thestream--2020-07-29--6 Big Takeaways From the Attorney General’s Capitol Hill Testimony

Attorney General William Barr announced a new investigation Tuesday while strongly defending the Justice Department ’ s actions in protecting the federal courthouse in Portland , Oregon .
Barr ’ s comments came in testimony before the House Judiciary Committee , a hearing that not only was partisan as expected but characterized by rudeness by the panel ’ s Democrats .
A Democrat would ask a question , but when Barr began to answer , he or she would interject , “ Reclaiming my time ” and continue speaking until the allotted time was up .
Despite this tactic , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ though he sometimes had to wait for time reserved for Republicans so that he could answer questions posed by Democrats .
Here are six highlights from the testimony of President Donald Trump ’ s attorney general .
Barr announced that he had tasked a federal prosecutor from Texas with investigating the Obama administration ’ s “ unmasking ” of former Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn and others connected with the Trump campaign in 2016 .
Barr told the committee that he assigned U.S. Attorney John Bash of the Western District of Texas to conduct @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s ongoing look into the origins of the FBI ’ s Russia-Trump investigation .
Rep. Jim Jordan , R-Ohio , the top Republican on the committee , greeted this as breaking news , as did other Republican members .
In the course of gathering information in surveilling foreign sources , U.S. intelligence agents routinely intercept communications with U.S. citizens .
When that anonymous source is identified at the request of a government official , it ’ s called unmasking .
In and of itself that may not be illegal , but using the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could constitute an abuse of power .
Barr previously tasked Bash with this , but apparently that initially was part of the wider probe of the beginnings of the Russia-Trump matter by U.S. Attorney John Durham of Connecticut , rather than a separate investigation .
“ Thirty-eight people unmasked Michael Flynn ’ s name 49 times in a two-month timeframe , ” Jordan said .
“ Seven people at the Treasury Department unmasked Michael Flynn ’ s name.
” “ Is this an issue that Mr. Durham is looking into ?
” the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : “ I asked another U.S. attorney to look into the issue of unmasking because of the high number of unmaskings and some that do not readily appear to have been in the line of normal business.
” Jordan : “ I want to be clear .
So , there is another investigation on that issue specifically going on at the Justice Department right now ?
” Jordan : “ So Mr. Durham is looking at how the whole Trump-Russia thing started .
You have another U.S. attorney [ investigating ] .
Can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s name ?
Is that something you ’ re comfortable with doing ?
” After some back and forth , Jordan said : “ I appreciate that .
That ’ s information the committee did not know.
” During his opening remarks , Jordan presented a video showing TV reporters proclaiming the peacefulness of the summer ’ s protests before cutting to a press conference with the family of David Dorn , 77 , a retired St. Louis police captain who was shot and killed by rioters .
The video then went to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , looted stores , broke windows , and tore down fences .
Jordan played the video days after Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler , D-N.Y. , declared on camera that Antifa , an extremist group believed to be behind much of the violence , was a “ myth.
” Later in the hearing , Rep. David Cicilline , D-R.I. , showed his own video of what he called peaceful protests that followed the police killing of a handcuffed black man , George Floyd , in Minneapolis , Minnesota .
Nadler accused Barr and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rights in responding to the violence in some U.S. cities .
“ Others have lost sight of the importance of civil rights law , but now we see the full force of the federal government brought to bear against citizens demonstrating for the advancement of their own civil rights , ” Nadler said .
“ There is no precedent for the Department of Justice to actively seek out conflict with American citizens under such flimsy pretext or for such petty purposes.
” Barr replied that the attacks on the Mark O. Hatfield U.S @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to peaceful protests .
“ In the wake of George Floyd ’ s death , violent rioters and anarchists have hijacked legitimate protests to wreak senseless havoc and destruction on innocent victims , ” the attorney general told the committee .
“ The current situation in Portland is a telling example .
Every night for the past two months , a mob of hundreds of rioters has laid siege to the federal courthouse.
” 3 .
‘ OK to Try to Burn Down a Federal Court ?
’ Barr at times showed frustration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happen if someone attempted to burn down the nearby E. Barrett Prettyman U.S .
Courthouse in Washington , D.C. “ Federal courts are under attack .
Since when is it OK to try to burn down a federal court ?
” Barr said , adding : House Minority Whip Steve Scalise , R-La.
, asked about the weapons that rioters brought to the courthouse area in Portland .
“ As far as the weapons you mentioned , let me get this straight : My understanding is the people attacking the building had — @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , knives , saws , sledgehammers , tasers , slingshots , rocks , bricks , lasers , ” Scalise said .
“ Have I missed anything ?
Does that cover it ?
” Barr filled in some blanks and repeated some weapons .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
“ You have missed some things , but that ’ s a good list .
They have these powerful slingshots with ball bearings that they shoot .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Barr said .
“ Those projectiles have penetrated marshals to the bone .
They use the lasers to blind the marshals .
They do start fires , if they can get the fire inside or through the windows .
They start fires along the outside of the courthouse .
When the marshals come out to try to deal with a fire , they are assaulted.
” Later in the hearing , Rep. Doug Collins , R-Ga. , asked if the courthouse question would extend to the U.S. Capitol , where Congress goes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ body right here would rise up if they decided to go and paint the Capitol building ?
” Collins asked .
Collins : “ I think this side would .
The other side , I ’ m not so sure .
It may be a ‘ peaceful protest ’ to burn down the Capitol .
Maybe we ’ re back to 1812 again.
” British troops set fire to the White House , but not the Capitol , during the War of 1812 .
Rep. Steve Cohen , D-Tenn. , has earned a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and didn ’ t disappoint at the hearing .
Cohen called both for Barr ’ s impeachment and for seemingly to blame the attorney general for the jailhouse death of financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein .
Cohen said the word “ conveniently ” in describing Epstein ’ s death , as if to question whether it was really a suicide .
“ You ’ ve gone through the Fifth Amendment and just negated it , and the 10th Amendment , which leaves general policing to law enforcement , to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cohen said .
“ Maybe what happened was your secret police were poorly trained , ” he told Barr .
“ Just like your Bureau of Prisons guards were poorly trained and allowed the most notorious inmate in our nation ’ s last several years — Jeffrey Epstein — to conveniently commit suicide .
Sad.
” Cohen invoked the name of Rep. John Lewis , D-Ga. , a civil rights icon who died July 17 and whose body at the time was lying in state in the Capitol Rotunda .
“ Mr .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , ‘ If not me , who ?
If not now , when ?
’ ” Cohen said .
“ That ’ s why I introduced [ a measure ] which would require this committee to investigate your conduct as attorney general and determine whether you should be impeached.
” Nadler also accused Barr of “ aiding and abetting ” Trump as head of the Justice Department .
“ Your tenure has been marked by a persistent war against the department ’ s professional corps in an apparent attempt to secure favors for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ In your time at the department , you have aided and abetted the worst failings of the president.
” But Barr pushed back against such claims by Democrats that he is somehow a patsy for Trump .
“ The rule of law is , in essence , that we have one rule for everybody , ” Barr said .
“ If you apply one rule to A , the same rule applies to B. I felt we didn ’ t have this previously at the department .
We had strayed.
” This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Department during the eight years of Barack Obama ’ s presidency .
Barr added : No one offered an example .
As for presidential friends , Barr addressed the cases of veteran GOP operative Roger Stone , whose prison sentence was commuted recently by Trump , and retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn .
The Justice Department dropped the case against Flynn that arose from the FBI ’ s Russia-Trump probe .
“ Now , you say I help the president ’ s friends .
The cases that are cited , the Stone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ both cases where I determined that some intervention was necessary to rectify the rule of law , to make sure people are treated the same , ” Barr said .
The attorney general took a somewhat different approach to Stone than Trump has , saying he wanted to see Stone go to jail , but with a reasonable sentence .
“ Stone was prosecuted under me .
I said all along , I thought that was a righteous prosecution .
I thought he should go to jail and I thought the judge ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
“ But , the line prosecutors were trying to advocate for a sentence that was more than twice what anyone else in a similar position had ever served.
” Rep. Zoe Lofgren , D-Calif. , who attended the hearing remotely , complained that the Justice Department wasn ’ t working with local law enforcement .
She also said those demonstrating in Portland were “ mostly nonviolent ” and mischaracterized which federal personnel are deployed there .
“ It ’ s one thing to fight crime with joint task forces .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials , ” Lofgren said .
“ But the governor of Oregon and the mayor of Portland have asked that the federal troops leave because the reaction has actually been in reverse proportion .
People are showing up because the troops are there .
So many of them , I would say most of them , are nonviolent.
” The federal government has not sent any military troops into Portland , only civilian law enforcement officers and agents from the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security assigned to protect federal buildings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mayors and city councils and governors , did their jobs and kept the peace , would it even be necessary for federal law enforcement personnel to be there in the first place ?
” Chabot asked .
“ No .
That is exactly the point , ” Barr said , adding : Fred Lucas is the White House correspondent for The Daily Signal and co-host of “ The Right Side of History ” podcast .
Lucas is also the author of “ Tainted by Suspicion : The Secret Deals and Electoral Chaos of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Fred .

