hotair--2020-09-12--Houston judge oks Democrat plan to send ballot applications to all voters

The question of whether Harris County Clerk Christopher Hollins has the authority to mail out ballot applications to every registered voter in the county continues to play out .
On Friday a judge in Houston gave his ok to Hollins ’ unprecedented plan .
State District Judge R.K. Sandill , a Democrat , rejected a request from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to halt the mass mailing of ballot applications .
There are 2.4 million registered voters in Harris County .
Hollins , a Democrat , plans to send mail-in ballot applications to every registered voter along with information explaining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballot .
Texas has specific requirements that must be met to qualify for mail-in voting .
These include voters age 65 or older , disabled or ill voters , a voter who will be out of the county during the voting period or an incarcerated person who is eligible to vote .
It ’ s 2020 and everything must be upended due to the coronavirus pandemic , including voting .
Never mind that Harris County has never been set up for mass mail-in voting and there is no guarantee that such voting will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way during the November election either .
Hollins has only been in his position of Harris County Clerk since June , two months before the primary run-off elections were conducted .
During that election , he sent out mail-in ballot applications to all registered voters aged 65 or older .
Judge Sandill , who is on the November ballot for his own re-election , denied Paxton a temporary injunction against the scheme .
Hollins has the ok to pro-actively mail the applications to all registered voters for the general election .
Sandill ruled @ @ @ @ @ @ @ doing so , as Paxton ’ s request claimed .
The judge doesn ’ t think this will harm the voting process in Harris County .
He blames it on the Election Code not being specific enough in the language .
The county clerk runs the elections in Texas .
This ruling will likely be appealed by the state .
Clashes between Democrats and Republicans over the process of mail-in voting during the coronavirus pandemic have led to legal battle after legal battle .
Just yesterday I wrote about a ruling by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ballots .
The county has agreed to wait five days after Sandill ’ s ruling before mailing out ballot applications .
Attorney General Paxton filed a request for a temporary injunction due to concerns that such a mass mailing will produce confusion and clog up the voting system with applications from voters who do not qualify for mail-in ballots .
However , his request specifically centered around the county clerk ’ s authority .
The mailing plan provoked a rare threat of litigation from the Texas secretary of state over concerns it could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ applications but are not eligible , and clog up the county ’ s vote-by-mail infrastructure to the detriment of voters who are eligible for absentee ballots .
But the lawsuit filed by the Texas attorney general in Harris County actually centered on an argument that county clerks are only “ expressly empowered ” by the Texas Election Code to send out applications to voters who request them .
By that standard , Hollins is trying to act beyond his authority , the state argues .
Sandill found that the requirement for a clerk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ preclude the clerk ” from proactively sending out the applications .
And he described the state ’ s objection to the wider mailing plan — and not the mailing of applications to voters 65 and older — as ironic and inconsistent .
During a virtual hearing Wednesday , Hollins presented the proposed mailer and detailed to the judge how it would be accompanied with guidance on who is eligible to vote by mail .
In fact , Hollins said , prospective voters would first see those instructions on the top flap of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And attorneys for the county also argued that there was no state law that prohibits a local election administrator from proactively sending out applications .
The attorney representing the county during the hearing said if the legislature wanted to be specific in a county clerk doing something extra for voters , it would be written in election code .
State attorneys and the director of elections for the Texas secretary of state voiced concerns that the county is “ walking ” voters into “ committing a felony by sending out applications to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The director of elections points out that while fear of the coronavirus doesn ’ t qualify as a disability in order to receive a mail-in ballot , voters can consider that fear along with the rest of their medical history in order to claim disability .
He said voters may be misled by the fact that a government official sent out the application and think they must be qualified for mail-in voting , perhaps even putting false information on the application .
Sandill wasn ’ t convinced of the argument that this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He said it “ rings hollow.
” A state attorney argued an unsolicited application would harm the state but Sandill said the act of the mass mailing in and of itself would not harm the state .
He said he was of the understanding that misleading the voters was the harm being singled out .
So , he ended up ruling against a temporary injunction that would prevent the Harris county clerk from mailing applications to all voters , not just those 65 years of age and older .
What a mess @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and uncertainty in order to continue their attempts to turn Texas into a blue state .
The coronavirus pandemic gave them the perfect excuse to pursue their get out the vote fever dreams – but instead of getting people to the polls on Election Day , they are encouraging voters to use mail-in voting .
Texas Republicans and the state will likely appeal this latest decision .
Election Day is growing closer and the legal battles continue .

The question of whether Harris County Clerk Christopher Hollins has the authority to mail out ballot applications to every registered voter in the county continues to play out. On Friday a judge in Houston gave his ok to Hollins’ unprecedented plan.
State District Judge R.K. Sandill, a Democrat, rejected a request from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to halt the mass mailing of ballot applications. There are 2.4 million registered voters in Harris County. Hollins, a Democrat, plans to send mail-in ballot applications to every registered voter along with information explaining the requirements to qualify for such a ballot. Texas has specific requirements that must be met to qualify for mail-in voting. These include voters age 65 or older, disabled or ill voters, a voter who will be out of the county during the voting period or an incarcerated person who is eligible to vote.
It’s 2020 and everything must be upended due to the coronavirus pandemic, including voting. Never mind that Harris County has never been set up for mass mail-in voting and there is no guarantee that such voting will be handled in an efficient and competent way during the November election either. Hollins has only been in his position of Harris County Clerk since June, two months before the primary run-off elections were conducted. During that election, he sent out mail-in ballot applications to all registered voters aged 65 or older.
Judge Sandill, who is on the November ballot for his own re-election, denied Paxton a temporary injunction against the scheme. Hollins has the ok to pro-actively mail the applications to all registered voters for the general election. Sandill ruled against Hollins being outside his authority by doing so, as Paxton’s request claimed. The judge doesn’t think this will harm the voting process in Harris County. He blames it on the Election Code not being specific enough in the language.
“The Legislature has spoken at length on the mechanisms for mail-in voting. There are no fewer than 42 Election Code provisions on the subject,” Sandill wrote. “In those provisions, the Legislature has made clear that in order to vote by mail a voter first ‘must make an application for an early voting ballot.’ But, as to how the voter is to obtain the application, the Election Code is silent.”
The county clerk runs the elections in Texas. This ruling will likely be appealed by the state. Clashes between Democrats and Republicans over the process of mail-in voting during the coronavirus pandemic have led to legal battle after legal battle. Just yesterday I wrote about a ruling by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals on mail-in ballots. The county has agreed to wait five days after Sandill’s ruling before mailing out ballot applications.
Attorney General Paxton filed a request for a temporary injunction due to concerns that such a mass mailing will produce confusion and clog up the voting system with applications from voters who do not qualify for mail-in ballots. However, his request specifically centered around the county clerk’s authority.
The mailing plan provoked a rare threat of litigation from the Texas secretary of state over concerns it could cause confusion among voters who receive the applications but are not eligible, and clog up the county’s vote-by-mail infrastructure to the detriment of voters who are eligible for absentee ballots. But the lawsuit filed by the Texas attorney general in Harris County actually centered on an argument that county clerks are only “expressly empowered” by the Texas Election Code to send out applications to voters who request them. By that standard, Hollins is trying to act beyond his authority, the state argues. Sandill found that the requirement for a clerk to provide applications upon request does not “preclude the clerk” from proactively sending out the applications. And he described the state’s objection to the wider mailing plan — and not the mailing of applications to voters 65 and older — as ironic and inconsistent. During a virtual hearing Wednesday, Hollins presented the proposed mailer and detailed to the judge how it would be accompanied with guidance on who is eligible to vote by mail. In fact, Hollins said, prospective voters would first see those instructions on the top flap of the packet before getting to the application. And attorneys for the county also argued that there was no state law that prohibits a local election administrator from proactively sending out applications.
The attorney representing the county during the hearing said if the legislature wanted to be specific in a county clerk doing something extra for voters, it would be written in election code. State attorneys and the director of elections for the Texas secretary of state voiced concerns that the county is “walking” voters into “committing a felony by sending out applications to voters who may ultimately not be eligible.”
The director of elections points out that while fear of the coronavirus doesn’t qualify as a disability in order to receive a mail-in ballot, voters can consider that fear along with the rest of their medical history in order to claim disability. He said voters may be misled by the fact that a government official sent out the application and think they must be qualified for mail-in voting, perhaps even putting false information on the application. Sandill wasn’t convinced of the argument that this mass mailing will harm voters’ rights. He said it “rings hollow.”
“The Texas Supreme Court has instructed that the decision to apply for a ballot to vote by mail is within the purview of the voter,” Sandill wrote. “This Court firmly believes that Harris County voters are capable of reviewing and understanding the document Mr. Hollins proposes to send and exercising their voting rights in compliance with Texas law.”
A state attorney argued an unsolicited application would harm the state but Sandill said the act of the mass mailing in and of itself would not harm the state. He said he was of the understanding that misleading the voters was the harm being singled out. So, he ended up ruling against a temporary injunction that would prevent the Harris county clerk from mailing applications to all voters, not just those 65 years of age and older.
What a mess. Democrats are determined to create chaos and uncertainty in order to continue their attempts to turn Texas into a blue state. The coronavirus pandemic gave them the perfect excuse to pursue their get out the vote fever dreams – but instead of getting people to the polls on Election Day, they are encouraging voters to use mail-in voting. Texas Republicans and the state will likely appeal this latest decision. Election Day is growing closer and the legal battles continue.


