmed reports about drug cartels and white supremacists, a National Guard retreat and plans to block cellphone service during protests flourished after coming up through official channels.
The problem now is that the lies went around the world before the truth got its boots on. Everyone heard the initial claims, but few have heard the walkbacks. To this moment, people in Minnesota are still convinced that the riots were instigated by white supremacists and “boogaloos,” and/or that the drug cartels played a role in them. Despite later retractions from Carter and Walz, the impression that all of this was created by out-of-state agitators (boosted by Donald Trump after Carter’s claim) remains firmly fixed.
My friend Steven Schier told the Strib that bad information comes up in a crisis, or a “fog of conflict,” as Steven puts it. That, however, means public officials have to be more careful about what they share — and have to ensure that the corrections get as much traction as the misinformation:
“They’re trying to make real-time assessments,” he said. “A lot of that information is going to be fuzzy or false and they have to correct it as they occur.”
That’s certainly true, but these examples seem particularly egregious — and slanted in one particular direction. It doesn’t seem like an accident that the mayor of a very progressive city would want to amplify a narrative of outsiders as the cause of the unrest, even though Carter could have easily checked with the police department before making that claim. (The Star Tribune checked it the next day and punched holes in Carter’s claim.)
It also doesn’t seem like an accident that the top-ranking Democrat in the state legislature rushed to Twitter to amplify rumors he heard from protesters about a truck driver intentionally hitting protesters while waving “Confederate flags and white supremacist insignia.” That turned out to be completely false, as the truck driver was trying to make sure a black-owned gas station had enough fuel before the city shut down the highways. And it doesn’t seem like an accident that our Democratic governor embraced all of these rumors as an explanation rather than the more obvious conclusion that anarchists — home grown and otherwise — had exploited the protests to pursue an agenda and tactics we’ve seen since the WTO riots in Seattle twenty-one years ago.
All of this was clearly misinformation, even if chalked up to the “fog of conflict,” and perhaps truly was an artifact of legitimate confusion. However, its unifying theme of blaming the extreme right certainly looks convenient in retrospect. At the very least, it demonstrates the lack of leadership Minnesota has had in place in this crisis, and the way bad leadership can make crises much worse than they needed to be. And that doesn’t even count the way these same leaders all but disappeared in the first couple of days of rioting.
From this point forward, Minnesotans can be forgiven if they have this reaction to any more crisis updates from Walz, Carter, Jacob Frey, and John Harrington. The “thank you” is just to maintain Minnesota nice.
Update: Be sure to read Gary Gross’ thoughts on the “outside agitators” claim, too. It’s likely there were a few, and perhaps more than a few, but we have plenty of home-state agitators already.


hotair--2020-06-06--Famous bail opponent suddenly wants cash bail back

We ’ ve covered any number of stories about New York ’ s disastrous “ bail reform ” law and the chain of resulting arrests that would be almost comical were it not for the number of people victimized through recidivism .
Through it all , however , both New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Big Apple Mayor Bill de Blasio have stuck to their figurative guns , insisting that their efforts to “ empty the jails ” were of more value to the citizens than any petty concerns of people being robbed , raped or otherwise assaulted by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
But one of those two champions is now singing a bit of a different tune , at least in certain , specific circumstances .
As you ’ ve no doubt heard , there have been quite a few arrests being made in New York City over the past week or so , mostly at night as a result of the “ unrest ” sweeping the city these days .
Because of these laws , nearly all of the people found to have been looting , smashing windows and setting police vehicles ablaze @ @ @ @ @ @ @ might imagine , that doesn ’ t provide much of a disincentive for them to go out the following night and do it all over again , as many have gone on to do .
This seems to have finally come to the attention of the Governor , who now wants judges to start bringing the hammer down and keeping them behind bars while the police struggle to restore order .
( NY Post ) Right now , anyone arrested for looting gets rapidly released , with no need to post bail to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Andrew Cuomo could fix it — but he ’ s instead pretending that the laws aren ’ t crystal-clear .
That would be laws Cuomo has signed , including last year ’ s horrific “ no bail ” law and this year ’ s inadequate fixes to it .