Attorney General William Barr announced a new investigation Tuesday while strongly defending the Justice Department’s actions in protecting the federal courthouse in Portland, Oregon.
Barr’s comments came in testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, a hearing that not only was partisan as expected but characterized by rudeness by the panel’s Democrats.
A Democrat would ask a question, but when Barr began to answer, he or she would interject, “Reclaiming my time” and continue speaking until the allotted time was up.
Despite this tactic, Barr managed to make several points, though he sometimes had to wait for time reserved for Republicans so that he could answer questions posed by Democrats.
Here are six highlights from the testimony of President Donald Trump’s attorney general.
1. New Probe of ‘Unmasking’
Barr announced that he had tasked a federal prosecutor from Texas with investigating the Obama administration’s “unmasking” of former Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn and others connected with the Trump campaign in 2016.
Barr told the committee that he assigned U.S. Attorney John Bash of the Western District of Texas to conduct the probe separately from another prosecutor’s ongoing look into the origins of the FBI’s Russia-Trump investigation.
Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, the top Republican on the committee, greeted this as breaking news, as did other Republican members.
In the course of gathering information in surveilling foreign sources, U.S. intelligence agents routinely intercept communications with U.S. citizens.
When that anonymous source is identified at the request of a government official, it’s called unmasking. In and of itself that may not be illegal, but using the person’s identity for political ends could constitute an abuse of power.
Barr previously tasked Bash with this, but apparently that initially was part of the wider probe of the beginnings of the Russia-Trump matter by U.S. Attorney John Durham of Connecticut, rather than a separate investigation.
“Thirty-eight people unmasked Michael Flynn’s name 49 times in a two-month timeframe,” Jordan said. “Seven people at the Treasury Department unmasked Michael Flynn’s name.”
“Is this an issue that Mr. Durham is looking into?” the ranking member then asked.
Barr responded: “I asked another U.S. attorney to look into the issue of unmasking because of the high number of unmaskings and some that do not readily appear to have been in the line of normal business.”
Jordan: “I want to be clear. So, there is another investigation on that issue specifically going on at the Justice Department right now?”
“Yes,” Barr said.
Jordan: “So Mr. Durham is looking at how the whole Trump-Russia thing started. You have another U.S. attorney [investigating]. Can you give us that U.S. attorney’s name? Is that something you’re comfortable with doing?”
Barr: “John Bash of Texas.”
After some back and forth, Jordan said: “I appreciate that. That’s information the committee did not know.”
2. Video of ‘Peaceful Protests’
During his opening remarks, Jordan presented a video showing TV reporters proclaiming the peacefulness of the summer’s protests before cutting to a press conference with the family of David Dorn, 77, a retired St. Louis police captain who was shot and killed by rioters.
THE FULL VIDEO CHAIRMAN NADLER DOESN'T WANT YOU TO SEE! Why are you scared of the truth, @RepJerryNadler? RT to make sure he sees it! https://t.co/IZ9o6Dwk8G — House Judiciary GOP (@JudiciaryGOP) July 28, 2020
The video then went to mass riots in which participants set fires, looted stores, broke windows, and tore down fences.
Jordan played the video days after Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., declared on camera that Antifa, an extremist group believed to be behind much of the violence, was a “myth.”
Later in the hearing, Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I., showed his own video of what he called peaceful protests that followed the police killing of a handcuffed black man, George Floyd, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
3. ‘Cannot Reasonably Be Called Protest’
Nadler accused Barr and the Justice Department of violating Americans’ civil rights in responding to the violence in some U.S. cities.
“Others have lost sight of the importance of civil rights law, but now we see the full force of the federal government brought to bear against citizens demonstrating for the advancement of their own civil rights,” Nadler said. “There is no precedent for the Department of Justice to actively seek out conflict with American citizens under such flimsy pretext or for such petty purposes.”
Barr replied that the attacks on the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse in Portland had no resemblance to peaceful protests.
“In the wake of George Floyd’s death, violent rioters and anarchists have hijacked legitimate protests to wreak senseless havoc and destruction on innocent victims,” the attorney general told the committee. “The current situation in Portland is a telling example. Every night for the past two months, a mob of hundreds of rioters has laid siege to the federal courthouse.”
Barr continued:
The rioters have come equipped for a fight, armed with powerful slingshots, tasers, sledgehammers, saws, knives, rifles, and explosive devices. Inside the courthouse are a relatively small number of federal personnel charged with the defense of mission to protect the courthouse. What unfolds nightly around the courthouse cannot reasonably be called protest. It is by any objective measure an assault on the government of the United States. As elected officials of the federal government, every member of this committee, regardless of your political views and your feelings about the Trump administration, should condemn violence against federal officers and the destruction of federal property.
3. ‘OK to Try to Burn Down a Federal Court?’
Barr at times showed frustration, at one point asking what would happen if someone attempted to burn down the nearby E. Barrett Prettyman U.S. Courthouse in Washington, D.C.
“Federal courts are under attack. Since when is it OK to try to burn down a federal court?” Barr said, adding:
If someone went down the street to the Prettyman Courthouse, that beautiful courthouse we have right at the bottom of the hill, and started breaking windows and started firing industrial-grade fireworks in to start a fire, [throwing] kerosene balloons in [to] start fires in the court, is that OK? Is that OK? No, the U.S. Marshals have a duty to stop that and defend the courthouse. And that is what we are doing in Portland. We are at the courthouse defending the courthouse. We are not out looking for trouble.
House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-La., asked about the weapons that rioters brought to the courthouse area in Portland.
“As far as the weapons you mentioned, let me get this straight: My understanding is the people attacking the building had — among other things — rifles, explosives, knives, saws, sledgehammers, tasers, slingshots, rocks, bricks, lasers,” Scalise said. “Have I missed anything? Does that cover it?”
Barr filled in some blanks and repeated some weapons.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
“You have missed some things, but that’s a good list. They have these powerful slingshots with ball bearings that they shoot. They’ve used pellet guns,” Barr said. “Those projectiles have penetrated marshals to the bone. They use the lasers to blind the marshals. They do start fires, if they can get the fire inside or through the windows. They start fires along the outside of the courthouse. When the marshals come out to try to deal with a fire, they are assaulted.”
Later in the hearing, Rep. Doug Collins, R-Ga., asked if the courthouse question would extend to the U.S. Capitol, where Congress goes to work.
“Do you think this body right here would rise up if they decided to go and paint the Capitol building?” Collins asked.
Barr responded: “This body, I’m not sure.”
Collins: “I think this side would. The other side, I’m not so sure. It may be a ‘peaceful protest’ to burn down the Capitol. Maybe we’re back to 1812 again.”
British troops set fire to the White House, but not the Capitol, during the War of 1812.
4. Impeachment and Jeffrey Epstein
Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., has earned a reputation for being a rhetorical bomb thrower, and didn’t disappoint at the hearing. Cohen called both for Barr’s impeachment and for seemingly to blame the attorney general for the jailhouse death of financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Cohen said the word “conveniently” in describing Epstein’s death, as if to question whether it was really a suicide.
“You’ve gone through the Fifth Amendment and just negated it, and the 10th Amendment, which leaves general policing to law enforcement, to the states, has been forgotten,” Cohen said.
“Maybe what happened was your secret police were poorly trained,” he told Barr. “Just like your Bureau of Prisons guards were poorly trained and allowed the most notorious inmate in our nation’s last several years — Jeffrey Epstein — to conveniently commit suicide. Sad.”
Cohen invoked the name of Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., a civil rights icon who died July 17 and whose body at the time was lying in state in the Capitol Rotunda.
“Mr. Barr, John Lewis said to us, ‘If not me, who? If not now, when?’” Cohen said. “That’s why I introduced [a measure] which would require this committee to investigate your conduct as attorney general and determine whether you should be impeached.”
5. ‘What Enemies Have I Indicted?
Nadler also accused Barr of “aiding and abetting” Trump as head of the Justice Department.
“Your tenure has been marked by a persistent war against the department’s professional corps in an apparent attempt to secure favors for the president,” Nadler said. “In your time at the department, you have aided and abetted the worst failings of the president.”
But Barr pushed back against such claims by Democrats that he is somehow a patsy for Trump.
“The rule of law is, in essence, that we have one rule for everybody,” Barr said. “If you apply one rule to A, the same rule applies to B. I felt we didn’t have this previously at the department. We had strayed.”
This was a gentle reference to the Justice Department during the eight years of Barack Obama’s presidency. Barr added:
I would just ask people: I’m supposedly pushing the president’s enemies and helping his friends. What enemies have I indicted? Can you point to one indictment that has been under the department that you feel is unmerited, that you feel violates the rule of law? One indictment?
No one offered an example.
As for presidential friends, Barr addressed the cases of veteran GOP operative Roger Stone, whose prison sentence was commuted recently by Trump, and retired Army Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn. The Justice Department dropped the case against Flynn that arose from the FBI’s Russia-Trump probe.
“Now, you say I help the president’s friends. The cases that are cited, the Stone case and the Flynn case, were both cases where I determined that some intervention was necessary to rectify the rule of law, to make sure people are treated the same,” Barr said.
The attorney general took a somewhat different approach to Stone than Trump has, saying he wanted to see Stone go to jail, but with a reasonable sentence.
“Stone was prosecuted under me. I said all along, I thought that was a righteous prosecution. I thought he should go to jail and I thought the judge’s sentence was correct,” Barr said. “But, the line prosecutors were trying to advocate for a sentence that was more than twice what anyone else in a similar position had ever served.”
Barr continued:
This is a 67-year-old man, first-time offender, no violence. They were trying to put him in jail for seven to nine years. I wasn’t going to advocate that, because that is not the rule of law. I agree the president’s friends don’t deserve special breaks. But they also don’t deserve to be treated more harshly than other people.
6. Local Law Enforcement ‘Do Their Job’
Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., who attended the hearing remotely, complained that the Justice Department wasn’t working with local law enforcement. She also said those demonstrating in Portland were “mostly nonviolent” and mischaracterized which federal personnel are deployed there.
“It’s one thing to fight crime with joint task forces. That involves the cooperation of state and local officials,” Lofgren said. “But the governor of Oregon and the mayor of Portland have asked that the federal troops leave because the reaction has actually been in reverse proportion. People are showing up because the troops are there. So many of them, I would say most of them, are nonviolent.”
The federal government has not sent any military troops into Portland, only civilian law enforcement officers and agents from the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security assigned to protect federal buildings.
Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio, asked about local leaders.
“If local elected officials, mayors and city councils and governors, did their jobs and kept the peace, would it even be necessary for federal law enforcement personnel to be there in the first place?” Chabot asked.
“No. That is exactly the point,” Barr said, adding:
Look around the country. Even where there are these kinds of riots occurring, we haven’t had to put in the reinforcements we have in Portland because the state and local law enforcement does their job and won’t allow rioters to just come and physically assault the courthouse. In Portland, that’s not the case. … If the state would come in and keep peace on the streets in front of the courthouse, we wouldn’t need additional people at the courthouse.
Fred Lucas is the White House correspondent for The Daily Signal and co-host of “The Right Side of History” podcast. Lucas is also the author of “Tainted by Suspicion: The Secret Deals and Electoral Chaos of Disputed Presidential Elections.” Send an email to Fred.
Copyright 2020 The Daily Signal


thestream--2020-07-31--Was Trump Trolling With Suggestion Election Be Delayed? Did TDS Media Do His Bidding?