hotair--2020-09-12--MN police-Dem feud heats up after DFL refuses to disavow "F*** Hugo!" candidate and protest

A long tradition of bipartisan engagement for police in Minnesota may come crashing to an end , and the DFL has no one to blame but itself for it .
It didn ’ t start with the riots in Minneapolis , but rather with a protest launched by DFL-endorsed state House candidate John Thompson ’ s protest outside of police union head Bob Kroll ’ s house last month .
In the protest , Thompson accused Kroll of being a Klansman and his fellow protesters beat piñata effigies of Kroll and his wife — with lots of media watching .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republicans pounce !
” story , but here ’ s a taste of the action from our friends at Alpha News ( a very , very NSFW taste , mind you ) : Minnesota Republican leaders are criticizing as “ reprehensible ” a Black Lives Matter protest where a Minnesota House candidate shouted expletives within earshot of neighbors and children .
More than 100 people congregated outside Minneapolis police union president Bob Kroll ’ s home in Hugo , where he lives with his wife , WCCO reporter Liz Collin .
The rally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effort calling for both Kroll and Collin to be fired from their jobs .
Two videos circulating on Twitter show John Thompson , a DFL activist who last week won his primary for House District 67A in St. Paul , wearing a shirt reading “ Bob KKKroll Must Go !
” and shouting into a microphone to the group of protesters , with neighbors and children nearby .
One clip shows him saying “ You think we give a [ expletive ] about burning Hugo down ?
” In another , he says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also smashed piñata effigies of the pair and took a knee before dispersing .
As the video shows , Thompson accused Kroll of being a Grand Wizard , screamed at Kroll ’ s neighbors , and generally comported himself as a horse ’ s ass for the cameras .
Thompson later apologized and the DFL issued a statement lightly scolding Thompson , but police throughout the state were not amused — and the story didn ’ t go away .
Earlier this week , the DFL had to “ indefinitely postpone ” a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take part in it , a decision that prompted a protest from the state ’ s police association : Minnesota House Democrats indefinitely postponed a fundraiser featuring a dozen DFL candidates after an influential law enforcement group voiced concerns about including a St. Paul Democrat whose actions and statements at a protest in Hugo sparked backlash .
The head of the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association ( MPPOA ) , in a letter to House Speaker Melissa Hortman , expressed “ deep frustration ” that John Thompson , an activist running for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ invited to participate in the fundraiser .
… “ This is violent and outrageous behavior — and not just rhetoric — specifically against a police officer and his family , ” MPPOA Executive Director Brian Peters wrote .
“ Anyone — including candidates for office — that supports Thompson ’ s candidacy to the [ Minnesota House of Representatives ] can not be considered a supporter of law enforcement.
” Hortman canceled the fundraiser but continued to support Thompson .
In response , the MPPOA rescinded their endorsements of several DFL legislative candidates @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instead .
That was a direct result of the silence of those candidates over Thompson ’ s actions , the MPPOA executive director declared : A powerful statewide police group is pulling its endorsements of several Democratic state legislators , marking the latest turn in a deepening political rift over a DFL-endorsed candidate ’ s conduct at a rally outside Minneapolis Police Federation President Bob Kroll ’ s home .
The Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association ( MPPOA ) board voted this week to back Republican challengers to Democratic incumbents in at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to social media posts from the GOP candidates .
The association , which represents more than 10,000 law enforcement members across the state , previously expressed support for DFL candidates in both races .
… Peters confirmed late Thursday that his board reversed course on several DFL endorsements , including those publicized by the GOP , but declined to share the full list for publication .
He said members wanted to see Democrats deliver stronger condemnation of Thompson , who he said crossed a line by targeting Kroll ’ s wife .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ issue was those candidates did not stand up to their leadership and put pressure on and ask why are we supporting a candidate who did this in Hugo , ” he said .
“ If this is the future of the Democratic Party , my organization is going to support elsewhere.
” That is a shot fired across the bow by Minnesota law enforcement , a warning that they will not sit quietly while Democrats use them as strawmen for their political campaigning .
They have seen enough of that already this summer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very broad brush to paint all police as racists and abusers .
Until now , the MPPOA and police in general have been more or less non-partisan , or at least bipartisan , as the MPPOA ’ s track record on endorsements shows .
“ We applaud The Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association for rescinding their endorsement of several Democrat legislators .
The DFL did nothing more than pay lip service to law enforcement after DFL House candidate John Thompson showed up at a police officer ’ s house and threatened to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fact that Democrat Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman would hold a fundraiser for John Thompson shows how insincere the DFL ’ s condemnation of him was .
We are glad the MPPOA saw through it .
“ It ’ s important to remember the sacrifices made by members of the law enforcement community , especially today .
“ There is a clear choice this November : the Democrats tolerate and tacitly encourage the violence and mayhem that is plaguing America ’ s cities and the Republican Party , all the way up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of law .
On Election Day , voters will pick peace and prosperity over chaos and mayhem.
” Thompson will likely win his seat , but Republicans will have their ads cut to run in lots of other districts between now and Election Day .
That law-and-order messaging will be made all the more effective with the sound of Thompson ’ s profane rants , including “ F**k Hugo , Minnesota !
” That ’ s the choice that Democrats have left with voters , and why police associations will be likely lining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in November .

A long tradition of bipartisan engagement for police in Minnesota may come crashing to an end, and the DFL has no one to blame but itself for it. It didn’t start with the riots in Minneapolis, but rather with a protest launched by DFL-endorsed state House candidate John Thompson’s protest outside of police union head Bob Kroll’s house last month.
In the protest, Thompson accused Kroll of being a Klansman and his fellow protesters beat piñata effigies of Kroll and his wife — with lots of media watching. The Strib covered it as a “Republicans pounce!” story, but here’s a taste of the action from our friends at Alpha News ( a very, very NSFW taste, mind you):
Minnesota Republican leaders are criticizing as “reprehensible” a Black Lives Matter protest where a Minnesota House candidate shouted expletives within earshot of neighbors and children. More than 100 people congregated outside Minneapolis police union president Bob Kroll’s home in Hugo, where he lives with his wife, WCCO reporter Liz Collin. The rally on Saturday came as part of an effort calling for both Kroll and Collin to be fired from their jobs. Two videos circulating on Twitter show John Thompson, a DFL activist who last week won his primary for House District 67A in St. Paul, wearing a shirt reading “Bob KKKroll Must Go!” and shouting into a microphone to the group of protesters, with neighbors and children nearby. One clip shows him saying “You think we give a [expletive] about burning Hugo down?” In another, he says “[Expletive] Hugo.” Activists also smashed piñata effigies of the pair and took a knee before dispersing.
As the video shows, Thompson accused Kroll of being a Grand Wizard, screamed at Kroll’s neighbors, and generally comported himself as a horse’s ass for the cameras. Thompson later apologized and the DFL issued a statement lightly scolding Thompson, but police throughout the state were not amused — and the story didn’t go away. Earlier this week, the DFL had to “indefinitely postpone” a planned fundraiser when they picked Thompson to take part in it, a decision that prompted a protest from the state’s police association:
Minnesota House Democrats indefinitely postponed a fundraiser featuring a dozen DFL candidates after an influential law enforcement group voiced concerns about including a St. Paul Democrat whose actions and statements at a protest in Hugo sparked backlash. The head of the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association (MPPOA), in a letter to House Speaker Melissa Hortman, expressed “deep frustration” that John Thompson, an activist running for a St. Paul House seat, was invited to participate in the fundraiser. … “This is violent and outrageous behavior — and not just rhetoric — specifically against a police officer and his family,” MPPOA Executive Director Brian Peters wrote. “Anyone — including candidates for office — that supports Thompson’s candidacy to the [Minnesota House of Representatives] cannot be considered a supporter of law enforcement.”
Hortman canceled the fundraiser but continued to support Thompson. In response, the MPPOA rescinded their endorsements of several DFL legislative candidates, switching them to their Republican opponents instead. That was a direct result of the silence of those candidates over Thompson’s actions, the MPPOA executive director declared:
A powerful statewide police group is pulling its endorsements of several Democratic state legislators, marking the latest turn in a deepening political rift over a DFL-endorsed candidate’s conduct at a rally outside Minneapolis Police Federation President Bob Kroll’s home. The Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association (MPPOA) board voted this week to back Republican challengers to Democratic incumbents in at least two potentially competitive seats, according to social media posts from the GOP candidates. The association, which represents more than 10,000 law enforcement members across the state, previously expressed support for DFL candidates in both races. … Peters confirmed late Thursday that his board reversed course on several DFL endorsements, including those publicized by the GOP, but declined to share the full list for publication. He said members wanted to see Democrats deliver stronger condemnation of Thompson, who he said crossed a line by targeting Kroll’s wife. “The endorsements that we rescinded, my issue was those candidates did not stand up to their leadership and put pressure on and ask why are we supporting a candidate who did this in Hugo,” he said. “If this is the future of the Democratic Party, my organization is going to support elsewhere.”
That is a shot fired across the bow by Minnesota law enforcement, a warning that they will not sit quietly while Democrats use them as strawmen for their political campaigning. They have seen enough of that already this summer, with Democrats and progressives using a very broad brush to paint all police as racists and abusers. Until now, the MPPOA and police in general have been more or less non-partisan, or at least bipartisan, as the MPPOA’s track record on endorsements shows.
The state Republican Party doesn’t mind that a bit:
“We applaud The Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association for rescinding their endorsement of several Democrat legislators. The DFL did nothing more than pay lip service to law enforcement after DFL House candidate John Thompson showed up at a police officer’s house and threatened to ignite the town of Hugo. The fact that Democrat Speaker of the House Melissa Hortman would hold a fundraiser for John Thompson shows how insincere the DFL’s condemnation of him was. We are glad the MPPOA saw through it. “It’s important to remember the sacrifices made by members of the law enforcement community, especially today. “There is a clear choice this November: the Democrats tolerate and tacitly encourage the violence and mayhem that is plaguing America’s cities and the Republican Party, all the way up to President Trump, respect the rule of law. On Election Day, voters will pick peace and prosperity over chaos and mayhem.”
Thompson will likely win his seat, but Republicans will have their ads cut to run in lots of other districts between now and Election Day. That law-and-order messaging will be made all the more effective with the sound of Thompson’s profane rants, including “F**k Hugo, Minnesota!” That’s the choice that Democrats have left with voters, and why police associations will be likely lining up against them from Hugo to Hatteras in November.