Manhattan DA Cy Vance has called on the gov to use his emergency powers to settle the issue ( for now ) — that is , to override the no-bail law that stops judges from using their discretion to remand dangerous perps .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , as outlined not just by the District Attorneys Association of the State of New York , but also the state Office of Court Administration .
Both Governor Cuomo and Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance are trying to eat their cake and have it too in this situation .
Cuomo insists that he still supports the bail reform law and the few , milquetoast changes he made to it earlier this year are enough .
Instead , he ’ s trying to shift the blame to the DA ’ s office , saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with Second Degree Burglary , an offense for which the suspects would not be immediately eligible for release without bail .
But as the DA has already pointed out , proving Burglary 2 requires the use of a “ dangerous instrument ” that puts another person in imminent danger of harm .
A property crime ( such as smashing out a window so you can loot the store ’ s contents ) wouldn ’ t qualify .
So all the DA would be doing is setting up a bunch of looters to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the opposite approach .
At a recent press conference , he insisted that he still wants New York “ to join 49 other states to eliminate cash bail.
” But he immediately followed that up with a demand for the Governor to use his executive authority to temporarily override the new laws and to also give judges the ability “ to detain someone when there is a clear risk of re-offense.
” Both aspects of Vance ’ s argument are nonsensical .
First of all , if the bail reform laws aren ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general unrest , then they don ’ t work during more “ normal times ” either .
You just don ’ t see the negative results on such a massive , compressed scale .
And as to allowing judges the flexibility to detain someone when there is “ a clear risk of re-offense , ” that ’ s precisely the flexibility that he , Cuomo and de Blasio took away when they passed the laws .
Judges had previously always had ( and used ) that discretion .
Nobody ’ s crystal ball @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system clearly worked better than what we have now .
The current crisis has really ripped the bandage off of this simmering issue .
In some cases the same people are being arrested night after night , going straight out the door to rejoin the crowds in the streets .
And the Mayor , the Governor and the Manhattan District Attorney are all busy pointing their fingers at each other rather than addressing the underlying issue .

We’ve covered any number of stories about New York’s disastrous “bail reform” law and the chain of resulting arrests that would be almost comical were it not for the number of people victimized through recidivism. Through it all, however, both New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Big Apple Mayor Bill de Blasio have stuck to their figurative guns, insisting that their efforts to “empty the jails” were of more value to the citizens than any petty concerns of people being robbed, raped or otherwise assaulted by the beneficiaries of these catch and release programs. But one of those two champions is now singing a bit of a different tune, at least in certain, specific circumstances.
As you’ve no doubt heard, there have been quite a few arrests being made in New York City over the past week or so, mostly at night as a result of the “unrest” sweeping the city these days. Because of these laws, nearly all of the people found to have been looting, smashing windows and setting police vehicles ablaze have been immediately released. As you might imagine, that doesn’t provide much of a disincentive for them to go out the following night and do it all over again, as many have gone on to do. This seems to have finally come to the attention of the Governor, who now wants judges to start bringing the hammer down and keeping them behind bars while the police struggle to restore order. (NY Post)
Right now, anyone arrested for looting gets rapidly released, with no need to post bail to avoid jail until trial. Gov. Andrew Cuomo could fix it — but he’s instead pretending that the laws aren’t crystal-clear. That would be laws Cuomo has signed, including last year’s horrific “no bail” law and this year’s inadequate fixes to it. Manhattan DA Cy Vance has called on the gov to use his emergency powers to settle the issue (for now) — that is, to override the no-bail law that stops judges from using their discretion to remand dangerous perps. But Cuomo won’t admit the truth, as outlined not just by the District Attorneys Association of the State of New York, but also the state Office of Court Administration.
Both Governor Cuomo and Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance are trying to eat their cake and have it too in this situation. Cuomo insists that he still supports the bail reform law and the few, milquetoast changes he made to it earlier this year are enough. Instead, he’s trying to shift the blame to the DA’s office, saying that they should be charging the looters with Second Degree Burglary, an offense for which the suspects would not be immediately eligible for release without bail.