Once again the media and political class are in an uproar over a tweet from President Trump .
Early Thursday , while blasting the Democrat ’ s fraud-friendly scheme to employ mass mailings of 2020 ballots , Trump wondered whether perhaps the November election should be delayed .
The hysteria was immediate : Outrageous !
Only Congress can change the date !
( Trump didn ’ t suggest otherwise . )
Trump knows he ’ s going to lose !
( As if the guy you keep calling an egomaniac thinks he could lose to the shell formerly known as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ d think after four years , the TDS media and Swamp-nosticators would have learned their lesson by now .
If Trump tweets something that is causing a hyperventilated reaction , you must ask , “ Is he trolling ?
By reacting instinctively and hysterically , am I , in fact , doing exactly what he wants ?
” We ’ ve also learned after four years , that sometimes the “ crazy ” tweets prove right .
( Remember the reaction to Trump saying Obama had wiretapped him and his campaign ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , my , the proof . )
Sure , Trump may have also woken up this morning , and floated the delay idea without much thought .
But there ’ s reason to believe otherwise .
If Trump really wants something , he says it .
With an exclamation point .
If he tosses something out as a question , he ’ s stirring the pot .
Trying to generate attention .
The question is always , “ to what end ?
” The first thing to recognize is his tweet is drawing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail-in ballot scheme .
Notice that Trump is making a clear distinction between absentee ballots , where a voter requests a mail-in ballot , and the Democratic scheme to simply mail ballots to the addresses of registered voters ( whether they ’ re there or not , whether they ’ re living or not , where there is nothing to stop the ballots from being scooped up like corn for fraudulent ballot harvesting . )
Notice also that media coverage is not making that distinction .
Deliberately .
Dishonestly .
Trump followed with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s dangers .
Trump has also tweeted a sample of just how awry the Democratic scheme can go .
It ’ s a mail-in voting experiment by local news station WRDW in Augusta , Georgia .
If this mail-out , gather-up scheme allowed , this will indeed be the most “ inaccurate and fraudulent ” presidential election in U.S. history .
( The ballot harvesting horror in California in 2018 was just a taste .
The original vote provides a Republican winner , but late mail-ins start getting added in , boxes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and somehow an unnatural percentage of all these extra votes are for the Democrat . )
That ’ s what Trump was getting at in a later tweet .
“ Must know Election results on the night of the Election , not days , months , or even years later.
” It may be Congress ’ duty to set an election date .
It ’ s Trump ’ s responsibility to ensure a fair federal election .
Trying to force the issue on the mail-in ballots , draw attention to the likely disaster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Getting the Democrats and Swamp Insisting on November 3rd Election Date Could Trump be up to something else ?
Again , perhaps his tweet was a passing brainstorm at the start of a busy day .
But let ’ s kick it around a bit .
Especially now , that he seems to be admitting he was trolling .
What do we know ?
It ’ s a scientific certainty : Whatever Trump expresses support for , there will be an unequal and opposite reaction against .
Trump knows that too .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ holding the election November 3 , come hell or high water , COVID be danged , ” what would the reaction be ?
Democrats would immediately chant , “ How dare he say that !
If things get bad , it might have to be delayed.
” By wondering if election should be delayed , Trump now has a unified chorus insisting there be no election delay .
Loudly !
Emphatically !
“ Two-Four-Six-Eight !
November 3rd ’ s Election Date !
” Soon they ’ ll be socially non-distanced in the streets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t You Change Election Day !
” Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
This election is going to be a war .
A general shapes the battlefield to his advantage .
He also wins battles by getting what he wants without having to fight .
With one tweet , President Donald Trump has ensured the November 3 date is locked in , no matter what happens .
And what could happen ?
Picture the middle of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can protect Joe Biden only so long .
By October , it will be undeniable to voters he is physically and mentally incapable of serving as president .
He will have either dodged the debates or been destroyed in them .
Or at best will be exposed as the empty vessel for extremist positions only AOC could love .
It ’ s even possible he would have an episode so severe he must step down as nominee .
The Democrats would be in chaos .
By October , you will see further evidence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ see confirmation of successful COVID treatments and vaccines nearing completion in record time .
You will see the full exposure of the Democrats as the party of Marxists and rioters , not Main Street and Americans .
You may well see the indictment of several Obama era officials … or more importantly , the guilty plea and confession of a key player or two in the Trump Russia Collusion black op .
In other words , Democrats will not want to see November 3 .
In the weeks , leading up there will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ launched to disrupt the day , throw it into disarray .
There will be calls for delay .
Election chaos serves the party of chaos and anarchy .
Trump beats Biden in a fair fight .
In a landslide .
But Trump has to act now to secure there is a fair fight .
And that starts with blocking the Democrat ’ s willy-nilly mail-in scheme and ensuring the election is held as planned .
Al Perrotta is the Managing Editor of The Stream and co-author , with @ JZmirak , of The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can follow him at @ StreamingAl .
And if you aren ’ t already , please follow The Stream at @ Streamdotorg .

Once again the media and political class are in an uproar over a tweet from President Trump. Early Thursday, while blasting the Democrat’s fraud-friendly scheme to employ mass mailings of 2020 ballots, Trump wondered whether perhaps the November election should be delayed.
With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history. It will be a great embarrassment to the USA. Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote??? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 30, 2020
The hysteria was immediate: Outrageous! Only Congress can change the date! (Trump didn’t suggest otherwise.) Trump knows he’s going to lose! (As if the guy you keep calling an egomaniac thinks he could lose to the shell formerly known as Joe Biden.)
Now, you’d think after four years, the TDS media and Swamp-nosticators would have learned their lesson by now. If Trump tweets something that is causing a hyperventilated reaction, you must ask, “Is he trolling? By reacting instinctively and hysterically, am I, in fact, doing exactly what he wants?”
We’ve also learned after four years, that sometimes the “crazy” tweets prove right. (Remember the reaction to Trump saying Obama had wiretapped him and his campaign? Oh, the hysteria. But oh, my, the proof.)
Sure, Trump may have also woken up this morning, and floated the delay idea without much thought. But there’s reason to believe otherwise.
If Trump really wants something, he says it. With an exclamation point. If he tosses something out as a question, he’s stirring the pot. Trying to generate attention. The question is always, “to what end?”
Drawing Attention to the Mail-In Scheme
The first thing to recognize is his tweet is drawing sudden attention to the Democrat’s mail-in ballot scheme. Notice that Trump is making a clear distinction between absentee ballots, where a voter requests a mail-in ballot, and the Democratic scheme to simply mail ballots to the addresses of registered voters (whether they’re there or not, whether they’re living or not, where there is nothing to stop the ballots from being scooped up like corn for fraudulent ballot harvesting.)
Notice also that media coverage is not making that distinction. Deliberately. Dishonestly.
Trump followed with another tweet talking about the mail-in scheme’s dangers.
Mail-In Voting is already proving to be a catastrophic disaster. Even testing areas are way off. The Dems talk of foreign influence in voting, but they know that Mail-In Voting is an easy way for foreign countries to enter the race. Even beyond that, there’s no accurate count! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 30, 2020
Trump has also tweeted a sample of just how awry the Democratic scheme can go. It’s a mail-in voting experiment by local news station WRDW in Augusta, Georgia.
Check out this Mail-In Voting experiment by a local news station! pic.twitter.com/23tOdt1hYc — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 29, 2020
If this mail-out, gather-up scheme is allowed, this will indeed be the most “inaccurate and fraudulent” presidential election in U.S. history. (The ballot harvesting horror in California in 2018 was just a taste. The original vote provides a Republican winner, but late mail-ins start getting added in, boxes of ballots are found in closets, and somehow an unnatural percentage of all these extra votes are for the Democrat.)
That’s what Trump was getting at in a later tweet. “Must know Election results on the night of the Election, not days, months, or even years later.”
Must know Election results on the night of the Election, not days, months, or even years later! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 30, 2020
It may be Congress’ duty to set an election date. It’s Trump’s responsibility to ensure a fair federal election. Trying to force the issue on the mail-in ballots, trying to draw attention to the likely disaster as he later did in his afternoon press conference, is helping fulfill his responsibility.
Getting the Democrats and Swamp Insisting on November 3rd Election Date
Could Trump be up to something else? Again, perhaps his tweet was a passing brainstorm at the start of a busy day. But let’s kick it around a bit. Especially now, that he seems to be admitting he was trolling.
Glad I was able to get the very dishonest LameStream Media to finally start talking about the RISKS to our Democracy from dangerous Universal Mail-In-Voting (not Absentee Voting, which I totally support!). — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 30, 2020
What do we know? It’s a scientific certainty: Whatever Trump expresses support for, there will be an unequal and opposite reaction against. Trump knows that too. If Trump said, “We’re holding the election November 3, come hell or high water, COVID be danged,” what would the reaction be? Democrats would immediately chant, “How dare he say that! If things get bad, it might have to be held off.”
By wondering if election should be delayed, Trump now has a unified chorus insisting there be no election delay. Loudly! Emphatically! “Two-Four-Six-Eight! November 3rd’s Election Date!” Soon they’ll be socially non-distanced in the streets: “Ho-Ho, Hey-Hey! Don’t You Change Election Day!”
Good.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
This election is going to be a war. A general shapes the battlefield to his advantage. He also wins battles by getting what he wants without having to fight. With one tweet, President Donald Trump has ensured the November 3 date is locked in, no matter what happens.
And what could happen? Picture the middle of October. Democrats and their media comrades can protect Joe Biden only so long. By October, it will be undeniable to voters he is physically and mentally incapable of serving as president. He will have either dodged the debates or been destroyed in them. Or at best will be exposed as the empty vessel for extremist positions only AOC could love. It’s even possible he would have an episode so severe he must step down as nominee. The Democrats would be in chaos.
By October, you will see further evidence of an economic rebound. You will see confirmation of successful COVID treatments and vaccines nearing completion in record time. You will see the full exposure of the Democrats as the party of Marxists and rioters, not Main Street and Americans. You may well see the indictment of several Obama era officials … or more importantly, the guilty plea and confession of a key player or two in the Trump Russia Collusion black op.
In other words, Democrats will not want to see November 3. In the weeks, leading up there will be a full court effort will be launched to disrupt the day, throw it into disarray. There will be calls for delay. Election chaos serves the party of chaos and anarchy.
Trump beats Biden in a fair fight. In a landslide. But Trump has to act now to secure there is a fair fight. And that starts with blocking the Democrat’s willy-nilly mail-in scheme and ensuring the election is held as planned.
Al Perrotta is the Managing Editor of The Stream and co-author, with @JZmirak, of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration. You can follow him at @StreamingAl. And if you aren’t already, please follow The Stream at @Streamdotorg.