hotair--2020-09-12--So much winning: "Transgender Satanist anarchist" wins GOP nomination in New Hampshire

I know what you ’ re thinking .
“ Why , Jazz ?
Why ?
Why am I seeing this article on an otherwise pleasant Saturday morning ?
” Hey , I don ’ t make the news , folks .
I just report on it and comment .
And did you really think I could pass up a headline like that ?
With that said , I suppose we should find out what ’ s going on here .
The Granite State is known for attracting all manner of rugged individualists who don ’ t follow all of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seems to be particularly true in the race to become the next Cheshire County Sheriff .
They just finished tallying up all the votes in the primary this week and the Republican nominee for the position was determined to be Aria DiMezzo .
( Candidate website ) To say that DiMezzo isn ’ t your typical Republican would be something of an understatement , even by New Hampshire standards .
The candidate is not only transgender but is a self-described anarchist who ran on the simple , three-word campaign slogan , “ F*** @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s also a worshiper of Satan .
Shockingly , DiMezzo says that neither the county nor state Republican parties have been offering much in the way of support for this candidacy .
( Inside Sources ) New Hampshire ’ s first trans , anarchist , Satanic candidate for county sheriff says she ’ s not getting a lot of support from the Republican Party .
DiMezzo , who is running as a Republican with the campaign slogan “ F*** the Police , ” said Friday she hasn ’ t had any help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GOP .
DiMezzo won the Republican nomination for Cheshire County Sheriff Tuesday night running unopposed in the primary .
She ’ ll now square off with popular incumbent Democrat Eli Rivera , who is running for his fifth term .
Marylin Huston , Cheshire County GOP chair , congratulated her on her victory .
Huston consistently referred to DiMezzo as “ he ” during the interview , despite the candidate identifying as female .
Huston , the county Republican chair , was willing to congratulate DiMezzo and say “ He did very well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to say that it was “ wonderful.
” But there was no mention of any funding forthcoming to assist the candidate in the general election .
As it turns out , it appears that DiMezzo might not even be a Republican , but only ran as one because of the challenges associated with getting a Libertarian on the ticket .
He didn ’ t attend any of the party meetings or candidate events , despite having been invited by the chairwoman .
It ’ s not even clear if DiMezzo did any actual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ couple of internet radio appearances .
So how did he win ?
Well , the current incumbent is a five-term Democrat by the name of Eli Rivera and is considered such a shoe-in for another term that nobody else even bothered to put their name on the ballot .
So the odds of seeing a Sheriff DiMezzo next year are , shall we say… slim .
Contacted for a comment on his runaway victory , the newly minted candidate offered the following statement ” “ I shouldn ’ t have won this freaking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” So is there some lesson to take away from all of this ?
Perhaps .
If you ’ re involved in politics at the local level , even in a casual way , you should probably make sure to put someone ’ s name on the ballot even if your party is vastly in the minority .
It generally doesn ’ t cost all that much to register for local races and you don ’ t even need that many signatures .
( It looks like you only need 150 to run @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people should be able to collect that many in a day or two tops . )
If you can ’ t find someone else to do it , put your own hat in the ring .
A failure to do so leaves the door open for God only knows who to wind up as your nominee .
You could easily end up with another Vermin Supreme .
In the case of Cheshire County , they ’ ve chosen a nominee who , as the county GOP chair described things , has values that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Republican message.
” That ’ s putting it rather charitably .
You can catch DiMezzo in action during a radio spot in this YouTube video .

I know what you’re thinking. “Why, Jazz? Why? Why am I seeing this article on an otherwise pleasant Saturday morning?” Hey, I don’t make the news, folks. I just report on it and comment. And did you really think I could pass up a headline like that? With that said, I suppose we should find out what’s going on here.
The Granite State is known for attracting all manner of rugged individualists who don’t follow all of the conventional rules of political engagement. That seems to be particularly true in the race to become the next Cheshire County Sheriff. They just finished tallying up all the votes in the primary this week and the Republican nominee for the position was determined to be Aria DiMezzo. (Candidate website) To say that DiMezzo isn’t your typical Republican would be something of an understatement, even by New Hampshire standards. The candidate is not only transgender but is a self-described anarchist who ran on the simple, three-word campaign slogan, “F*** the police.” Oh, and he’s also a worshiper of Satan. Shockingly, DiMezzo says that neither the county nor state Republican parties have been offering much in the way of support for this candidacy. (Inside Sources)
New Hampshire’s first trans, anarchist, Satanic candidate for county sheriff says she’s not getting a lot of support from the Republican Party. “I can’t imagine they’re happy about this,” said Aria DiMezzo. DiMezzo, who is running as a Republican with the campaign slogan “F*** the Police,” said Friday she hasn’t had any help or support for the county or state GOP. DiMezzo won the Republican nomination for Cheshire County Sheriff Tuesday night running unopposed in the primary. She’ll now square off with popular incumbent Democrat Eli Rivera, who is running for his fifth term. Marylin Huston, Cheshire County GOP chair, congratulated her on her victory. Huston consistently referred to DiMezzo as “he” during the interview, despite the candidate identifying as female.
Huston, the county Republican chair, was willing to congratulate DiMezzo and say “He did very well with the primary,” going on to say that it was “wonderful.” But there was no mention of any funding forthcoming to assist the candidate in the general election.
As it turns out, it appears that DiMezzo might not even be a Republican, but only ran as one because of the challenges associated with getting a Libertarian on the ticket. He didn’t attend any of the party meetings or candidate events, despite having been invited by the chairwoman. It’s not even clear if DiMezzo did any actual campaigning aside from social media and a couple of internet radio appearances.
So how did he win? Well, the current incumbent is a five-term Democrat by the name of Eli Rivera and is considered such a shoe-in for another term that nobody else even bothered to put their name on the ballot. So the odds of seeing a Sheriff DiMezzo next year are, shall we say… slim. Contacted for a comment on his runaway victory, the newly minted candidate offered the following statement”
“I shouldn’t have won this freaking primary. I should have gotten crushed.”
So is there some lesson to take away from all of this? Perhaps. If you’re involved in politics at the local level, even in a casual way, you should probably make sure to put someone’s name on the ballot even if your party is vastly in the minority. It generally doesn’t cost all that much to register for local races and you don’t even need that many signatures. (It looks like you only need 150 to run for sheriff there and a couple of people should be able to collect that many in a day or two tops.) If you can’t find someone else to do it, put your own hat in the ring.
A failure to do so leaves the door open for God only knows who to wind up as your nominee. You could easily end up with another Vermin Supreme. In the case of Cheshire County, they’ve chosen a nominee who, as the county GOP chair described things, has values that “do not fall in line with the Republican message.”
That’s putting it rather charitably. You can catch DiMezzo in action during a radio spot in this YouTube video.