But as the DA has already pointed out, proving Burglary 2 requires the use of a “dangerous instrument” that puts another person in imminent danger of harm. A property crime (such as smashing out a window so you can loot the store’s contents) wouldn’t qualify. So all the DA would be doing is setting up a bunch of looters to be acquitted at trial.
Vance is taking the opposite approach. At a recent press conference, he insisted that he still wants New York “to join 49 other states to eliminate cash bail.” But he immediately followed that up with a demand for the Governor to use his executive authority to temporarily override the new laws and to also give judges the ability “to detain someone when there is a clear risk of re-offense.”
Both aspects of Vance’s argument are nonsensical. First of all, if the bail reform laws aren’t working during such a period of general unrest, then they don’t work during more “normal times” either. You just don’t see the negative results on such a massive, compressed scale. And as to allowing judges the flexibility to detain someone when there is “a clear risk of re-offense,” that’s precisely the flexibility that he, Cuomo and de Blasio took away when they passed the laws. Judges had previously always had (and used) that discretion. Nobody’s crystal ball is 100% accurate, but the system clearly worked better than what we have now.
The current crisis has really ripped the bandage off of this simmering issue. In some cases the same people are being arrested night after night, going straight out the door to rejoin the crowds in the streets. And the Mayor, the Governor and the Manhattan District Attorney are all busy pointing their fingers at each other rather than addressing the underlying issue.


hotair--2020-06-06--Done deal: Biden clinches nomination... sort of

Okay , it ’ s not officially official yet .
The Democrats still need to go through the formality of holding a convention , be it in person or virtually , or at least have the DNC hold a confirmation vote if they can ’ t manage that .
But as of yesterday , after the lion ’ s share of the final ballots from Tuesday ’ s primaries were tallied , Uncle Joe is projected to have enough pledged delegates to make it over the top on the first round without needing any superdelegate assistance .
( More on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impossible to say which state actually put Joe over the top because they all technically voted on the same day .
But some of the races that took the longest to count were in Maryland , Pennsylvania and Rhode Island .
( NY Post ) “ It was an honor to compete alongside one of the most talented groups of candidates the Democratic party has ever fielded , ” Biden said in a statement Friday night .
“ And I am proud to say that we are going into this general election a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will go on to challenge President Donald Trump in the general election against the backdrop of immense challenges : the coronavirus pandemic , nationwide civil unrest and historic joblessness .
Before proceeding , it ’ s worth noting one thing about all of the mail-in ballots that were used in these primaries .
The polls closed on Tuesday night .
We didn ’ t obtain enough final counts in those nine races to project Biden ’ s margin until Friday night and some of them still aren ’ t at 99 % reporting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re only talking about single states here , some of them quite small .
( Looking at you , Rhode Island and Maryland . )
Imagine doing this on a national level in November , particularly in the states with little to no experience in handling massive numbers of mail-in ballots .
We ’ ll hold the election on November 3rd , but we might not know the results for weeks .
That hasn ’ t happened since Bush v. Gore .
( There ’ s a nightmare blast from the past @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Biden should be safely on his way to the general election at this point for better or worse .
Assuming he doesn ’ t mysteriously get replaced in the next couple of months , and whether he wins or loses in November , Joe Biden may go down in the annals of history as one of the biggest winners of the pandemic .
By winning a flurry of primaries on Super Tuesday and the couple of weeks that followed and then disappearing into his basement for months , Biden was kept mostly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In a more “ normal ” election cycle , that would be a disastrous development for any presidential candidate .
But in Biden ’ s case , his campaign didn ’ t have to sweat out numerous speeches , many made late at night , waiting to see how many gaffes would take place or how often he would forget where he was or what he was talking about .
Much of the mainstream media has dutifully ignored Biden ’ s many “ senior moments ’ on the rare occasions where he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but if he was maintaining a regular presidential campaign schedule , it would very likely soon become too much to ignore .
So is this it ?
Is the DNC resigned to their fate at this point or is there a chance that a movement to replace Joe before August could still be simmering under the covers ?
There ’ s certainly been more than a little discussion of the subject .
Suggestions for replacements have ranged from Andrew Cuomo to Elizabeth Warren .
( Of course , Bernie Sanders remains firmly off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) Joe ’ s last couple of speeches came off well enough , being meticulously staged with no further teleprompter failures gumming up the works .