thestream--2020-07-30--Evangelicals Are Being Marginalized by Cancel Culture: My Interview With George Wood

Dr. George Wood is the former Superintendent of the Assemblies of God and is currently the Chairman of the World @ @ @ @ @ Today we discuss the surprising kindness of President Trump and his family , the anti-life @ @ @ @ @ , and how cancel culture is attempting to marginalize faithful Christians .
Find out more @ @ @ @ @ current work with Empowered21 here .
You can view all the videos in this interview @ @ @ @ @ is The Stream ’ s founder and publisher .
He is co-founder of LIFE Outreach @ @ @ @ @ Today .
He ’ s the author of many books , including Indivisible ( with @ @ @ @ @ Amazed .

Dr. George Wood is the former Superintendent of the Assemblies of God and is currently the Chairman of the World Assemblies of God Fellowship. Today we discuss the surprising kindness of President Trump and his family, the anti-life stance of the growing Left, and how cancel culture is attempting to marginalize faithful Christians.
Find out more about Dr. Wood’s current work with Empowered21 here.
You can view all the videos in this interview series here.
James Robison is The Stream’s founder and publisher. He is co-founder of LIFE Outreach International and co-host of LIFE Today. He’s the author of many books, including Indivisible (with Jay Richards) and Living Amazed.


A Schooling Renaissance?

Earlier this month , North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper made an announcement .
Actually , he made more of a non-announcement : He wasn ’ t sure whether North Carolina schools would reopen this fall .
A few hours later , the state government ’ s website handling parents ’ applications to homeschool crashed .
According to the error message , the crash was “ due to an overwhelming number of submissions.
” Like so many problems brought to the forefront by the COVID-19 pandemic , the schooling crisis doesn ’ t have an easy solution .
( Last week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ B ” and “ Plan C ” for reopening , but not , apparently , “ Plan A.
” ) Since the spring , school officials have sounded the alarm on distance and digital learning , saying it ’ s “ not enough.
” At the end of May , Chicago Public Schools reported they had had zero contact with more than 2,000 students since schools had closed in March .
This was after schools had sent more than 120,000 laptops and tablets to kids ’ homes .
And , earlier this month @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they ’ d lost contact with more than 16,000 students .
Similar anecdotes continue to emerge from other states .
Announcing , as so many schools did in mid-March , that grades would be frozen for the year , probably didn ’ t help .
Meanwhile , many parents are also saying that online school , at least the kind hastily created of necessity this spring , is not working .
Many are stuck juggling their own work-from-home jobs with their kids ’ school needs , trying to share tech devices and limited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
While some health and government officials warn that a return to five-day-a-week in-person school in the fall will be too risky , the Secretary of Education is pushing for reopening schools nationwide .
It ’ s a high-stakes Catch-22 .
This is the time for good , old-fashioned Christian innovation in education .
What Christian Schools Have to Offer My friend Todd Marrah is the superintendent of Tree of Life Christian Schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Life prioritizes smaller class sizes , they have the space inside their schools to allow kids to come back full-time in the fall while following strict social distancing guidelines .
At the same time , some of Ohio ’ s public-school districts are planning for students to come back just two days a week — at most .
Of course , the pandemic and its shutdowns have caused real trouble for private and Christian schools .
Most rely on donations and tuition to stay afloat , revenue streams that are strained for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ six Catholic academies in Brooklyn and Queens alone , will close .
For those able to stay open , however , this is a moment for Christian education to shine brighter .
Parents who didn ’ t consider private school in the past might now consider it .
If they do , they should be pleased to find that these schools are more innovative and successful than they ’ re often portrayed to be .
Yes , they lack government funds , but that comes with the freedom to try new things , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ behind what doesn ’ t .
It also means they don ’ t have to include Planned Parenthood presentations to or the New York Times ’ historically iffy and ideologically-motivated 1619 Project in their curriculum .
Tree of Life and many other schools I know of are already innovating .
Parents can choose whether to send their kids to the classroom full-time this fall or to take advantage of a fully online curriculum .
Private schools have been serving and improving their communities for years .
Maybe this unique challenge will allow them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ways .
Maybe more states will adopt programs similar to the Empowerment Scholarship Accounts in Arizona , which allows parents to use their public school tax dollars to pay for private or home-schooling instead .
Our friends at the Home School Legal Defense Association are also expecting a migration to homeschooling this fall among parents who hadn ’ t considered it before .
Homeschooling is no small undertaking , and it ’ s not possible for everybody , but HSLDA ’ s website has great resources for families considering that option .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the way different states are making homeschooling easier for families this coming year .
There is no doubt that this fall is going to be tough , for families , for teachers , for school administrators , for government officials , and for kids .
Still , like every other curve ball this pandemic has thrown at us , God isn ’ t surprised .
Maybe He ’ s using this pandemic to use His people to start another educational renaissance .
John Stonestreet serves as president of the Colson Center for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sought-after author and speaker on areas of faith and culture , theology , worldview , education and apologetics .
Originally published on Breakpoint.org : BreakPoint Commentaries .
Republished with permission of The Colson Center for Christian Worldview .

Earlier this month, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper made an announcement. Actually, he made more of a non-announcement: He wasn’t sure whether North Carolina schools would reopen this fall.
A few hours later, the state government’s website handling parents’ applications to homeschool crashed. According to the error message, the crash was “due to an overwhelming number of submissions.”
Like so many problems brought to the forefront by the COVID-19 pandemic, the schooling crisis doesn’t have an easy solution. (Last week, Governor Cooper gave schools “Plan B” and “Plan C” for reopening, but not, apparently, “Plan A.”)
Distance and Digital Learning
Since the spring, school officials have sounded the alarm on distance and digital learning, saying it’s “not enough.” At the end of May, Chicago Public Schools reported they had had zero contact with more than 2,000 students since schools had closed in March. This was after schools had sent more than 120,000 laptops and tablets to kids’ homes. And, earlier this month, education officials in South Carolina said they’d lost contact with more than 16,000 students. Similar anecdotes continue to emerge from other states. Announcing, as so many schools did in mid-March, that grades would be frozen for the year, probably didn’t help.
Meanwhile, many parents are also saying that online school, at least the kind hastily created of necessity this spring, is not working. Many are stuck juggling their own work-from-home jobs with their kids’ school needs, trying to share tech devices and limited bandwidth among multiple family members.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
While some health and government officials warn that a return to five-day-a-week in-person school in the fall will be too risky, the Secretary of Education is pushing for reopening schools nationwide. It’s a high-stakes Catch-22.
This is the time for good, old-fashioned Christian innovation in education.
What Christian Schools Have to Offer
My friend Todd Marrah is the superintendent of Tree of Life Christian Schools in Columbus, Ohio. Because Tree of Life prioritizes smaller class sizes, they have the space inside their schools to allow kids to come back full-time in the fall while following strict social distancing guidelines. At the same time, some of Ohio’s public-school districts are planning for students to come back just two days a week — at most.
Of course, the pandemic and its shutdowns have caused real trouble for private and Christian schools. Most rely on donations and tuition to stay afloat, revenue streams that are strained for many. Some private schools, like six Catholic academies in Brooklyn and Queens alone, will close.
For those able to stay open, however, this is a moment for Christian education to shine brighter. Parents who didn’t consider private school in the past might now consider it. If they do, they should be pleased to find that these schools are more innovative and successful than they’re often portrayed to be. Yes, they lack government funds, but that comes with the freedom to try new things, to pursue what works and to leave behind what doesn’t. It also means they don’t have to include Planned Parenthood presentations to or the New York Times’ historically iffy and ideologically-motivated 1619 Project in their curriculum.
Tree of Life and many other schools I know of are already innovating. Parents can choose whether to send their kids to the classroom full-time this fall or to take advantage of a fully online curriculum.
Positive Expectations
Private schools have been serving and improving their communities for years. Maybe this unique challenge will allow them to demonstrate their value new and compelling ways. Maybe more states will adopt programs similar to the Empowerment Scholarship Accounts in Arizona, which allows parents to use their public school tax dollars to pay for private or home-schooling instead.
Our friends at the Home School Legal Defense Association are also expecting a migration to homeschooling this fall among parents who hadn’t considered it before. Homeschooling is no small undertaking, and it’s not possible for everybody, but HSLDA’s website has great resources for families considering that option. They’re also keeping a helpful tally of the way different states are making homeschooling easier for families this coming year.
God Isn’t Surprised
There is no doubt that this fall is going to be tough, for families, for teachers, for school administrators, for government officials, and for kids. Still, like every other curve ball this pandemic has thrown at us, God isn’t surprised. Maybe He’s using this pandemic to use His people to start another educational renaissance.
John Stonestreet serves as president of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview. He’s a sought-after author and speaker on areas of faith and culture, theology, worldview, education and apologetics.
Originally published on Breakpoint.org: BreakPoint Commentaries. Republished with permission of The Colson Center for Christian Worldview.