hotair--2020-09-12--Chicago gun store looter released, murders Walgreens clerk

Perhaps some bad news can at least result in a lesson being learned , though in this case , it comes too late for one Chicago sales clerk .
Last week , prosecutors report that 18-year-old Sincere Williams had robbed three stores in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago , including the local Walgreens .
Apparently not satisfied with his take from those robberies , Williams returned to the Walgreens last Sunday with more on his mind than simple theft .
Armed with either one or two knives , Williams proceeded to stab store clerk Olga Marie Calderon nearly a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the store covered in blood , leaving Calderon to die on the floor of the shop .
Prosecutors further assert that this was a premeditated killing because Williams had stashed a change of clothes nearby , switching outfits before ditching his knife in some bushes and walking back home .
He managed to cut himself in the process and had to be taken to a local hospital for stitches .
What the local CBS News outlet learned later made this crime all the more disturbing .
Williams wasn ’ t unknown to law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ robbed a gun shop in March of this year , stealing 14 handguns before being quickly apprehended by the police .
The gun shop owner is outraged that he was put back out on the street so quickly and maintains that Olga Marie Calderon would be alive today had the previous crime been taken more seriously .
The owner of Suburban Sporting Goods Guns & Ammo in Melrose Park said his gun shop was burglarized in May .
He said Williams tried stealing 14 handguns .
Williams , now 18 , was arrested @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And the gun shop owner said Williams should still have been off the streets at the time Cook County prosecutors said he murdered Walgreens clerk Olga Marie Calderon – and she should still be alive today… “ That ’ s a pretty heinous crime , ” the owner said .
“ These weren ’ t hunting guns .
He wasn ’ t stealing to feed his family .
These were likely going somewhere very bad.
” “ I was kind of enraged .
It ’ s like , here ’ s this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and stole several firearms , ” the owner said .
“ Just because he was caught , it doesn ’ t lessen the severity of the crime.
” Sincere Williams wasn ’ t totally let off the hook for the gun shop robbery .
He was wearing an electronic monitoring device on his ankle until last month and was scheduled for a court appearance in October .
But he was somehow allowed to remove the monitoring device in August and left to his own devices while awaiting trial .
Now we know how @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
What excuse is being offered by the city for releasing Williams in the first place ?
They ’ re not saying .
Some observers are speculating that it was because he was technically still a minor at the time of the March robbery .
Or perhaps a COVID-19 outbreak in the jail was to blame .
Or maybe it was just part of the larger , “ empty the jails ” movement sweeping the nation ’ s major cities .
In the end , none of that really matters , I suppose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ original robbery .
This kid wasn ’ t stealing food or clothing or even a flat-screen television .
He was stealing firearms .
But not hunting rifles or shotguns .
He smashed the glass out of the display cases with a hammer and took more than a dozen handguns .
Where do you suppose those handguns were going to wind up ?
We already know that the vast majority of shootings in Chicago and most larger cities are committed with unregistered weapons by people who never managed to make it through a background @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feed more poison into that deadly pipeline .
And yet he was released on his own recognizance .
And now Olga Marie Calderon is dead and another community is leaving flowers and memorabilia at a makeshift memorial for her .
Is this really the sort of criminal justice reform we ’ re supposed to be aiming for in the United States ?
If law enforcement manages to get their hands on someone like Sincere Williams with compelling video evidence of the commission of a gun store robbery , shouldn ’ t our first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than working to find any excuse to put him back out on the streets ?
Some somber food for thought as you kick off your weekend .

Perhaps some bad news can at least result in a lesson being learned, though in this case, it comes too late for one Chicago sales clerk. Last week, prosecutors report that 18-year-old Sincere Williams had robbed three stores in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago, including the local Walgreens. Apparently not satisfied with his take from those robberies, Williams returned to the Walgreens last Sunday with more on his mind than simple theft. Armed with either one or two knives, Williams proceeded to stab store clerk Olga Marie Calderon nearly a dozen times before calmly walking out of the store covered in blood, leaving Calderon to die on the floor of the shop.
Prosecutors further assert that this was a premeditated killing because Williams had stashed a change of clothes nearby, switching outfits before ditching his knife in some bushes and walking back home. He managed to cut himself in the process and had to be taken to a local hospital for stitches. What the local CBS News outlet learned later made this crime all the more disturbing. Williams wasn’t unknown to law enforcement. In fact, he had robbed a gun shop in March of this year, stealing 14 handguns before being quickly apprehended by the police. The gun shop owner is outraged that he was put back out on the street so quickly and maintains that Olga Marie Calderon would be alive today had the previous crime been taken more seriously.
The owner of Suburban Sporting Goods Guns & Ammo in Melrose Park said his gun shop was burglarized in May. He said Williams tried stealing 14 handguns. Williams, now 18, was arrested and charged with burglary at the time. And the gun shop owner said Williams should still have been off the streets at the time Cook County prosecutors said he murdered Walgreens clerk Olga Marie Calderon – and she should still be alive today… “That’s a pretty heinous crime,” the owner said. “These weren’t hunting guns. He wasn’t stealing to feed his family. These were likely going somewhere very bad.” “I was kind of enraged. It’s like, here’s this kid that broke into a gun store and stole several firearms,” the owner said. “Just because he was caught, it doesn’t lessen the severity of the crime.”
Sincere Williams wasn’t totally let off the hook for the gun shop robbery. He was wearing an electronic monitoring device on his ankle until last month and was scheduled for a court appearance in October. But he was somehow allowed to remove the monitoring device in August and left to his own devices while awaiting trial. Now we know how Mr. Williams chose to occupy his time.
What excuse is being offered by the city for releasing Williams in the first place? They’re not saying. Some observers are speculating that it was because he was technically still a minor at the time of the March robbery. Or perhaps a COVID-19 outbreak in the jail was to blame. Or maybe it was just part of the larger, “empty the jails” movement sweeping the nation’s major cities. In the end, none of that really matters, I suppose.
But stop and think about that original robbery. This kid wasn’t stealing food or clothing or even a flat-screen television. He was stealing firearms. But not hunting rifles or shotguns. He smashed the glass out of the display cases with a hammer and took more than a dozen handguns. Where do you suppose those handguns were going to wind up? We already know that the vast majority of shootings in Chicago and most larger cities are committed with unregistered weapons by people who never managed to make it through a background check. Sincere Williams was looking to feed more poison into that deadly pipeline.
And yet he was released on his own recognizance. And now Olga Marie Calderon is dead and another community is leaving flowers and memorabilia at a makeshift memorial for her. Is this really the sort of criminal justice reform we’re supposed to be aiming for in the United States? If law enforcement manages to get their hands on someone like Sincere Williams with compelling video evidence of the commission of a gun store robbery, shouldn’t our first impulse be to lock him up rather than working to find any excuse to put him back out on the streets? Some somber food for thought as you kick off your weekend.


hotair--2020-09-13--Sunday morning talking heads

Sunday morning talking heads

The first set of Sunday shows after Labor Day will be chockablock with election talk , although minus any A-list guests as I write this on Saturday morning .
It ’ s a battle of the flacks instead .
On “ This Week , ” Trump spokesman Jason Miller and Biden advisor Symone Sanders will get their licks in .
Across the dial on “ Fox News Sunday , ” it ’ ll be Biden aide Jake Sullivan and Trump advisor Steve Cortes .
Watch out for RNC chief Ronna McDaniel too , as she ’ ll have some heavy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : What the hell happened to Trump ’ s gigantic fundraising advantage over Biden ?
Is the situation really so dire that the president can ’ t afford to run ads in key swing states right now ?
Question two : How does she justify Trump telling Bob Woodward in March , on tape , that he ’ s downplaying the threat from COVID ?
She ’ ll be on “ Meet the Press ” to face the music .
Also on “ Meet the Press ” : Disgraced former FBI agent Peter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new anti-Trump book about the president and Russia .
And Trump economic advisor Peter Navarro will drop by “ State of the Union ” to offer his prognosis for the economy now that a new round of coronavirus stimulus relief has stalled in Congress and to explain , uh , what exactly his damage is .
The full line-up is at the AP .

The first set of Sunday shows after Labor Day will be chockablock with election talk, although minus any A-list guests as I write this on Saturday morning. It’s a battle of the flacks instead. On “This Week,” Trump spokesman Jason Miller and Biden advisor Symone Sanders will get their licks in. Across the dial on “Fox News Sunday,” it’ll be Biden aide Jake Sullivan and Trump advisor Steve Cortes.
Watch out for RNC chief Ronna McDaniel too, as she’ll have some heavy lifting to do spin-wise. Question one: What the hell happened to Trump’s gigantic fundraising advantage over Biden? Is the situation really so dire that the president can’t afford to run ads in key swing states right now? Question two: How does she justify Trump telling Bob Woodward in March, on tape, that he’s downplaying the threat from COVID? She’ll be on “Meet the Press” to face the music.
Also on “Meet the Press”: Disgraced former FBI agent Peter Strzok, who’s hawking a new anti-Trump book about the president and Russia. And Trump economic advisor Peter Navarro will drop by “State of the Union” to offer his prognosis for the economy now that a new round of coronavirus stimulus relief has stalled in Congress and to explain, uh, what exactly his damage is. The full line-up is at the AP.