But that ’ s not going to hold forever .
The more the country continues to open up after the pandemic lockdowns , the greater the pressure will be for Biden to get back out on the trail .
And sooner or later he ’ s going to have to debate Trump , probably late in the evening when Biden generally isn ’ t at his best @ @ @ @ @ @ @ couple of serious mental misfires will create the kind of doubt in voters ’ minds that MSNBC won ’ t be able to wipe away with clever editing .
And if the economy turns in a few more months like May and starts seriously rebounding , Trump ’ s advantages could easily drain away Biden ’ s hopes in the fall .
Look , I ’ m not saying that the Democrats are seriously considering giving Uncle Joe the old heave-ho right now .
But if they aren ’ t looking at a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safe side , they ’ re dancing with disaster .

Okay, it’s not officially official yet. The Democrats still need to go through the formality of holding a convention, be it in person or virtually, or at least have the DNC hold a confirmation vote if they can’t manage that. But as of yesterday, after the lion’s share of the final ballots from Tuesday’s primaries were tallied, Uncle Joe is projected to have enough pledged delegates to make it over the top on the first round without needing any superdelegate assistance. (More on that shortly.) It’s impossible to say which state actually put Joe over the top because they all technically voted on the same day. But some of the races that took the longest to count were in Maryland, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island. (NY Post)
Joe Biden has formally clinched the Democratic presidential nomination Friday. “It was an honor to compete alongside one of the most talented groups of candidates the Democratic party has ever fielded,” Biden said in a statement Friday night. “And I am proud to say that we are going into this general election a united party.” The former vice president will go on to challenge President Donald Trump in the general election against the backdrop of immense challenges: the coronavirus pandemic, nationwide civil unrest and historic joblessness.
Before proceeding, it’s worth noting one thing about all of the mail-in ballots that were used in these primaries. The polls closed on Tuesday night. We didn’t obtain enough final counts in those nine races to project Biden’s margin until Friday night and some of them still aren’t at 99% reporting as of this morning. And we’re only talking about single states here, some of them quite small. (Looking at you, Rhode Island and Maryland.) Imagine doing this on a national level in November, particularly in the states with little to no experience in handling massive numbers of mail-in ballots. We’ll hold the election on November 3rd, but we might not know the results for weeks. That hasn’t happened since Bush v. Gore. (There’s a nightmare blast from the past for you.)
In any event, Biden should be safely on his way to the general election at this point for better or worse. Assuming he doesn’t mysteriously get replaced in the next couple of months, and whether he wins or loses in November, Joe Biden may go down in the annals of history as one of the biggest winners of the pandemic. By winning a flurry of primaries on Super Tuesday and the couple of weeks that followed and then disappearing into his basement for months, Biden was kept mostly off of America’s television screens.
In a more “normal” election cycle, that would be a disastrous development for any presidential candidate. But in Biden’s case, his campaign didn’t have to sweat out numerous speeches, many made late at night, waiting to see how many gaffes would take place or how often he would forget where he was or what he was talking about. Much of the mainstream media has dutifully ignored Biden’s many “senior moments’ on the rare occasions where he’s showed up on camera, but if he was maintaining a regular presidential campaign schedule, it would very likely soon become too much to ignore.
So is this it? Is the DNC resigned to their fate at this point or is there a chance that a movement to replace Joe before August could still be simmering under the covers? There’s certainly been more than a little discussion of the subject. Suggestions for replacements have ranged from Andrew Cuomo to Elizabeth Warren. (Of course, Bernie Sanders remains firmly off the table for the party regulars.) Joe’s last couple of speeches came off well enough, being meticulously staged with no further teleprompter failures gumming up the works.
But that’s not going to hold forever. The more the country continues to open up after the pandemic lockdowns, the greater the pressure will be for Biden to get back out on the trail. And sooner or later he’s going to have to debate Trump, probably late in the evening when Biden generally isn’t at his best, to put it kindly. A couple of serious mental misfires will create the kind of doubt in voters’ minds that MSNBC won’t be able to wipe away with clever editing. And if the economy turns in a few more months like May and starts seriously rebounding, Trump’s advantages could easily drain away Biden’s hopes in the fall.