thestream--2020-07-30--John Ortberg, Pastor of California Megachurch, Resigns Over Allegations He Knew a Children’s Ministr

John Ortberg, Pastor of California Megachurch, Resigns Over Allegations He Knew a Children’s Ministry Worker was Attracted to Children

John Ortberg , long-time pastor of Menlo Church in California , has resigned over allegations that he knew that a volunteer involved in the children ’ s ministry was attracted to children , yet allowed the volunteer to remain in his position .
Ortberg ’ s resignation is effective Sunday , August 2 .
Ortberg was placed on leave last fall after church elders discovered that a volunteer who was attracted to children was allowed to continue to work with kids .
He knew of the situation in 2018 , but did not inform church leaders or the youth sports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t find out about Ortberg ’ s inaction until Ortberg ’ s daughter , who now identifies as a male named “ Daniel Lavery , ” informed the church via email .
Lavery and her family have been estranged since November 2018 .
Earlier this year , Ortberg returned to preaching at Menlo when the elders hired an attorney to look into the situation .
Lavery then revealed that the volunteer was her younger brother , a fact that had been hidden from the church .
Many , including Lavery , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pastor .
According to Ministry Watch , no specific allegations of abuse have been made , although the attorney did not speak to any parents or children with whom the volunteer worked .
“ Extensive conversations I had with my youngest son gave no evidence of risk of harm , and feedback from others about his impact was consistently positive , ” Ortberg said in a statement .
“ However , for my part , I did not balance my responsibilities as a father with my responsibilities as a leader.
” Ortberg said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pastor was the greatest joy he ’ s had in ministry .
However , he said it was best that he step down from the position .
“ [ T ] his has been a difficult time for parents , volunteers , staff , and others , and I believe that the unity needed for Menlo to flourish will be best served by my leaving , ” he said in a statement .
The elders have launched a more extensive investigation .
They said in a statement : Our decision stems from a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on three primary areas .
First , John ’ s poor judgment has resulted in pain and broken trust among many parents , youth , volunteers and staff .
Second , the extended time period required to complete the new investigation and rebuild trust will significantly delay our ability to pursue Menlo ’ s mission with the unity of spirit and purpose we believe God calls us to .
Third , in this coming season John needs to focus on healing and reconciliation within his own family .
For these reasons , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to our ultimate mission : helping people find and follow Jesus .
Ortberg will lead the congregation this weekend in an online service and to say goodbye .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
Prior to Ortberg ’ s time at Menlo , he served as a teaching pastor at Willow Creek Community Church , where Bill Hybels resigned in 2018 after an investigation into an alleged “ pattern of misconduct.
” The alleged misconduct included “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staffers in his hotel room and at his home , intrusive hugs and an unwanted kiss.
” Incidentally , at the time , Ortberg — no longer a member of Willow Creek — raised concerns that the church did not “ adequately address ” several of the allegations against Hybels .
Nancy Flory is an associate editor at The Stream .
You can follow her @ NancyFlory3 , and follow The Stream @ Streamdotorg .

John Ortberg, long-time pastor of Menlo Church in California, has resigned over allegations that he knew that a volunteer involved in the children’s ministry was attracted to children, yet allowed the volunteer to remain in his position. Ortberg’s resignation is effective Sunday, August 2.
What Ortberg Knew
Ortberg was placed on leave last fall after church elders discovered that a volunteer who was attracted to children was allowed to continue to work with kids. He knew of the situation in 2018, but did not inform church leaders or the youth sports team the volunteer coached. The elders didn’t find out about Ortberg’s inaction until Ortberg’s daughter, who now identifies as a male named “Daniel Lavery,” informed the church via email. Lavery and her family have been estranged since November 2018.
Earlier this year, Ortberg returned to preaching at Menlo when the elders hired an attorney to look into the situation.
Lavery then revealed that the volunteer was her younger brother, a fact that had been hidden from the church. Many, including Lavery, have demanded that Ortberg step down as pastor. According to Ministry Watch, no specific allegations of abuse have been made, although the attorney did not speak to any parents or children with whom the volunteer worked.
“Extensive conversations I had with my youngest son gave no evidence of risk of harm, and feedback from others about his impact was consistently positive,” Ortberg said in a statement. “However, for my part, I did not balance my responsibilities as a father with my responsibilities as a leader.”
Unity and Healing
Ortberg said his 17 years as Menlo’s pastor was the greatest joy he’s had in ministry. However, he said it was best that he step down from the position. “[T]his has been a difficult time for parents, volunteers, staff, and others, and I believe that the unity needed for Menlo to flourish will be best served by my leaving,” he said in a statement.
The elders have launched a more extensive investigation. They said in a statement:
Our decision stems from a collective desire for healing and discernment focused on three primary areas. First, John’s poor judgment has resulted in pain and broken trust among many parents, youth, volunteers and staff. Second, the extended time period required to complete the new investigation and rebuild trust will significantly delay our ability to pursue Menlo’s mission with the unity of spirit and purpose we believe God calls us to. Third, in this coming season John needs to focus on healing and reconciliation within his own family. For these reasons, we believe Menlo Church should return our focus to our ultimate mission: helping people find and follow Jesus.
Ortberg will lead the congregation this weekend in an online service and to say goodbye.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Prior to Ortberg’s time at Menlo, he served as a teaching pastor at Willow Creek Community Church, where Bill Hybels resigned in 2018 after an investigation into an alleged “pattern of misconduct.” The alleged misconduct included “inappropriate comments, private meetings with female staffers in his hotel room and at his home, intrusive hugs and an unwanted kiss.” Incidentally, at the time, Ortberg — no longer a member of Willow Creek — raised concerns that the church did not “adequately address” several of the allegations against Hybels.
Nancy Flory is an associate editor at The Stream. You can follow her @NancyFlory3, and follow The Stream @Streamdotorg.


thestream--2020-07-30--Faded Orange Rain Boots: How One Gift Set a Man on a Path to Help Children in Need