hotair--2020-09-13--Bloomberg dropping $100M In Florida for Biden

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg plans to drop $ 100M into Florida in hopes of boosting Democrat Joe Biden for president .
Bloomberg , whose own presidential campaign flamed out despite a bevy of local endorsements , announced the plan on Sunday saying his own ad buy through Independence USA PAC would allow Democrats to focus on other states .
Via The Washington Post : The focus of Bloomberg ’ s cash appears to be Latino voters with POLITICO reporting there are worries about polling showing Biden has double-digit support but not what other Democrats enjoyed in previous @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Senator Bernie Sanders was referring to when he ( allegedly ) griped to the Biden campaign about the need to tap the services of New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez .
If it ’ s believable the democratic socialist would help Biden with Miami ’ s Cuban population .
Maybe that ’ s where Bloomberg comes in so it ’ s harder for Trump to say Biden is sending democratic socialists to Florida instead of just plain nanny staters .
POLITICO also reported both major parties have spent over $ 300M in TV ad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ another $ 100M is on its way to the airwaves .
It ’ s probably to the point where commercial breaks for TV shows will end up only being pro-Trump or pro-Biden ads with a personal injury attorney commercial thrown in just to break up the monotony .
This announcement will allow the GOP and Trump campaign to tap their own donors for more cash even if Republican donations appear behind whatever Biden raised last month .
Trump could also go-ahead to put in the $ 100M Bloomberg News , of all places @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help with his own re-election campaign effectively negating Bloomberg ’ s donation .
Bloomberg may not be the right messenger for Biden to garner Latino support .
He never performed too well in his mayoral campaign amongst Hispanic voters , per City & State New York due to his previous support of “ tough on crime ” measures .
Bloomberg ’ s support for aggressive policing and its impact on communities of color is the largest sticking point in his mayoral record for many Latinos .
During his tenure , the NYPD ramped @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , both of which disproportionately affected black and Latino communities .
About 87 % of those arrested for possessing small amounts of marijuana while Bloomberg was in office were black or Latino .
In 2009 , The New York Times reported that black and Latino New Yorkers were nine times more likely to be stopped by the police than white residents .
“ As mayor of New York City , Bloomberg used stop and frisk to unlawfully stop and harass black and Latino people , ” Raphael Agosto-Miranda from New York Boricua Resistance @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Rican independence , told City & State in an email .
“ The most affected Latin group were Puerto Ricans as they are the largest Latin American group in the city .
Bloomberg has never voiced concern for the island of Puerto Rico or the politics on the island.
” Of course , any other candidate not named Dr. Jo Jorgesen would pounce on this hypocrisy from Bloomberg immediately if they weren ’ t running a so-called “ law and order ” campaign .
Polls , for those wondering , put Florida as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lean Democrat ” and we ’ ll see if they ’ re correct going into November .
Trump ’ s campaign team expects a repeat of 2016 where it showed him trailing until the results were counted and he won the Electoral College and , thus , the election .
It ’ s an iffy strategy but it worked last time , so why not try it again .
If not , there ’ s always complaining about sample size .
Bloomberg likely wants something from Biden and Democrats , whether it be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be a successor or legislation/executive order backing , hence his decision to drop the cash into Florida .
It ’ s doubtful this is being done out of pure magnanimity on Bloomberg ’ s part .
Yet , it ’ s his choice to sink the money into Florida and maybe it will tilt the state towards Biden .
Or have voters ask what ’ s the point of casting a ballot if the major party candidates are both hypocrites not worth supporting .

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg plans to drop $100M into Florida in hopes of boosting Democrat Joe Biden for president. Bloomberg, whose own presidential campaign flamed out despite a bevy of local endorsements, announced the plan on Sunday saying his own ad buy through Independence USA PAC would allow Democrats to focus on other states. Via The Washington Post:
“Voting starts on Sept. 24 in Florida so the need to inject real capital in that state quickly is an urgent need,” said Bloomberg adviser Kevin Sheekey. “Mike believes that by investing in Florida it will allow campaign resources and other Democratic resources to be used in other states, in particular the state of Pennsylvania.”
The focus of Bloomberg’s cash appears to be Latino voters with POLITICO reporting there are worries about polling showing Biden has double-digit support but not what other Democrats enjoyed in previous elections. Maybe this is what Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders was referring to when he (allegedly) griped to the Biden campaign about the need to tap the services of New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. If it’s believable the democratic socialist would help Biden with Miami’s Cuban population. Maybe that’s where Bloomberg comes in so it’s harder for Trump to say Biden is sending democratic socialists to Florida instead of just plain nanny staters.
POLITICO also reported both major parties have spent over $300M in TV ad time in Florida so who cares if another $100M is on its way to the airwaves. It’s probably to the point where commercial breaks for TV shows will end up only being pro-Trump or pro-Biden ads with a personal injury attorney commercial thrown in just to break up the monotony.
This announcement will allow the GOP and Trump campaign to tap their own donors for more cash even if Republican donations appear behind whatever Biden raised last month. Trump could also go-ahead to put in the $100M Bloomberg News, of all places, reported he vowed to spend to help with his own re-election campaign effectively negating Bloomberg’s donation.
Bloomberg may not be the right messenger for Biden to garner Latino support. He never performed too well in his mayoral campaign amongst Hispanic voters, per City & State New York due to his previous support of “tough on crime” measures.
Bloomberg’s support for aggressive policing and its impact on communities of color is the largest sticking point in his mayoral record for many Latinos. During his tenure, the NYPD ramped up stop-and-frisk policing and low-level marijuana arrests, both of which disproportionately affected black and Latino communities. About 87% of those arrested for possessing small amounts of marijuana while Bloomberg was in office were black or Latino. In 2009, The New York Times reported that black and Latino New Yorkers were nine times more likely to be stopped by the police than white residents. “As mayor of New York City, Bloomberg used stop and frisk to unlawfully stop and harass black and Latino people,” Raphael Agosto-Miranda from New York Boricua Resistance, a group that advocates for Puerto Rican independence, told City & State in an email. “The most affected Latin group were Puerto Ricans as they are the largest Latin American group in the city. Bloomberg has never voiced concern for the island of Puerto Rico or the politics on the island.”
Whoops.
Of course, any other candidate not named Dr. Jo Jorgesen would pounce on this hypocrisy from Bloomberg immediately if they weren’t running a so-called “law and order” campaign.
Polls, for those wondering, put Florida as a “toss-up” instead of “lean Democrat” and we’ll see if they’re correct going into November. Trump’s campaign team expects a repeat of 2016 where it showed him trailing until the results were counted and he won the Electoral College and, thus, the election. It’s an iffy strategy but it worked last time, so why not try it again. If not, there’s always complaining about sample size.
Bloomberg likely wants something from Biden and Democrats, whether it be a cabinet position or the chance to be a successor or legislation/executive order backing, hence his decision to drop the cash into Florida. It’s doubtful this is being done out of pure magnanimity on Bloomberg’s part. Yet, it’s his choice to sink the money into Florida and maybe it will tilt the state towards Biden. Or have voters ask what’s the point of casting a ballot if the major party candidates are both hypocrites not worth supporting.


hotair--2020-09-13--Dallas Mayor slams city council for police budget cut

It looks as though the Dallas City Council is bending a knee to Black Lives Matter activists who are demanding that police departments are defunded and social engineering programs be funded as an alternative .
The mayor is not pleased with the latest cut in the police department budget .
The city council voted to cut $ 7M from the police department ’ s overtime budget last week .
He calls it an “ inappropriate action ” , given the city ’ s rise in violent crime .
Mayor Eric Johnson is taking his message directly to the city ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Friday for Sunday ’ s edition of Lone Star Politics , a political show produced by KXAS-TV ( NBC5 ) and The Dallas Morning News .
He suggests that instead of taking funding out of the police department ’ s overtime budget , the salaries of highly paid city employees be cut .
“ The city of Dallas is facing a serious uptick in violent crime , and it ’ s not just a few days or weeks or months in the making .
We ’ re talking about a couple of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , steadily increasing homicide and steadily increasing domestic violence.
” “ I don ’ t believe , and neither do the people of Dallas … that now is the right time to be defunding the police , or cutting funding to the police to send a message or anything like that.
” Johnson said public safety should be a priority , and he ’ s called for cutting the salaries of highly paid city employees , instead of the 25 % reduction in the police overtime budget .
“ We need to prioritize @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ I do believe that there are ways to generate revenue to do some things that we all agree on the City Council are important to do that don ’ t involve cutting the public safety budget at a time like this.
” Many police departments are facing personnel shortages due to recent anti-police sentiments and police chiefs are resigning across the country in response to a lack of support from local elected officials .
Last week I wrote about the Dallas police chief ’ s resignation .
A large part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the city council ’ s lack of support .
Johnson emailed a letter to residents to let them know about the city council ’ s action .
He scheduled interviews with Sunday shows with local stations , too .
The council member who introduced the amendment to cut police funding , Adam Bazaldua , calls Johnson ’ s remarks ” insulting ” and they amount to media grandstanding .
“ It ’ s disappointing that he sees this as a moment to be more combative than productive , ” Bazaldua said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She spouts the nonsense that the money should be “ reprogrammed ” on social engineering programs and outreach programs .
She ’ d like it both ways .
She sounds as though she has been reprogrammed by recent consistent social justice protests ( riots ) – going on now for over 100 consecutive days in Dallas – and yet she wants to keep the option open to move around funding “ if an emergency should arise.
” Of course , an emergency will arise .
Black Lives Matter has no intention of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the near future .
It will certainly continue through Election Day .
BLM is a political movement – a Marxist movement – hellbent on destroying America as we know it .
The organization has been quite clear in its intentions .
Believe them when they tell you who they are .
Councilmember Arnold sees it all as just politics as usual at the budget time while the mayor wants discussions about the meaning of defunding the police .
Perhaps people are confused about what exactly defunding the police means but for most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And , BLM activists have been honest from the start – they mean it literally .
They actually want a society without law enforcement , whether it is local police departments or Homeland Security or ICE or any other policing entity .
Marxists have no use for any of those .
“ I think we need to have a very serious conversation about these topics , and I ’ ll say this .
When I first heard the phrase to defund the police several months ago , I very genuinely and earnestly asked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and I was actually met with some ridicule and met with some derision and accused of pretending not to know , ” Johnson said .
“ People are all over the place on what it means.
” Johnson has pushed for an amendment that cuts City Hall salaries and uses the savings to fund public safety , along with other budget priorities .
It ’ s a compromise that could save $ 6M but the city council voted against it .
Mayor Johnson is a black man and a Democrat .
It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ politics but in this case , he ’ s right .
The city council is cowardly appeasing a Marxist movement instead of upholding support for local law enforcement and public safety .
Appeasement doesn ’ t work .
Next time BLM ’ s demands will be greater .
It ’ s past time for elected officials to stand up and say enough is enough .