Look, I’m not saying that the Democrats are seriously considering giving Uncle Joe the old heave-ho right now. But if they aren’t looking at a Plan B just to be on the safe side, they’re dancing with disaster.


hotair--2020-06-07--Escape while you can. De Blasio defunding NYPD

Earlier today , while discussing AOC ’ s half-baked proposal to defund the police , I noted what the unfortunate results of such a move would be .
Thankfully , that was only a hypothetical conversation… at least until a few hours later .
No matter how bad things might get in New York City under the administration of Bill de Blasio , we were never going to fall that far down the rabbit hole , right ?
Well , hang onto your hat , Alice , and keep an eye out for a giant bunny with a pocket watch @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he was opposed to doing anything along those lines , Hizzoner did yet another complete about-face and announced plans to “ shift funds away ” from the NYPD .
( NBC News ) Hours after announcing he would be lifting the curfew in New York City , Mayor Bill de Blasio proposed a series of reforms to the New York Police Department in response to the protests over the death of George Floyd that have gripped the city in the past week .
During his Sunday press conference , de Blasio announced four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NYPD to youth and social services 2 .
Reform 50-a , the law used to prevent police misconduct records from being released to the public 3 .
NYPD will no long be responsible for vendor enforcement As usual , I first saw this news showing up on Twitter , followed by the precise amount of appropriately snarky sarcasm in response from Scottie Nell Hughes .
I would be laughing more at Scottie ’ s take on this if the matter weren ’ t so serious .
If you ’ ve been out on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ City lately ( or simply seen video coverage ) , you know that the situation is grim .
Currently , a lot of the crime that the NYPD is battling is being committed by opportunists who are blending in with the George Floyd protests , though I ’ d wager a fair amount of them have never even heard of the man .
But things were already ramping up on the crime front even before these protests began .
We just had an NYPD cop stabbed in the neck the other night .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t so lucky .
If you go to this link at the Officer Down Memorial Page you can see the names and faces of the two dozen police officers who have already been shot to death in America this year .
Three of them were just in the past week .
Entire city blocks in the Big Apple are currently composed of burned-out husks or empty storefronts with all of their windows smashed out .
Adding to the mayhem are the hoards of criminals that the Mayor has been busily dumping back @ @ @ @ @ @ @ initiatives to empty the jails and put an end to cash bail in most cases .
And this is the moment when he decides to cave into the mob and move funding away from the police .
When is enough going to be enough ?
The Mayor ’ s relationship with the police has been abysmal pretty much since he first took the oath of office .
This is probably the final nail in that coffin .
We recently looked at the growing trend of New Yorkers snapping up real estate in Connecticut @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happen to live there and have two functioning brain cells left to rub together , don ’ t let all of those folks beat you to the punch .
As Sam Kinnison once said in one of his classic comedy routines , pack your kids and your s**t and get out while you can .
New York City may actually be too far gone to save , and Gotham ’ s liberal denizens keep electing the same useful idiots to run the place year after year .
It ’ s not going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ probably isn ’ t going to be safe to stay there for much longer .
Get out .
But do me a favor and don ’ t move upstate near where I live .
We don ’ t need our real estate prices to shoot through the roof .

Earlier today, while discussing AOC’s half-baked proposal to defund the police, I noted what the unfortunate results of such a move would be. Thankfully, that was only a hypothetical conversation… at least until a few hours later. No matter how bad things might get in New York City under the administration of Bill de Blasio, we were never going to fall that far down the rabbit hole, right? Well, hang onto your hat, Alice, and keep an eye out for a giant bunny with a pocket watch. After just saying on Friday that he was opposed to doing anything along those lines, Hizzoner did yet another complete about-face and announced plans to “shift funds away” from the NYPD. (NBC News)
Hours after announcing he would be lifting the curfew in New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio proposed a series of reforms to the New York Police Department in response to the protests over the death of George Floyd that have gripped the city in the past week. During his Sunday press conference, de Blasio announced four proposals: 1. Shift funding from NYPD to youth and social services 2. Reform 50-a, the law used to prevent police misconduct records from being released to the public 3. NYPD will no long be responsible for vendor enforcement 4. Bring community voices into senior level of NYPD
As usual, I first saw this news showing up on Twitter, followed by the precise amount of appropriately snarky sarcasm in response from Scottie Nell Hughes.