A pair of faded orange rain boots started it all .
Samuel Bistrian was six years old when he got them from his older siblings .
They brought him much joy .
Because of those boots , Samuel was able to weather the brutal Romanian winters that brought mud and slush to Transylvania .
He was among the poorest of the poor .
They didn ’ t have running water or electricity .
He never knew that one day he ’ d be bringing rain boots to needy children all over the world .
When he was 8 , his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was around Thanksgiving , 1990 .
After landing at O ’ Hare , the lights of the season mesmerized him .
He went into an Aldi grocery store and saw groceries everywhere and brightly colored candy wrapping paper .
But the lights .
“ I keep saying lights , ” he told The Stream , “ because that ’ s one thing I remember as a kid.
” It contrasted with his memories of a gloomy , dark , morose , communist town .
“ Gray , that ’ s what [ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ somber.
” Samuel ’ s family , which included 12 kids and two adults , moved into a two-bedroom apartment in Chicago .
It wasn ’ t pleasant .
His parents didn ’ t like the fast-paced lifestyle of the big city and eventually moved the family to Knoxville , Tennessee .
They ended up in government housing — the kind with bars on the windows and doors .
He and his siblings cut their feet on broken glass in the yard by bottles of 40 smashed against their house by guys who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fires were a constant .
Any food their mom planted would be smashed by kids in the neighborhood .
“ It was difficult.
” But , he adds , “ there was beauty living in a project.
” The beauty he saw came from families who volunteered at a nearby community center .
They spent time with the local kids who didn ’ t have much .
The families “ invested ” in them .
One year , they asked Samuel and his siblings to make a wish list for Christmas .
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ remote-controlled car .
That Christmas Eve a white van showed up loaded with gifts , including a sleeping bag and a remote-controlled car .
Later on , one of those families introduced Samuel ’ s family to Habitat for Humanity .
His family qualified for a house .
“ I would say that really was a new chapter in our life in the U.S. , to finally have our own home , where my mom got chickens and goats and planted trees .
That was beautiful.
” After he graduated from high school @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bible School and Dallas Baptist University .
He wanted to practice what he ’ d learned , so he joined Youth With A Mission and began doing mission work in South America and Cuba , which reminded him of his home country of Romania .
He wondered if there was a way to combine his love of business with missions and philanthropy .
But for the time , he returned to Dallas and began working for Neiman Marcus .
He worked his way up to management .
It struck him that he was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Dallas socialites .
He didn ’ t feel like he was living up to his potential .
Each summer Samuel would travel to Romania and Colombia doing missions work .
He kept wishing that he could do missions full time .
“ Going to Romania or Columbia and seeing so much need , I wished I could do what I felt in my heart when I was in Cuba , Panama , Columbia .
Now here I am , eight years later , at Neiman Marcus.
” He soon realized his time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ While at Neiman ’ s , Samuel met the founder of Toms shoe company , Blake Mycoskie .
It was September 2009 .
For each pair of Toms shoes sold , the company donates a pair to kids in need .
Sam asked him , “ Why don ’ t you make rain boots for kids living in cold and wet climates ?
” The company wasn ’ t ready to .
It focused on Argentina and Africa .
Samuel thought , “ Why don ’ t you do it , Sam ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ middle of a recession didn ’ t stop him .
“ I wanted to do something meaningful.
” He felt in his spirit he should make the boots for those kids who needed them most .
In the spring of 2010 , on his 28th birthday , Samuel started Roma Boots .
“ I just felt like it was divinely engineered.
” Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
But it wasn ’ t easy .
He borrowed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ car .
He pawned things .
He ate a lot of cheerios with milk .
His electricity was cut off .
“ I thought to myself , ‘ Wow , what did I do ? '
” He kept pushing forward , a little at a time .
The experiment thrived and by 2014 , he was able to dedicate all of his time to Roma Boots .
In 2014 , Roma sold 100,000 pairs of boots .
In 2015 , Samuel launched Roma boots at Nordstrom ’ s .
But his first @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Romania , where his sister opened an orphanage .
“ When we pulled up into that village , it was like a war zone .
Buildings were broken .
It was deep snow and slush on the ground .
… It was just so gray and gloomy .
… And it was just so depressive thinking to myself , it ’ s Christmas season , there ’ s no lights , no music .
There ’ s nothing indicating that it ’ s Christmas.
” It was almost like reliving his own childhood @ @ @ @ @ @ @ van filled with Christmas gifts of red , yellow and blue glossy rain boots , which were the colors of the Romanian flag.
” He continued : “ We just gave them out to these kids .
And I ’ m telling you , we brought Christmas .
All the sudden , the whole village , just became so full of life and happiness and joy .
… I still have pictures .
When I look at those pictures , I ’ m like , wow , little did I know that that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , over the next 10 years in other villages around the world.
” Recently , Samuel started a group called “ Awaken Dallas.
” It ’ s a prayer group for “ people who believe in the power of prayer and want to pray for our city ” based on 2 Chronicles 7:14 : “ If my people , who are called by my name , will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways , then I will hear from heaven , and I will forgive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The group has been meeting for a few weeks and launched officially on July 14th .
“ [ I ] t ’ s been great and we ’ ll continue to do so because we want people to wake up awaken from their sleep and realize that the days are wicked .
And we must redeem the time and walk as children of light.
” He ’ s grateful that his family had the opportunity to come to America .
“ I ’ m happy , I ’ m humbled .
I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You know , I ’ m grateful for a country like the U.S. that allows me that opportunity , you know , that I wouldn ’ t have had anywhere else.
” People in today ’ s culture don ’ t quite understand how good they have it in this country .
“ We can not be asleep anymore , ” he explains .
“ We have to realize that if the light gets put out in this country , then there ’ s no hope for the rest of the world.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pair of boots every time a pair is sold .
This year , Samuel anticipates donating 30,000 pairs of boots .
“ Now we ’ re doing 10,000 in the U.S. , 10,000 in Eastern Europe , and 10,000 in Central America.
” Roma ’ s slogan is “ Give poverty the boot.
” Samuel explains : “ By giving poverty the boot , we want to eradicate poverty — not only as a physical condition , you know , but more importantly as a mental condition , meaning that mindset of poverty @ @ @ @ @ @ @ His faith has been the “ anchor ” for everything he does .
He recognized that social justice is impossible without Jesus .
“ You can not create justice if you don ’ t have love behind it .
When there ’ s something that is wrong in the world , and we try to repair it without God , it only creates more problems.
” For Samuel , the motivation behind Roma Boots has always been love .
“ I kept going back to love .
I want to help those in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and my neighbor.
” He is reminded that Jesus said the poor would always be with us .
However , he believes the mindset of poverty , of victimhood , can be eradicated .
“ I grew up so poor .
I mean , we were in Chicago , sleeping five to a bed , then living in the projects , I grew up so poor and I didn ’ t let that define me .
I said , ‘ I want to be able to do something with my life.
’ And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ step of faith.
” LIFE Outreach International , The Stream ’ s parent organization , also provides shoes to children in need .
This is the 13th year of the Christmas Shoe Project .
In that time , they ’ ve handed out over 2 million pairs of new shoes .
You can help continue this good work .
To give to the Christmas Shoe Project , please click here .
Nancy Flory is an associate editor at The Stream .
You can follow her @ NancyFlory3 , and follow The Stream @ @ @

A pair of faded orange rain boots started it all. Samuel Bistrian was six years old when he got them from his older siblings. They brought him much joy. Because of those boots, Samuel was able to weather the brutal Romanian winters that brought mud and slush to Transylvania.
He was among the poorest of the poor. They didn’t have running water or electricity. He never knew that one day he’d be bringing rain boots to needy children all over the world.
A Bright Spot
When he was 8, his family came to the U.S. It was around Thanksgiving, 1990. After landing at O’Hare, the lights of the season mesmerized him. He went into an Aldi grocery store and saw groceries everywhere and brightly colored candy wrapping paper. But the lights. “I keep saying lights,” he told The Stream, “because that’s one thing I remember as a kid.” It contrasted with his memories of a gloomy, dark, morose, communist town. “Gray, that’s what [I] can remember, dark gray and somber.”
Samuel’s family, which included 12 kids and two adults, moved into a two-bedroom apartment in Chicago. It wasn’t pleasant. His parents didn’t like the fast-paced lifestyle of the big city and eventually moved the family to Knoxville, Tennessee. They ended up in government housing — the kind with bars on the windows and doors. He and his siblings cut their feet on broken glass in the yard by bottles of 40 smashed against their house by guys who were up to no good. Dumpster fires were a constant. Any food their mom planted would be smashed by kids in the neighborhood.
“It was difficult.” But, he adds, “there was beauty living in a project.”
The beauty he saw came from families who volunteered at a nearby community center. They spent time with the local kids who didn’t have much. The families “invested” in them. One year, they asked Samuel and his siblings to make a wish list for Christmas. He asked for a sleeping bag and a remote-controlled car. That Christmas Eve a white van showed up loaded with gifts, including a sleeping bag and a remote-controlled car.
Later on, one of those families introduced Samuel’s family to Habitat for Humanity. His family qualified for a house. “I would say that really was a new chapter in our life in the U.S., to finally have our own home, where my mom got chickens and goats and planted trees. That was beautiful.”
A Heart for Missions
After he graduated from high school, Samuel attended Christ for the Nations Bible School and Dallas Baptist University. He wanted to practice what he’d learned, so he joined Youth With A Mission and began doing mission work in South America and Cuba, which reminded him of his home country of Romania.
He wondered if there was a way to combine his love of business with missions and philanthropy. But for the time, he returned to Dallas and began working for Neiman Marcus. He worked his way up to management. It struck him that he was selling $40,000 to $50,000 coats to Dallas socialites. He didn’t feel like he was living up to his potential.
Each summer Samuel would travel to Romania and Colombia doing missions work. He kept wishing that he could do missions full time. “Going to Romania or Columbia and seeing so much need, I wished I could do what I felt in my heart when I was in Cuba, Panama, Columbia. Now here I am, eight years later, at Neiman Marcus.”
He soon realized his time at Neiman Marcus served a purpose.
Roma Boots
While at Neiman’s, Samuel met the founder of Toms shoe company, Blake Mycoskie. It was September 2009. For each pair of Toms shoes sold, the company donates a pair to kids in need. Sam asked him, “Why don’t you make rain boots for kids living in cold and wet climates?” The company wasn’t ready to. It focused on Argentina and Africa.
Samuel thought, “Why don’t you do it, Sam?” Even concerns about funding in the middle of a recession didn’t stop him. “I wanted to do something meaningful.” He felt in his spirit he should make the boots for those kids who needed them most. In the spring of 2010, on his 28th birthday, Samuel started Roma Boots. “I just felt like it was divinely engineered.”
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
But it wasn’t easy. He borrowed money from siblings. He sold his car. He pawned things. He ate a lot of cheerios with milk. His electricity was cut off. “I thought to myself, ‘Wow, what did I do?'” He kept pushing forward, a little at a time. The experiment thrived and by 2014, he was able to dedicate all of his time to Roma Boots. In 2014, Roma sold 100,000 pairs of boots. In 2015, Samuel launched Roma boots at Nordstrom’s.
They Brought Christmas
But his first love was missions. He returned to Romania, where his sister opened an orphanage. “When we pulled up into that village, it was like a war zone. Buildings were broken. It was deep snow and slush on the ground. … It was just so gray and gloomy. … And it was just so depressive thinking to myself, it’s Christmas season, there’s no lights, no music. There’s nothing indicating that it’s Christmas.”
It was almost like reliving his own childhood when he pulled up in a white van filled with Christmas gifts of red, yellow and blue glossy rain boots, which were the colors of the Romanian flag.” He continued: “We just gave them out to these kids. And I’m telling you, we brought Christmas. All the sudden, the whole village, just became so full of life and happiness and joy. … I still have pictures. When I look at those pictures, I’m like, wow, little did I know that that experience will be repeated over and over, over the next 10 years in other villages around the world.”
Awaken Dallas
Recently, Samuel started a group called “Awaken Dallas.” It’s a prayer group for “people who believe in the power of prayer and want to pray for our city” based on 2 Chronicles 7:14: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
The group has been meeting for a few weeks and launched officially on July 14th. “[I]t’s been great and we’ll continue to do so because we want people to wake up awaken from their sleep and realize that the days are wicked. And we must redeem the time and walk as children of light.”
He’s grateful that his family had the opportunity to come to America. “I’m happy, I’m humbled. I’m grateful for the experience. You know, I’m grateful for a country like the U.S. that allows me that opportunity, you know, that I wouldn’t have had anywhere else.” People in today’s culture don’t quite understand how good they have it in this country. “We cannot be asleep anymore,” he explains. “We have to realize that if the light gets put out in this country, then there’s no hope for the rest of the world.”
Give Poverty the Boot
Like Toms, Roma Boots donates a pair of boots every time a pair is sold. This year, Samuel anticipates donating 30,000 pairs of boots. “Now we’re doing 10,000 in the U.S., 10,000 in Eastern Europe, and 10,000 in Central America.”
Roma’s slogan is “Give poverty the boot.” Samuel explains: “By giving poverty the boot, we want to eradicate poverty — not only as a physical condition, you know, but more importantly as a mental condition, meaning that mindset of poverty, we want to eradicate that.”
His faith has been the “anchor” for everything he does. He recognized that social justice is impossible without Jesus. “You cannot create justice if you don’t have love behind it. When there’s something that is wrong in the world, and we try to repair it without God, it only creates more problems.” For Samuel, the motivation behind Roma Boots has always been love. “I kept going back to love. I want to help those in need. I want to love God and my neighbor.”
He is reminded that Jesus said the poor would always be with us. However, he believes the mindset of poverty, of victimhood, can be eradicated. “I grew up so poor. I mean, we were in Chicago, sleeping five to a bed, then living in the projects, I grew up so poor and I didn’t let that define me. I said, ‘I want to be able to do something with my life.’ And I did. And it took a step of faith.”
LIFE Outreach International, The Stream’s parent organization, also provides shoes to children in need. This is the 13th year of the Christmas Shoe Project. In that time, they’ve handed out over 2 million pairs of new shoes. You can help continue this good work. To give to the Christmas Shoe Project, please click here.
Nancy Flory is an associate editor at The Stream. You can follow her @NancyFlory3, and follow The Stream @Streamdotorg.