It looks as though the Dallas City Council is bending a knee to Black Lives Matter activists who are demanding that police departments are defunded and social engineering programs be funded as an alternative. The mayor is not pleased with the latest cut in the police department budget.
The city council voted to cut $7M from the police department’s overtime budget last week. He calls it an “inappropriate action”, given the city’s rise in violent crime. Mayor Eric Johnson is taking his message directly to the city’s residents. He taped an interview on Friday for Sunday’s edition of Lone Star Politics, a political show produced by KXAS-TV (NBC5) and The Dallas Morning News. He suggests that instead of taking funding out of the police department’s overtime budget, the salaries of highly paid city employees be cut.
“The city of Dallas is facing a serious uptick in violent crime, and it’s not just a few days or weeks or months in the making. We’re talking about a couple of years now of steadily increasing aggravated assaults, steadily increasing homicide and steadily increasing domestic violence.” “I don’t believe, and neither do the people of Dallas … that now is the right time to be defunding the police, or cutting funding to the police to send a message or anything like that.” Johnson said public safety should be a priority, and he’s called for cutting the salaries of highly paid city employees, instead of the 25% reduction in the police overtime budget. “We need to prioritize public safety right now,” he said. “I do believe that there are ways to generate revenue to do some things that we all agree on the City Council are important to do that don’t involve cutting the public safety budget at a time like this.”
Many police departments are facing personnel shortages due to recent anti-police sentiments and police chiefs are resigning across the country in response to a lack of support from local elected officials. Last week I wrote about the Dallas police chief’s resignation. A large part of her reason is likely directly linked to the city council’s lack of support.
Johnson emailed a letter to residents to let them know about the city council’s action. He scheduled interviews with Sunday shows with local stations, too.
The council member who introduced the amendment to cut police funding, Adam Bazaldua, calls Johnson’s remarks ” insulting” and they amount to media grandstanding. “It’s disappointing that he sees this as a moment to be more combative than productive,” Bazaldua said.
Another city council member defended their decision. She spouts the nonsense that the money should be “reprogrammed” on social engineering programs and outreach programs.
“Twelve of my colleagues and I voted to reprogram $7 million in police overtime pay in order to create programs and outreach efforts that will help reduce neighborhood crime rates,” Arnold wrote. She added: “This action does not represent a lack of support for DPD. The DPD budget still has several million dollars available for overtime compensation. If an emergency should arise, the City Manager and Council could move funds from the reserve account to address the matter.”
She’d like it both ways. She sounds as though she has been reprogrammed by recent consistent social justice protests (riots) – going on now for over 100 consecutive days in Dallas – and yet she wants to keep the option open to move around funding “if an emergency should arise.” Of course, an emergency will arise. Black Lives Matter has no intention of shutting down the civic unrest and rioting in the near future. It will certainly continue through Election Day. BLM is a political movement – a Marxist movement – hellbent on destroying America as we know it. The organization has been quite clear in its intentions. Believe them when they tell you who they are.
Councilmember Arnold sees it all as just politics as usual at the budget time while the mayor wants discussions about the meaning of defunding the police. Perhaps people are confused about what exactly defunding the police means but for most people, the meaning is clear. And, BLM activists have been honest from the start – they mean it literally. They actually want a society without law enforcement, whether it is local police departments or Homeland Security or ICE or any other policing entity. Marxists have no use for any of those.
“I think we need to have a very serious conversation about these topics, and I’ll say this. When I first heard the phrase to defund the police several months ago, I very genuinely and earnestly asked the question what does that mean, and I was actually met with some ridicule and met with some derision and accused of pretending not to know,” Johnson said. “People are all over the place on what it means.”
Johnson has pushed for an amendment that cuts City Hall salaries and uses the savings to fund public safety, along with other budget priorities. It’s a compromise that could save $6M but the city council voted against it.
Mayor Johnson is a black man and a Democrat. It is not often I agree with him on politics but in this case, he’s right. The city council is cowardly appeasing a Marxist movement instead of upholding support for local law enforcement and public safety. Appeasement doesn’t work. Next time BLM’s demands will be greater. It’s past time for elected officials to stand up and say enough is enough.


hotair--2020-09-13--WaPost: Sanders needles Biden on going more left

There appears to be a bit of annoyance between Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and former vice-president Joe Biden on the direction of the latter ’ s presidential campaign .
A report in The Washington Post ( covered by John here ) suggests Sanders wants Biden to move more to the left on issues and not focus on simply wooing centrist voters .
Sen. Bernie Sanders ( I-Vt. ) is privately expressing concerns about Joe Biden ’ s presidential campaign , according to three people with knowledge of the conversations , and is urging Biden ’ s team to intensify its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liberal voters .
Sanders , the runner-up to Biden in the Democratic primaries , has told associates that Biden is at serious risk of coming up short in the November election if he continues his vaguer , more centrist approach , according to the people , who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe sensitive talks .
The caveat here is WaPost ’ s reliance on unnamed sources meaning those who leaked the talks ( likely within Sanders ’ camp itself ) don ’ t want to upset any sort of delicate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Party , particularly as it attempts to navigate the populist uprisings of Sanders , Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren , and New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez .
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her leadership team desire remaining in power , after all , meaning their focus is sating the hyper partisans while making sure the more mainstream Democrats rally around their causes .
The latter are likely the ones with the money , of course .
Sanders , for his part , admits grumbles with Biden ’ s campaign but remains ever the Democratic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re not true , ” Sanders told MSNBC this morning while pushing the Biden campaign to do more than just be ‘ Not Trump.
’ “ I think what people want to hear is what Joe is going to do to raise the minimum wage .
And he supports a $ 15 an hour minimum wage .
What he ’ s going to do to make sure that we create millions of good-paying jobs in the country and he has a very strong plan for the infrastructure .
He knows that we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ God knows we need to do seeing what ’ s going on in the West Coast right now .
They want equal pay for equal work , they want us to expand health care to as many people as possible , lower the cost of prescription drugs .
I think those are some of the issues that people want to hear more from the Biden campaign about.
” Sanders is correct on one thing : Biden being “ Not Trump ” only works for a certain segment of the population .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a danger to America and will put however many clothespins and fingers necessary to cover their noses when they go to the ballot box in November and pick Biden .
The ones I ’ ve encountered tend to be more centrist Republicans who believe Biden will restore some semblance of respect for Congress given his role as Chief Congressional Negotiator in the Obama Administration .
Perhaps Sanders ’ prodding of Biden is a reminder of his original general election campaign strategy of moving more towards the left on certain issues .
The one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ late August even after the Democratic National Convention featured Republicans or ex-Republicans who see Biden as the only way to stop Trump .
Biden must stand for something , however , and appearing as some sort of semi-nebulous , calming influence only goes so far .
It ’ s hard to justify especially seeing Biden ’ s previous record of involvement in the 1994 Crime Bill and his decades in Washington , DC .
That might be why Biden wants to stay as amorphous as possible going into November , outside of being @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t helping himself by making rather dumb statements like suggesting Biden is “ on drugs ” to Fox News .
Is it any wonder why the 2020 election seems rather nihilistic at times ?

There appears to be a bit of annoyance between Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and former vice-president Joe Biden on the direction of the latter’s presidential campaign. A report in The Washington Post (covered by John here) suggests Sanders wants Biden to move more to the left on issues and not focus on simply wooing centrist voters.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is privately expressing concerns about Joe Biden’s presidential campaign, according to three people with knowledge of the conversations, and is urging Biden’s team to intensify its focus on pocketbook issues and appeals to liberal voters. Sanders, the runner-up to Biden in the Democratic primaries, has told associates that Biden is at serious risk of coming up short in the November election if he continues his vaguer, more centrist approach, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe sensitive talks.
The caveat here is WaPost’s reliance on unnamed sources meaning those who leaked the talks (likely within Sanders’ camp itself) don’t want to upset any sort of delicate balance or alliance within the fractious Democratic Party, particularly as it attempts to navigate the populist uprisings of Sanders, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, and New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her leadership team desire remaining in power, after all, meaning their focus is sating the hyper partisans while making sure the more mainstream Democrats rally around their causes. The latter are likely the ones with the money, of course.
Sanders, for his part, admits grumbles with Biden’s campaign but remains ever the Democratic Party creature.
“Of course they’re not true,” Sanders told MSNBC this morning while pushing the Biden campaign to do more than just be ‘Not Trump.’ “I think what people want to hear is what Joe is going to do to raise the minimum wage. And he supports a $15 an hour minimum wage. What he’s going to do to make sure that we create millions of good-paying jobs in the country and he has a very strong plan for the infrastructure. He knows that we can create jobs combating climate change which God knows we need to do seeing what’s going on in the West Coast right now. They want equal pay for equal work, they want us to expand health care to as many people as possible, lower the cost of prescription drugs. I think those are some of the issues that people want to hear more from the Biden campaign about.”
Sanders is correct on one thing: Biden being “Not Trump” only works for a certain segment of the population. It’s a segment that sees Trump as a danger to America and will put however many clothespins and fingers necessary to cover their noses when they go to the ballot box in November and pick Biden. The ones I’ve encountered tend to be more centrist Republicans who believe Biden will restore some semblance of respect for Congress given his role as Chief Congressional Negotiator in the Obama Administration.
Perhaps Sanders’ prodding of Biden is a reminder of his original general election campaign strategy of moving more towards the left on certain issues. The one laid out in The New Yorker in late August even after the Democratic National Convention featured Republicans or ex-Republicans who see Biden as the only way to stop Trump. Biden must stand for something, however, and appearing as some sort of semi-nebulous, calming influence only goes so far. It’s hard to justify especially seeing Biden’s previous record of involvement in the 1994 Crime Bill and his decades in Washington, DC. That might be why Biden wants to stay as amorphous as possible going into November, outside of being “Not Trump.”
But Trump isn’t helping himself by making rather dumb statements like suggesting Biden is “on drugs” to Fox News. Is it any wonder why the 2020 election seems rather nihilistic at times?