I hope for the good of NYC the city flourishes under this new policy. Everyone will be kind & helpful to each other especially strangers. There will never be a reason to do harm & only people w/ good intentions will visit. Politeness & hospitality will now be rule of law — Scottie Nell Hughes (@scottienhughes) June 7, 2020
I would be laughing more at Scottie’s take on this if the matter weren’t so serious. If you’ve been out on the streets at night in New York City lately (or simply seen video coverage), you know that the situation is grim. Currently, a lot of the crime that the NYPD is battling is being committed by opportunists who are blending in with the George Floyd protests, though I’d wager a fair amount of them have never even heard of the man. But things were already ramping up on the crime front even before these protests began.
We just had an NYPD cop stabbed in the neck the other night. Thankfully he will recover. Others weren’t so lucky. If you go to this link at the Officer Down Memorial Page you can see the names and faces of the two dozen police officers who have already been shot to death in America this year. Three of them were just in the past week.
Entire city blocks in the Big Apple are currently composed of burned-out husks or empty storefronts with all of their windows smashed out. Adding to the mayhem are the hoards of criminals that the Mayor has been busily dumping back out on the streets via his twin initiatives to empty the jails and put an end to cash bail in most cases. And this is the moment when he decides to cave into the mob and move funding away from the police.
When is enough going to be enough? The Mayor’s relationship with the police has been abysmal pretty much since he first took the oath of office. This is probably the final nail in that coffin. We recently looked at the growing trend of New Yorkers snapping up real estate in Connecticut and fleeing the city. If you happen to live there and have two functioning brain cells left to rub together, don’t let all of those folks beat you to the punch. As Sam Kinnison once said in one of his classic comedy routines, pack your kids and your s**t and get out while you can.
New York City may actually be too far gone to save, and Gotham’s liberal denizens keep electing the same useful idiots to run the place year after year. It’s not going to get any better, and it honestly probably isn’t going to be safe to stay there for much longer. Get out. But do me a favor and don’t move upstate near where I live. We don’t need our real estate prices to shoot through the roof.


hotair--2020-06-07--Showdown at WSU: Ivanka Trump faces off against the woke mob

A commencement speech to the Class of 2020 at Wichita State University ( WSU ) and WSU Tech from Ivanka Trump has been canceled by the angry woke mob .
Unlike some of Ivanka ’ s other public attacks , she is pushing back and speaking up against the action .
An associate professor of photo media at Wichita State University , Jennifer Ray , felt her hair burst into flames over the announcement that the daughter of President Trump , an unpaid adviser , would be delivering a commencement address .
She is listed as an assistant professor of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Allegedly the opposition to Ivanka Trump speaking came in response to President Trump ’ s response to protesters of George Floyd ’ s death .
Let ’ s be honest .
Ivanka was canceled because she is Trump ’ s daughter .
I ’ m surprised that any higher learning institution would extend her an opportunity to speak to students .
College campuses are incapable of offering any point of view but that of the far left .
Any deviation from liberal groupthink is immediately halted , as we have seen repeatedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accepts an invitation only to be run off the stage by an angry mob of students .
Young socialists have no desire to hear an opposing point of view , though that is why they are supposed to be in college .
A college education is supposed to teach young adults how to listen to both sides of an argument or issue and form their own opinions .
Today ’ s college students have been spoon-fed whatever liberal talking point is popular that day and not encouraged to be curious about a differing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tens of thousands of dollars for political propaganda masked as education .
Ivanka Trump isn ’ t a stranger to the university .
She toured WSU Tech National Center for Aviation Training with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Senator Jerry Moran in 2019 .
WSU Tech president Utash was appointed by President Trump to the American Workforce Policy Advisory board in 2019 .
That board is co-chaired by Ivanka Trump .
The cancellation of the commencement speech came from both WSU and WSU Tech .