thestream--2020-07-30--COVID-19 Restrictions Send Billions Back Into Poverty, Reversing Decades of Progress

Many countries imposed strict economic lockdowns early in the COVID-19 pandemic .
The aim ?
To save millions of lives .
Instead , they ’ ve turned out lethal — especially for the poor .
They could negate years of progress in some of the world ’ s poorest countries .
India is the second most populous country in the world .
With 1.3 billion people , it ’ s also the largest democracy .
Around 300 million Indians live in poverty .
Many more millions depend on temporary daily wage jobs .
The COVID-19 lockdowns brought immediate disaster to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unorganized sector .
They make up nearly 81 percent of the total population .
Unable to pay rent and buy food in cities , millions migrated on foot , some for hundreds of miles , back to their villages .
What awaited them was worse .
With the economy shut , they had no jobs .
They lacked even the bare essentials .
The lockdown has rendered half a billion people susceptible to other diseases and decreased lifespans .
Lack of basic nutrition is a major cause .
India is currently ranked number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ All of this has been done in response to a disease that has killed just 32,000 people in four months .
Average all-cause mortality in India during pre-COVID times was 27,000 per day .
In other words , it took COVID-19 more than three months to kill as many Indians as die every day from other causes .
COVID accounts for only about 1 in every 100 deaths every day .
Tuberculosis kills many times more people in India — 440,000 in 2018 .
In light of these numbers , COVID warrants no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ growth rate had slowed in recent years .
But it had been positive in 6 of the last 10 years and 12 of the last 20 .
But the lockdowns are projected to shrink GDP this year and next .
GDP is not expected to return to pre-COVID levels until the second half of 2022 .
This will reverse decades of poverty reduction .
A study done at King ’ s College London and Australian National University has predicted that billions will end up in poverty because of the COVID-19 restrictions .
One @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Without action this crisis could set back progress on reducing global poverty by 20 or even 30 years.
” Aside from India , among the worst affected are Asian nations like Bangladesh , Indonesia , Pakistan and the Philippines .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
Meanwhile , the United Nations , which urged lockdowns , now admits that “ the pandemic has put millions of children at risk of being pushed into underage labor , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the practice and potentially marking the first rise in child labor since 2000.
” Though countries are opening up , mixed messages from authorities and panic driven by the media keep many economies on hold .
For example , in India , businesses are open .
But many trains , buses and flights remain non-operational .
The only way out is to open the economies .
It ’ s time .
COVID-19 levels have subsided significantly in Europe .
Recovery rates are increasing all over the world .
Developing countries must waste no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ task of reversing the damage caused by the manufactured economic crisis .
Delaying reopening will only increase the harm .
Vijay Jayaraj ( M.Sc.
, Environmental Science , University of East Anglia , England ) , is a Research Contributor for the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation

Many countries imposed strict economic lockdowns early in the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim? To save millions of lives. Instead, they’ve turned out lethal — especially for the poor. They could negate years of progress in some of the world’s poorest countries.
World’s Most Populated Democracy in Peril
India is the second most populous country in the world. With 1.3 billion people, it’s also the largest democracy. Around 300 million Indians live in poverty. Many more millions depend on temporary daily wage jobs.
The COVID-19 lockdowns brought immediate disaster to workers and families in India’s unorganized sector. They make up nearly 81 percent of the total population. Unable to pay rent and buy food in cities, millions migrated on foot, some for hundreds of miles, back to their villages. What awaited them was worse. With the economy shut, they had no jobs. They lacked even the bare essentials.
The only way out is to open the economies. It’s time.
The lockdown has rendered half a billion people susceptible to other diseases and decreased lifespans. Lack of basic nutrition is a major cause. India is currently ranked number 102 in the World Hunger Index.
No Justification for Lockdown
All of this has been done in response to a disease that has killed just 32,000 people in four months. Average all-cause mortality in India during pre-COVID times was 27,000 per day. In other words, it took COVID-19 more than three months to kill as many Indians as die every day from other causes. COVID accounts for only about 1 in every 100 deaths every day. Tuberculosis kills many times more people in India — 440,000 in 2018. In light of these numbers, COVID warrants no economic lockdown.
Sending Millions Back into Abject Poverty
India’s GDP growth rate had slowed in recent years. But it had been positive in 6 of the last 10 years and 12 of the last 20. But the lockdowns are projected to shrink GDP this year and next. GDP is not expected to return to pre-COVID levels until the second half of 2022. This will reverse decades of poverty reduction.
A study done at King’s College London and Australian National University has predicted that billions will end up in poverty because of the COVID-19 restrictions. One author, Andy Sumner, warned, “Without action this crisis could set back progress on reducing global poverty by 20 or even 30 years.”
Aside from India, among the worst affected are Asian nations like Bangladesh, Indonesia, Pakistan and the Philippines.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Meanwhile, the United Nations, which urged lockdowns, now admits that “the pandemic has put millions of children at risk of being pushed into underage labor, reversing two decades of work to combat the practice and potentially marking the first rise in child labor since 2000.”
Though countries are opening up, mixed messages from authorities and panic driven by the media keep many economies on hold. For example, in India, businesses are open. But many trains, buses and flights remain non-operational.
Open the Economies
The solution?
The only way out is to open the economies. It’s time. COVID-19 levels have subsided significantly in Europe. Recovery rates are increasing all over the world.
Developing countries must waste no time. They already face the Herculean task of reversing the damage caused by the manufactured economic crisis. Delaying reopening will only increase the harm.
Vijay Jayaraj (M.Sc., Environmental Science, University of East Anglia, England), is a Research Contributor for the Cornwall Alliance for the Stewardship of Creation.


thestream--2020-07-30--Is President Trump a Racist? My Interview With Bishop Harry Jackson

Bishop Harry Jackson is the Pastor of Hope Christian Church in the Greater DC area and co-founder of The Reconciled @ @ @ @ @ s also my very dear friend .
Today I ask him directly for his thoughts @ @ @ @ @ character and policies , the importance of justice reform for racial equality , and the @ @ @ @ @ providing moral clarity to the nation .
Learn more about Bishop Jackson here .
And @ @ @ @ @ : Christian America ’ s Contract with Minorities here .
You can view all the @ @ @ @ @ here .
James Robison is The Stream ’ s founder and publisher .
He is @ @ @ @ @ and co-host of LIFE Today .
He ’ s the author of many books , @ @ @ @ @ Richards ) and Living Amazed .

My wonderful friend, Bishop Harry Jackson Jr., transitioned to Heaven yesterday. He was a fierce champion of truth, freedom and racial reconciliation. It was a privilege to stand at his side to help launch criminal justice reform at the Potter’s House with T.D. Jakes in 2015. This very important program ultimately passed into law in 2017. Bishop Jackson was the Pastor of Hope Christian Church in the Greater D.C. area and co-founder of The Reconciled Church Initiative. His book A Manifesto: Christian America’s Contract with Minorities lays out a biblical agenda for how to bring about social change in our nation.
In this, our last interview, I asked him directly for his thoughts on President Trump’s character and policies, the importance of justice reform for racial equality, and the role of the Church in providing moral clarity to the nation.
My prayers are with Bishop Jackson’s family and Hope Christian Church. I pray God raises up many more church and national leaders who will stand for truth and freedom as courageously and compassionately as Harry Jackson.
James Robison is The Stream’s founder and publisher. He is co-founder of LIFE Outreach International and co-host of LIFE Today. He’s the author of many books, including Indivisible (with Jay Richards) and Living Amazed.


thestream--2020-07-30--How Have You Honored George Floyd?

How Have You Honored George Floyd?