hotair--2020-09-13--Study: Google searches about gastrointestinal symptoms predict local COVID outbreaks weeks in advanc

Study: Google searches about gastrointestinal symptoms predict local COVID outbreaks weeks in advance

Here I ’ ve been thinking that the best early-warning system we have about a developing outbreak is poop .
In reality , according to this study from Massachusetts General Hospital , the best early-warning system we might have about a developing outbreak is googling about poop .
Previous research linked a rise in Google searches about gastrointestinal symptoms to outbreaks of influenza .
Doctors at MGH naturally wondered if the same might hold true for COVID-19 .
Is there a correlation , perhaps , between a spike in the number of locals seeking information online about loss of appetite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
loss of taste ) and a spike in COVID cases ?
The correlation peaked at about three to four weeks after Google searches began to climb , meaning that an uptick in relevant searches could give health authorities a heads-up of nearly a month that a wave is coming their way .
There ’ s one obvious wrinkle , though : The search term that was most strongly correlated with a subsequent outbreak was , as you might guess , loss of taste .
That ’ s probably the virus ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ many Americans .
It wasn ’ t well-known in the first weeks of the pandemic , though , the period on which MGH focused for its study .
If an outbreak happened somewhere in America today , how many people suddenly experiencing loss of taste would bother googling that term for more info and how many , by now educated about the telltale signs of COVID , would simply conclude that they had it ?
Even if there are apt to be fewer searches for ageusia now than there were in March , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Loss of appetite , ” a much less distinctive symptom , was also highly correlated with New York ’ s outbreak this spring .
The MGH study is today ’ s COVID good news .
Another study , this one out of India , is the bad news .
One of the reasons that the FDA ’ s decision to authorize convalescent plasma for emergency use under pressure from Trump was controversial is that the U.S. currently has no randomized clinical data showing that plasma transfusions actually help newly infected people recover @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are still way too hypothetical to justify approving a procedure that involves some risk .
Worse , because plasma is now authorized for emergency use , it ’ ll be hard finding American volunteers for a clinical trial .
Why would anyone want to participate in a study where they might be given a placebo when they could get plasma in a course of hospital treatment instead ?
Indian doctors *did* conduct a clinical trial involving plasma , though .
Verdict : It ’ s a bust , at least in patients with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trial results indicate that there was no difference in 28-day mortality or progression to severe disease among moderately ill COVID-19 patients treated with CP along with BSC [ basic standard of care ] compared to BSC alone .
Additionally , there were no differences in outcomes between study participants receiving CP with detectable NAb titres compared to BSC alone ; or between those receiving CP with NAb titres more than or equal to 1:80 and those receiving BSC alone .
CP therapy was associated with a higher resolution of symptoms like shortness of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CP use was also associated with reduction in FiO2 requirement on day 3 and 5 but not in the duration of respiratory support .
There was a higher proportion of negative conversion of viral RNA on day 7 post enrolment in intervention arm .
However , it did not demonstrate anti-inflammatory properties as we could not detect any difference in the levels of inflammatory markers such as ferritin , CRP , D-Dimer or LDH between the two arms .
The report goes on to say that smaller trials in China and the Netherlands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Why didn ’ t it work ?
The study ’ s authors note that patients tended to have more antibodies in their systems than the donated plasma from recovered patients did ( ! )
, which may be due to the demographics of who ’ s most likely to become a donor .
“ [ A ] n overwhelming majority of the donors were only mildly sick , young survivors , ” they say ; their theory is that people who ’ d had more severe cases of the disease were reluctant to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ blood for fear of being reinfected .
If it ’ s true that people with mild cases are more likely to donate , and if it ’ s also true that people with mild cases have fewer antibodies in their system , then an infusion of their plasma might not do much good for someone who ’ s in the throes of the illness and producing large volumes of antibodies themselves .

Here I’ve been thinking that the best early-warning system we have about a developing outbreak is poop.
In reality, according to this study from Massachusetts General Hospital, the best early-warning system we might have about a developing outbreak is googling about poop.
Previous research linked a rise in Google searches about gastrointestinal symptoms to outbreaks of influenza. Doctors at MGH naturally wondered if the same might hold true for COVID-19. Is there a correlation, perhaps, between a spike in the number of locals seeking information online about loss of appetite, diarrhea, and ageusia (i.e. loss of taste) and a spike in COVID cases?
There is:
The correlation peaked at about three to four weeks after Google searches began to climb, meaning that an uptick in relevant searches could give health authorities a heads-up of nearly a month that a wave is coming their way.
There’s one obvious wrinkle, though: The search term that was most strongly correlated with a subsequent outbreak was, as you might guess, loss of taste. That’s probably the virus’s most distinctive symptom, now well-known to many Americans. It wasn’t well-known in the first weeks of the pandemic, though, the period on which MGH focused for its study. If an outbreak happened somewhere in America today, how many people suddenly experiencing loss of taste would bother googling that term for more info and how many, by now educated about the telltale signs of COVID, would simply conclude that they had it?
Even if there are apt to be fewer searches for ageusia now than there were in March, search trends might still be illuminating. “Loss of appetite,” a much less distinctive symptom, was also highly correlated with New York’s outbreak this spring.
The MGH study is today’s COVID good news. Another study, this one out of India, is the bad news. One of the reasons that the FDA’s decision to authorize convalescent plasma for emergency use under pressure from Trump was controversial is that the U.S. currently has no randomized clinical data showing that plasma transfusions actually help newly infected people recover. Some doctors objected that the benefits are still way too hypothetical to justify approving a procedure that involves some risk. Worse, because plasma is now authorized for emergency use, it’ll be hard finding American volunteers for a clinical trial. Why would anyone want to participate in a study where they might be given a placebo when they could get plasma in a course of hospital treatment instead?
Indian doctors *did* conduct a clinical trial involving plasma, though. Verdict: It’s a bust, at least in patients with moderate bouts of COVID.
The PLACID trial results indicate that there was no difference in 28-day mortality or progression to severe disease among moderately ill COVID-19 patients treated with CP along with BSC [basic standard of care] compared to BSC alone. Additionally, there were no differences in outcomes between study participants receiving CP with detectable NAb titres compared to BSC alone; or between those receiving CP with NAb titres more than or equal to 1:80 and those receiving BSC alone. CP therapy was associated with a higher resolution of symptoms like shortness of breath and fatigue on day 7. CP use was also associated with reduction in FiO2 requirement on day 3 and 5 but not in the duration of respiratory support. There was a higher proportion of negative conversion of viral RNA on day 7 post enrolment in intervention arm. However, it did not demonstrate anti-inflammatory properties as we could not detect any difference in the levels of inflammatory markers such as ferritin, CRP, D-Dimer or LDH between the two arms.
The report goes on to say that smaller trials in China and the Netherlands also found no benefit from plasma. Why didn’t it work? The study’s authors note that patients tended to have more antibodies in their systems than the donated plasma from recovered patients did(!), which may be due to the demographics of who’s most likely to become a donor. “[A]n overwhelming majority of the donors were only mildly sick, young survivors,” they say; their theory is that people who’d had more severe cases of the disease were reluctant to come back to the hospital to donate blood for fear of being reinfected. If it’s true that people with mild cases are more likely to donate, and if it’s also true that people with mild cases have fewer antibodies in their system, then an infusion of their plasma might not do much good for someone who’s in the throes of the illness and producing large volumes of antibodies themselves.


hotair--2020-09-13--New Orleans Saints launch aggressive new social justice campaign