The joint university statement , which posted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ school ’ s plans have “ refocused more centrally on students ” and that Trump will be replaced by nursing graduate Rebecca Zinabu .
“ Earlier today , WSU Tech announced that Ivanka Trump , advisor to President Donald Trump , is a planned speaker at the college ’ s virtual commencement this weekend , ” said the statement by Wichita State president Jay Golden and WSU Tech president Sheree Utash .
“ The WSU Tech commencement plans have been refocused more centrally on students – student voices in particular .
Rebecca Zinabu @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will now be the only commencement speaker during the ceremony.
” The cave came after Jennifer Ray wrote an open letter asking for the cancellation .
Pressure was on the Wichita State administration after Jennifer Ray , associate professor of photo media , authored a scathing open letter asking the university to cancel Trump .
It circulated on social media quickly and had 487 signatures from concerned faculty , students , and alumni by 11 p.m .
In the letter , Ray wrote that she was “ horrified and disgusted ” that Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ceremony and that doing so sent the wrong message about the public university ’ s commitment to diversity .
“ Ivanka Trump , obviously , represents her father ’ s administration as one of his closest advisors , ” Ray wrote .
“ To many Americans , that administration has come to signify the worst of our country , particularly in its recent actions toward those peacefully protesting against racist police brutality .
This is not about politics and policy ; some of the sharpest critiques of President Trump ’ s actions come @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , from figures like former Defense Secretary James Mattis and President George W. Bush.
” “ This is not about politics and policy.
” Really ?
Of course , it is .
The bad Orange Man ( and Republicans except for Never Trumpers ) is a racist white supremacist in the eyes of college professors , therefore his daughter must be the same .
Except , of course , that Ivanka Trump is not conservative or even Republican until only recently .
She is doing the work Trump ’ s administration asks of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Liberals hate her for it .
WSU Tech President Utash noted that the cancellation was handled poorly .
The graduation ceremony will be live-streamed and Ivanka ’ s recorded speech will be among the 30 speeches offered .
Ivanka Trump tweeted out her speech anyway , after chastising the university ’ s decision .
Senator Tom Cotton came to Ivanka ’ s defense and spoke to the angry liberal mob in an op-ed .
Tom Cotton sounds like a future presidential candidate , right ?
It ’ s good he spoke up for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nepotism of her role in the Trump administration or not , she is doing her job and gets results , too .
Liberal criticism is as it always is against a Republican administration .
It is politics , whether the photography professor wants to say it out loud or not .
I ’ ll end with this little nugget .
A television writer for Frazier felt the need to comment on the whiteness of Ivanka Trump , or something .
He apparently doesn ’ t think she should release a short video that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these trying days because her life hasn ’ t been so hard , in his opinion .
White liberal guilt is a hella drug .

A commencement speech to the Class of 2020 at Wichita State University (WSU) and WSU Tech from Ivanka Trump has been canceled by the angry woke mob. Unlike some of Ivanka’s other public attacks, she is pushing back and speaking up against the action.
An associate professor of photo media at Wichita State University, Jennifer Ray, felt her hair burst into flames over the announcement that the daughter of President Trump, an unpaid adviser, would be delivering a commencement address. She is listed as an assistant professor of photography on the university’s website. Allegedly the opposition to Ivanka Trump speaking came in response to President Trump’s response to protesters of George Floyd’s death.
Let’s be honest. Ivanka was canceled because she is Trump’s daughter. I’m surprised that any higher learning institution would extend her an opportunity to speak to students. College campuses are incapable of offering any point of view but that of the far left. Any deviation from liberal groupthink is immediately halted, as we have seen repeatedly on college campuses when a conservative speaker accepts an invitation only to be run off the stage by an angry mob of students. Young socialists have no desire to hear an opposing point of view, though that is why they are supposed to be in college. A college education is supposed to teach young adults how to listen to both sides of an argument or issue and form their own opinions. Today’s college students have been spoon-fed whatever liberal talking point is popular that day and not encouraged to be curious about a differing point of view. Parents are paying tens of thousands of dollars for political propaganda masked as education.