` It has now been little over two months since George Floyd was killed by Derek Chauvin , and I ’ m left wondering what Floyd would think of the “ activism ” that has been done in his name .
I personally did not know Floyd , but people close to him have shared about the kind of person he was .
Once a destructive young man , he eventually discovered the grace of Jesus Christ , changed the course of his life , and helped others do the same .
Floyd ’ s understanding that he was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reconciled to God gives us an important insight into the kind of justice he would want others to strive for .
I ’ ll describe that vision shortly , but I ’ ll pause here briefly and say I ’ m aware of the details surrounding his death — that he died with drugs in his system and counterfeit money in his possession , so it ’ s clear that he was not acting in accordance with his Christian principles in the moments leading up to his unjustified death .
This is deeply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treat George Floyd how I ’ d hope to be treated if my various sinful inclinations and actions came to light after my death .
I hope others would still remember that Jesus saved me and changed me for the better despite the many times I ’ ve failed to honor or obey Him — which is why I will extend that grace to Floyd as well .
Back to the Christian vision of justice : Because Floyd was a Christian and his identity was primarily found in being forgiven and motivated by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ class or skin color , we have many reasons to believe that he would be greatly disturbed by the national response to his death .
It ’ s clear that in many people ’ s haste to avenge him they have idolized him , exploited him , or grossly warped the gospel message that ultimately saved him .
Given the emotional impact his death had on many people , I understand why some of have used art or other kinds of media to create powerful tributes .
However , the line from paying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was clearly crossed when Floyd ’ s body was paraded around crowded streets in a golden casket in various “ tours ” throughout the country .
Especially given that for months various tyrants have limited the public ’ s ability to assemble , worship at their churches , or see their dying loved ones .
All while restrictions were eased when it came to Floyd or the Black Lives Matter protests .
These aren ’ t the only instances of idolization .
Perhaps one the most bizarre and eerie displays is a recently @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , glittering , larger-than-life George Floyd projected into the sky .
It seems increasingly obvious that even our secular culture , people are still clamoring to worship .
America magazine ( a Catholic publication ) opined at length about the many false similarities between Floyd and Jesus Christ and ultimately concluded that “ the crucifixion of a black man on a street-corner Golgotha ” answers questions about how “ racial oppression infests our history , our culture and our institutions.
” Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our Day .
Sadly , it ’ s obvious that many people have twisted history , reality and reason in their efforts to fashion Jesus into the image of what they believe Floyd represents rather than humble themselves before a real and perfect God who has nothing to say about so-called “ social justice ” and everything to say about real justice .
Unlike many of these unsuspecting worshipers , George Floyd knew he was grievous sinner like everyone else , so such extreme levels of misguided adoration do not honor his memory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s death is widespread exploitation and manipulation on the part of Black Lives Matter Leaders , anarchists and criminals , and Democrat politicians .
As we ’ ve seen for months now , various individuals and groups have used protests as an excuse to antagonize and harass people , destroy property , loot and murder .
ANTIFA members have used protests as a springboard for their communist brand of violent “ activism , ” while many BLM supporters have justified the death and destruction taking place in major cities as a valid form @ @ @ @ @ @ @ covered for both groups ’ terroristic actions to a comical degree by insisting that “ peaceful protests ” somehow entail flames and dead bodies .
Perhaps more than any other group , Black Lives Matter ( the official nonprofit ) has used the death of George Floyd to further their openly Marxist agenda and raise millions of funds for progressive politicians ( their hope being that by electing more Democrats that they ’ ll finally be able to enact a more radical anti-American agenda . )
Ironically , Minneapolis , where Floyd was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nearly every way .
Rather than address their mounting policy failures in black communities across the nation , Democrats instead donned colorful Kente scarves and knelt in apparent reverence for a man whose name they can ’ t even remember .
If that awkward photo-op wasn ’ t a perfect picture of exploiting a tragedy for political gain , then I don ’ t know what is .
As a whole , the results of social justice-related activism have been as devastating ( if not more ) than the actual death of George @ @ @ @ @ @ @ violent crime rates .
Businesses have been destroyed in difficult economic times .
People ( including numerous children ) have been murdered .
People are insisting that justice will only be achieved by forcing equal outcomes through governmental coercion , unwittingly chipping away at their own freedom and autonomy in the hopes of achieving an unattainable version of “ equality.
” It ’ s clear from these things that the social justice gospel is not the true gospel .
Its fruits are self-pity , envy , partiality , and hatred for one ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — the theory that people can be hateful and controlling towards others depending on which victim class they belong to .
By all accounts , it appears that George Floyd rejected this counterfeit gospel and tried to help others understand the truth .
One of the most praiseworthy responses to his death has come from black Christians who have taken a stand against the Black Lives Matter movement and boldly pushed back against the false progressive distortions of Christianity .
Monique Duson , Voddie Baucham , Darrell B. Harrison , and many others @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closer to God ’ s divine justice rather than distract them with worldly grievances .
Writer Samuel Sey communicated their message simply but powerfully in a recent tweet : “ The most liberating event in history for black people isn ’ t the end of the slave trade , the end of segregation , or the end of colonialism .
The most liberating event in history for black people ( and all sinners ) is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
” George Floyd was a Christian , which means his primary @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not with an ethnic group or a particular skin color or a popular political movement .
As Christians , God desires that our lives yield good fruit , and this should be true of our deaths as well .
Will those who claim to care about Floyd please stop and consider : Have you truly honored his Christ-inspired vision of justice ?
And , more importantly , have you honored the God who saved him ?
Carmen Schober is the editor-in-chief of Staseos .
She is a wife , mother , fiction writer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
She earned her Master ’ s in Creative Writing and English Literature in 2015 , and she enjoys writing about theology , culture , and storytelling .

It has now been months since the death of George Floyd, and I’m left wondering what Floyd would think of the “activism” that has been done in his name.
I personally did not know Floyd, but people close to him have shared about the kind of person he was. Once an extremely destructive young man, it seems that he eventually discovered the grace of Jesus Christ, changed the course of his life, and helped others do the same. Floyd’s conversion to Christianity provides an important insight into the consequences of sin, as well as the kind of justice he would want others to strive for if he did indeed adopt a biblical worldview.
I’ll describe that vision shortly, but I’ll pause here briefly and say I’m aware of the details surrounding his death — that he died with drugs in his system and counterfeit money in his possession. It’s clear that he was not acting in accordance with Christian principles in the moments leading up to his death. This is deeply unfortunate, but I would still like to treat George Floyd how I’d hope to be treated if my various sinful inclinations and actions came to light after my death. I hope others would still remember that Jesus saved me and changed me for the better despite the many times I’ve failed Him — which is why I will extend that grace to Floyd as well.
Because Floyd was a Christian, that means his identity was primarily found in Christ’s forgiveness rather than some worldly identifier like class or skin color. And yet he has become the face of a hateful, race-obsessed political movement. Sadly, in people’s haste to avenge him, they have idolized him, exploited him, and grossly warped the gospel message that ultimately saved him from sin.
Idolatry
I think there are appropriate ways to remember and respect someone after their death; however, the line between paying one’s respects and flagrant idolization has clearly been crossed. Note the way Floyd’s body was paraded around crowded streets in a golden casket in various “tours” throughout the country. And yet for months various tyrants have limited the public’s ability to assemble, worship at their churches, or see their dying loved ones. Those restrictions were eased only in circumstances relating to Black Lives Matter no matter how destructive.
These aren’t the only instances of idolization. Perhaps one of the most bizarre and eerie displays is a recently unveiled traveling hologram which features a gold, glittering, larger-than-life George Floyd projected into the sky. It appears that even in our increasingly secular culture, people are still clamoring to worship something. Similarly, America Magazine went on at length about the many “similarities” between Floyd and Jesus Christ and ultimately concluded that “the crucifixion of a black man on a street-corner Golgotha” answers questions about how “racial oppression infests our history, our culture and our institutions.” Such a strange, hyperbolic statement is an impossible burden for Floyd — a grievous sinner just like the rest of us — to bear.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Sadly, it’s obvious that many people have twisted history, reality and reason in their efforts to fashion Jesus into the image of what they believe Floyd represents rather than humble themselves before a real and perfect God who has nothing to say about so-called “social justice” and everything to say about real justice. Such extreme levels of misguided adoration do not reflect reality, nor do they honor Floyd’s Christian faith.
Exploitation
Another abhorrent response to Floyd’s death is widespread exploitation and manipulation on the part of Black Lives Matter leaders, anarchists and criminals, and Democrat politicians. As we’ve seen for months now, various individuals and groups have used protests as an excuse to antagonize and harass people, destroy property, loot and murder. ANTIFA members have used protests as a springboard for their communist brand of violent “activism,” while many BLM supporters have justified the death and destruction taking place in major cities as a valid form of protest. Corporate media outlets have covered for both groups’ terroristic actions to a comical degree by insisting that “peaceful protests” somehow entail flames and dead bodies.
Perhaps more than any other group, Black Lives Matter (the official nonprofit) has used the death of George Floyd to further their admittedly Marxist agenda and raise millions of funds for progressive politicians (their hope being that by electing more Democrats they’ll finally be able to enact a more radical anti-American agenda.) Rather than address their mounting policy failures in black communities across the nation, Democrats instead donned colorful Kente scarves and knelt in apparent reverence for a man whose name they can’t even remember. That wildly awkward photo-op was a perfect picture of exploiting a tragedy for political gain — something Democrats have mastered thanks to their devotees in the media.
A Counterfeit Gospel
As a whole, the results of social justice-related activism have been as devastating, particularly for the black community. Major cities are experiencing soaring violent crime rates. Businesses have been destroyed in difficult economic times. People (including numerous children) have been murdered in the violent fray. Fueling it all are people who keep insisting that justice will only be achieved by forcing equal outcomes through governmental coercion and chipping away at everyone’s freedom and autonomy in the hopes of achieving an unattainable version of “equality.”
It’s clear from these things that the social justice gospel is not the true gospel. Its fruits are self-pity, envy, partiality, and hatred for one’s neighbor under the guise of intersectionality — the theory that people can (without consequence) be hateful and controlling towards others depending on which victim class they belong to.
Christians Speak Up
One of the most praiseworthy responses to his death has come from black Christians who have taken a stand against the Black Lives Matter movement and boldly pushed back against the false progressive distortions of Christianity. Monique Duson, Voddie Baucham, Darrell B. Harrison and many others have used their platforms to draw people closer to God’s divine justice rather than distract them with constructed grievances. Writer Samuel Sey communicated the message simply but powerfully in a recent tweet:
The most liberating event in history for black people isn’t the end of the slave trade, the end of segregation, or the end of colonialism. The most liberating event in history for black people (and all sinners) is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Rejoice in that. — Samuel Sey (@SlowToWrite) July 20, 2020
If Floyd was truly a Christian, he wouldn’t be destroying cities or stealing from others. Instead, he’d be pointing others to the true and perfect Judge. Let’s pray that those who claim to care about Floyd stop using him to advance their own destructive agendas and instead open their hearts to the Gospel that saved him.
Carmen Schober is the editor-in-chief of Staseos. She is a wife, mother, fiction writer, cultural commentator, and MMA fan. She earned her Master’s in Creative Writing and English Literature in 2015, and she enjoys writing about theology, culture, and storytelling.