The New Orleans Saints are looking to set themselves apart from the run-of-the-mill social justice message of Black Lives Matter .
The team is launching a # SayHerName campaign that focuses on black women in specific .
The idea is that black women who are victims of police violence or injustice , in general , are not given the attention that is given to black males who have run-ins with law enforcement .
It ’ s like the NFL just wants to completely kill football for football fans .
The team released a video to introduce their campaign .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on board with sports teams using their platforms to express political opinions , then you are a part of the problem .
You may remember that Saints quarterback Drew Brees found himself on an apology tour after he spoke truth to power in June .
He spoke out against kneeling during the national anthem , saying he would “ never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag ” .
When his own teammates came after him on social media , Brees caved and apologized not once but several times .
Brees even posted a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ against kneeling .
One of his biggest critics at that time was Malcolm Jenkins .
Jenkins now says the team is better for that public battle .
Jenkins now says , “ If anything the team is probably closer for it , because we ’ ve had to have those tough conversations.
” “ Those tough conversations ” led the team to launch the # SayHerName campaign .
It ’ s not original to the Saints – the WNBA already wear shirts with “ Black Lives Matter ” on the front and “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Specifically , Breonna Taylor is mentioned as one black female victim who is overshadowed by black male victims .
Each week during the football season the players will hold a roundtable discussion about issues related to black women .
A video of the discussion will be shown pregame .
The video will showcase a black woman who died by police brutality .
The players will wear # SayHerName t-shirts before the games .
Linebacker Demario Davis is ready for the cops involved in Breonna Taylor ’ s case to be convicted , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One of the officers has been fired and two others are suspended .
A grand jury has been selected so the case is moving forward .
Activists are willing to toss due process aside and assume law enforcement is guilty until proven innocent .
The team owner , Gayle Benson , is supporting the team ’ s activism .
“ Black women — grandmothers , mothers — they ’ re literally the backbones of community and for them to be left out of the conversation , it ’ s an extra responsibility @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their voices and their lives to the forefront , ” Davis said , adding that with Gayle Benson being one of the few female NFL owners , it gave them even more of a reason to focus on women ’ s stories .
“ The best way to bring change is to be the change , and that ’ s what we ’ re trying to do.
” Because of that , the Saints won ’ t just be focusing on victims of police brutality , like Taylor , they will be hosting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ topics .
Those roundtable talks will be : Week 3 : Black women and education ; Week 5 : Black women and healthcare ; Week 7 : Black women and domestic violence ; Week 10 : Black women and the intersection of oppression ; Week 11 : Black women , sports and media ; Week 15 : Black women , social justice and racial equality ; and Week 16 : Black women and raising the next generation of Black boys .
“ We believe that uplifting the voices of Black women will help @ @ @ @ @ @ @ uplift our country as a whole , ” Davis said .
“ That ’ s the stance we ’ re taking as a team.
” It ’ s true that black women are “ the backbones of community ” and that is often because black men abandon their family responsibilities to women and children .
Single black moms have been raising children for generations because of the destruction of the black family .
That has nothing to do with police violence .
Perhaps the Saints can do some more PSAs and encourage black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The Saints players have brought on an advisory board of black women which includes Washington Mystics guard Natasha Cloud , Maria Taylor of ESPN , MJ Acosta of the NFL Network , Taylor Rooks of Bleacher Report and Chelsea Heyward of the Players Coalition .
If you , like me , are tired of being beat over the head with political messages during sports games , you are part of the problem , according to one Saints player .
“ If you need more evidence , if you need to see more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point , you ’ re a part of the problem , ” Armstead said , quoting Davis .
“ It ’ s all out there .
Everything ’ s out there that needs to be said to take a step in the right direction of change .
“ It ’ s at the point now where it ’ s a disservice to our families , our communities to stick to sports .
We have a platform .
We have voices .
We have opportunity to be expressive and call for change , not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re out here , boots on the ground trying to make noticeable change.
” The Saints are calling attention to black women and I understand that .
It ’ s true that black men like George Floyd are all but turned into saints themselves , regardless of their criminal past or actions during interactions with police .
In the case of Breonna , her boyfriend shot first and caused the police response .
The evidence coming out in the investigation points to her past boyfriend ’ s involvement with drugs and perhaps her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illegal endeavors .
We don ’ t know the complete story yet , as the case hasn ’ t been completed .
What is missing from the discussion about black women and their victimization is a conversation about women like Jacob Blake ’ s ex-girlfriend , the mother of his children .
Blake is being made out to be just some poor black man who the police killed but the reason he was in that position in the first place was that he was violating a restraining order against him .
Not only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he digitally raped her in front of her children , according to reports , before leaving .
He was fleeing the police who responded to a call by her .
Where are the voices speaking out for her ?
Kamala Harris went so far as to tell Blake that she is proud of him during a phone call with him .
How about the woman , Kamala ?
People watch sports as a distraction .
This campaign will be in addition to the standard Black Lives Matter message .
Drew Brees was wrong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the first place and now he must continue to apologize .
He ’ s a good guy who has devoted huge amounts of time and money to New Orleans and its people .

The New Orleans Saints are looking to set themselves apart from the run-of-the-mill social justice message of Black Lives Matter. The team is launching a #SayHerName campaign that focuses on black women in specific. The idea is that black women who are victims of police violence or injustice, in general, are not given the attention that is given to black males who have run-ins with law enforcement.
It’s like the NFL just wants to completely kill football for football fans. The team released a video to introduce their campaign. The message is if you aren’t on board with sports teams using their platforms to express political opinions, then you are a part of the problem.
Too often the intersectionality of racism and sexism creates a unique plight experienced by BLACK WOMEN. For a more just & equal society, we as a @saints team, will dedicate this season to uplifting the voices, exposing the oppression, and highlighting black women. #SayHerName pic.twitter.com/xiPMXAkDXy — Malcolm Jenkins (@MalcolmJenkins) September 11, 2020
#SayHerName initiative will be season-long campaign for New Orleans Saints https://t.co/qYxYrJodBO — Drew Brees (@drewbrees) September 11, 2020
You may remember that Saints quarterback Drew Brees found himself on an apology tour after he spoke truth to power in June. He spoke out against kneeling during the national anthem, saying he would “never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag”. When his own teammates came after him on social media, Brees caved and apologized not once but several times. Brees even posted a tweet blasting President Trump for speaking out against kneeling. One of his biggest critics at that time was Malcolm Jenkins. Jenkins now says the team is better for that public battle. Jenkins now says, “If anything the team is probably closer for it, because we’ve had to have those tough conversations.”
“Those tough conversations” led the team to launch the #SayHerName campaign. It’s not original to the Saints – the WNBA already wear shirts with “Black Lives Matter” on the front and “Say Her Name” on the back. Specifically, Breonna Taylor is mentioned as one black female victim who is overshadowed by black male victims. Each week during the football season the players will hold a roundtable discussion about issues related to black women. A video of the discussion will be shown pregame. The video will showcase a black woman who died by police brutality. The players will wear #SayHerName t-shirts before the games.
Linebacker Demario Davis is ready for the cops involved in Breonna Taylor’s case to be convicted, though the case is still under investigation. One of the officers has been fired and two others are suspended. A grand jury has been selected so the case is moving forward. Activists are willing to toss due process aside and assume law enforcement is guilty until proven innocent.
“When there’s so much emphasis on Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd, she was often being left out of the conversation,” Davis said. “Her killers still haven’t been convicted, so we wanted to look at a deeper dive into so many stories like hers, where those voices aren’t being heard and those cases aren’t being talked about,” Davis said.
The team owner, Gayle Benson, is supporting the team’s activism.
“Black women — grandmothers, mothers — they’re literally the backbones of community and for them to be left out of the conversation, it’s an extra responsibility on us as Black men to bring their voices and their lives to the forefront,” Davis said, adding that with Gayle Benson being one of the few female NFL owners, it gave them even more of a reason to focus on women’s stories. “The best way to bring change is to be the change, and that’s what we’re trying to do.” Because of that, the Saints won’t just be focusing on victims of police brutality, like Taylor, they will be hosting larger conversations throughout the season on several topics. Those roundtable talks will be: Week 3: Black women and education; Week 5: Black women and healthcare; Week 7: Black women and domestic violence; Week 10: Black women and the intersection of oppression; Week 11: Black women, sports and media; Week 15: Black women, social justice and racial equality; and Week 16: Black women and raising the next generation of Black boys. “We believe that uplifting the voices of Black women will help lift up all women, and will uplift our country as a whole,” Davis said. “That’s the stance we’re taking as a team.”
It’s true that black women are “the backbones of community” and that is often because black men abandon their family responsibilities to women and children. Single black moms have been raising children for generations because of the destruction of the black family. That has nothing to do with police violence. Perhaps the Saints can do some more PSAs and encourage black men to step up and be responsible.
The Saints players have brought on an advisory board of black women which includes Washington Mystics guard Natasha Cloud, Maria Taylor of ESPN, MJ Acosta of the NFL Network, Taylor Rooks of Bleacher Report and Chelsea Heyward of the Players Coalition.
If you, like me, are tired of being beat over the head with political messages during sports games, you are part of the problem, according to one Saints player.
“If you need more evidence, if you need to see more, to hear more, at this point, you’re a part of the problem,” Armstead said, quoting Davis. “It’s all out there. Everything’s out there that needs to be said to take a step in the right direction of change. “It’s at the point now where it’s a disservice to our families, our communities to stick to sports. We have a platform. We have voices. We have opportunity to be expressive and call for change, not just ask for change. We’re out here, boots on the ground trying to make noticeable change.”
The Saints are calling attention to black women and I understand that. It’s true that black men like George Floyd are all but turned into saints themselves, regardless of their criminal past or actions during interactions with police. In the case of Breonna, her boyfriend shot first and caused the police response. The evidence coming out in the investigation points to her past boyfriend’s involvement with drugs and perhaps her home was used by him in his illegal endeavors. We don’t know the complete story yet, as the case hasn’t been completed.
What is missing from the discussion about black women and their victimization is a conversation about women like Jacob Blake’s ex-girlfriend, the mother of his children. Blake is being made out to be just some poor black man who the police killed but the reason he was in that position in the first place was that he was violating a restraining order against him. Not only did he go into her home but he digitally raped her in front of her children, according to reports, before leaving. He was fleeing the police who responded to a call by her. Where are the voices speaking out for her? Kamala Harris went so far as to tell Blake that she is proud of him during a phone call with him. How about the woman, Kamala?
People watch sports as a distraction. This campaign will be in addition to the standard Black Lives Matter message. Drew Brees was wrong to apologize for voicing his opinion in the first place and now he must continue to apologize. He’s a good guy who has devoted huge amounts of time and money to New Orleans and its people.