Ivanka Trump isn’t a stranger to the university. She toured WSU Tech National Center for Aviation Training with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Senator Jerry Moran in 2019. WSU Tech president Utash was appointed by President Trump to the American Workforce Policy Advisory board in 2019. That board is co-chaired by Ivanka Trump. The cancellation of the commencement speech came from both WSU and WSU Tech.
The joint university statement, which posted online late Thursday night, said the school’s plans have “refocused more centrally on students” and that Trump will be replaced by nursing graduate Rebecca Zinabu. “Earlier today, WSU Tech announced that Ivanka Trump, advisor to President Donald Trump, is a planned speaker at the college’s virtual commencement this weekend,” said the statement by Wichita State president Jay Golden and WSU Tech president Sheree Utash. “The WSU Tech commencement plans have been refocused more centrally on students – student voices in particular. Rebecca Zinabu, WSU Tech practical nursing graduate, will now be the only commencement speaker during the ceremony.”
The cave came after Jennifer Ray wrote an open letter asking for the cancellation.
Pressure was on the Wichita State administration after Jennifer Ray, associate professor of photo media, authored a scathing open letter asking the university to cancel Trump. It circulated on social media quickly and had 487 signatures from concerned faculty, students, and alumni by 11 p.m. In the letter, Ray wrote that she was “horrified and disgusted” that Trump had been invited to speak at the ceremony and that doing so sent the wrong message about the public university’s commitment to diversity. “Ivanka Trump, obviously, represents her father’s administration as one of his closest advisors,” Ray wrote. “To many Americans, that administration has come to signify the worst of our country, particularly in its recent actions toward those peacefully protesting against racist police brutality. This is not about politics and policy; some of the sharpest critiques of President Trump’s actions come from prominent members of his own party, from figures like former Defense Secretary James Mattis and President George W. Bush.”
“This is not about politics and policy.” Really? Of course, it is. The bad Orange Man (and Republicans except for Never Trumpers) is a racist white supremacist in the eyes of college professors, therefore his daughter must be the same. Except, of course, that Ivanka Trump is not conservative or even Republican until only recently. She is doing the work Trump’s administration asks of her, without taking a paycheck. Liberals hate her for it.
WSU Tech President Utash noted that the cancellation was handled poorly. The graduation ceremony will be live-streamed and Ivanka’s recorded speech will be among the 30 speeches offered.
A separate statement by Utash later Thursday night offered further details about the decision. She acknowledged “the timing of the announcement was insensitive” and apologized. The graduation ceremony will be live-streamed at 3 p.m. on the WSU Tech Facebook page and at wsutech.edu/graduation. The joint-statement said WSU Tech graduates will have the option to hear prerecorded congratulatory messages from more than 30 speakers. Utash’s statement says a recorded speech by Ivanka Trump will be one of the options.
Ivanka Trump tweeted out her speech anyway, after chastising the university’s decision.
Our nation’s campuses should be bastions of free speech. Cancel culture and viewpoint discrimination are antithetical to academia. Listening to one another is important now more than ever!https://t.co/VW6W8TIL9c — Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) June 5, 2020
Senator Tom Cotton came to Ivanka’s defense and spoke to the angry liberal mob in an op-ed.
This is absurd. @IvankaTrump, who leads economic development initiatives, was giving a non-partisan graduation speech at a community college. Great opportunity for grads to hear from a senior WH advisor. Instead, the woke mob struck. https://t.co/XOm0sXmQYJ — Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) June 5, 2020
If the snowflakes so offended by the idea of hearing from a White House advisor couldn't contain their emotions, they should have skipped the speech. Instead, they ruined it for everyone. The proper approach to the woke mob is never to give in—it's to tell them to grow up. — Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) June 5, 2020
Tom Cotton sounds like a future presidential candidate, right? It’s good he spoke up for Ivanka. Whether you agree with the nepotism of her role in the Trump administration or not, she is doing her job and gets results, too. Liberal criticism is as it always is against a Republican administration. It is politics, whether the photography professor wants to say it out loud or not.
I’ll end with this little nugget. A television writer for Frazier felt the need to comment on the whiteness of Ivanka Trump, or something. He apparently doesn’t think she should release a short video that offers support and inspiration to Americans during these trying days because her life hasn’t been so hard, in his opinion. White liberal guilt is a hella drug.