thestream--2020-08-11--‘Do I Seem Rattled?’: Trump Calmly Describes Shooting Near White House

A few minutes into a press briefing Monday evening , President Donald Trump calmly walked away from the lectern after a Secret Service agent interrupted him and whispered a few words .
“ Excuse me , ” Trump said to reporters , and departed the White House briefing room without giving a reason .
Confusion ensued for about 10 minutes until , shortly after initial reports of a nearby shooting , Trump returned to the press room as calmly as he had abruptly left .
“ Sorry for that .
There was a shooting outside of the White House , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under control , ” Trump told reporters .
“ I ’ d like to thank the Secret Service for doing their always quick and very effective work.
” Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
“ There was an actual shooting , ” the president said .
“ Someone has been taken to the hospital .
I don ’ t know the condition of the person .
It seems the person was shot by Secret Service.
” Shortly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced on Twitter that an unidentified man and a Secret Service officer had been taken to a Washington hospital .
“ At no time during this incident was the White House complex breached or were any protectees in danger , ” the tweet said .
The shooting occurred at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue , according to the agency .
As reporters ’ questions flew earlier , Trump stressed that he didn ’ t have any details .
“ It seems the shooting was done by law enforcement , ” the president said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was shot.
” One reporter asked : “ Are you rattled by this at all , Mr. President ?
” Trump quickly responded : “ I don ’ t know , do I seem rattled ?
It ’ s unfortunate .
But the world has always been a dangerous place.
” He referred to Fox News Channel ’ s White House correspondent , John Roberts , who had been outside and reported hearing two shots .
Roberts spoke up in the briefing , at Trump ’ s request , to say that the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Roberts later reported that the incident occurred about 5:48 p.m. at the southeast corner of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue , on the far side of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next to the White House .
He said he “ heard two very loud pops in rapid succession.
” News footage showed uniformed officers appearing to administer aid to someone on the pavement .
When a reporter asked whether the Secret Service had taken him to a White House bunker , Trump said he had gone back to the Oval Office @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , could you please come with me ?
’ ” the president said , recalling the agent ’ s words .
“ You were surprised .
I was surprised also , ” he told reporters .
“ I think it ’ s probably pretty unusual , but [ the Secret Service agents are ] very , very professional people .
They do a fantastic job , as you know.
” He said he was told that no law enforcement officers had been injured , and that the person who was shot had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the Secret Service .
They are the best of the best , ” Trump added .
Asked why he came back to continue the briefing , Trump said : “ I didn ’ t even think about not coming back.
” His Secret Service detail told him he had to wait a little while , the president said .
At one point , Trump described the shooter as “ pretty close ” to the White House .
In response to a later question , he said , “ I don ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the person in question was “ relatively far away.
” 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 .

A few minutes into a press briefing Monday evening, President Donald Trump calmly walked away from the lectern after a Secret Service agent interrupted him and whispered a few words.
News outlets later reported the agent’s words: “We hear shots fired outside.”
“Excuse me,” Trump said to reporters, and departed the White House briefing room without giving a reason.
Confusion ensued for about 10 minutes until, shortly after initial reports of a nearby shooting, Trump returned to the press room as calmly as he had abruptly left.
“Sorry for that. There was a shooting outside of the White House, and it seems to be very well under control,” Trump told reporters. “I’d like to thank the Secret Service for doing their always quick and very effective work.”
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
“There was an actual shooting,” the president said. “Someone has been taken to the hospital. I don’t know the condition of the person. It seems the person was shot by Secret Service.”
Shortly before 8 p.m., the Secret Service announced on Twitter that an unidentified man and a Secret Service officer had been taken to a Washington hospital.
“At no time during this incident was the White House complex breached or were any protectees in danger,” the tweet said.
Update: the investigation into a USSS officer involved shooting is ongoing. A male subject and a USSS officer were both transported to a local hospital. At no time during this incident was the White House complex breached or were any protectees in danger. — U.S. Secret Service (@SecretService) August 10, 2020
The shooting occurred at 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, according to the agency.
Statement from U.S. Secret Service on officer involved shooting: pic.twitter.com/vMP9ypuNh5 — U.S. Secret Service (@SecretService) August 11, 2020
As reporters’ questions flew earlier, Trump stressed that he didn’t have any details.
“It seems the shooting was done by law enforcement,” the president said. “It was the suspect who was shot.”
One reporter asked: “Are you rattled by this at all, Mr. President?”
Trump quickly responded: “I don’t know, do I seem rattled? It’s unfortunate. But the world has always been a dangerous place.”
He referred to Fox News Channel’s White House correspondent, John Roberts, who had been outside and reported hearing two shots.
Roberts spoke up in the briefing, at Trump’s request, to say that the two shots were fired in close succession.
Roberts later reported that the incident occurred about 5:48 p.m. at the southeast corner of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, on the far side of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building next to the White House. He said he “heard two very loud pops in rapid succession.”
News footage showed uniformed officers appearing to administer aid to someone on the pavement.
When a reporter asked whether the Secret Service had taken him to a White House bunker, Trump said he had gone back to the Oval Office.
“He said, ‘Sir, could you please come with me?’” the president said, recalling the agent’s words.
“You were surprised. I was surprised also,” he told reporters. “I think it’s probably pretty unusual, but [the Secret Service agents are] very, very professional people. They do a fantastic job, as you know.”
He said he was told that no law enforcement officers had been injured, and that the person who was shot had been armed.
“I feel very safe with the Secret Service. They are the best of the best,” Trump added.
Asked why he came back to continue the briefing, Trump said: “I didn’t even think about not coming back.”
His Secret Service detail told him he had to wait a little while, the president said.
At one point, Trump described the shooter as “pretty close” to the White House. In response to a later question, he said, “I don’t believe anything was breached” and added that the person in question was “relatively far away.”
Ken McIntyre contributed to this report.
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--2020-08-12--People are Receiving Unsolicited Packages of Seeds in the Mail from China. Here’s What You Need to K

People are Receiving Unsolicited Packages of Seeds in the Mail from China. Here’s What You Need to Know

People in all 50 states have reported receiving packages of seeds in the mail that they weren ’ t expecting , according to CBS News .
The mysterious packages have also shown up in Canada .
They are marked with the words “ China Post.
” The U.S. Department of Agriculture said “ we don ’ t have any evidence indicating this is something other than a ‘ brushing scam ’ where people receive unsolicited items from a seller who then posts false customer reviews to boost sales.
” China Post has said the labels are “ fake ” and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to send the packages back to China so they can investigate .
“ Treat them like they ’ re radioactive .
Treat them like they ’ re kryptonite , ” Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said , adding not to throw them in the trash or otherwise dispose of them .
The USDA instructs anyone who receives an unrequested package of seeds from overseas to immediately contact their state plant regulatory official or APHIS State plant health director , where they can be disposed of correctly .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
“ Please hold onto the seeds and packaging , including the mailing label , until someone from your state department of agriculture or A.P.H.I.S .
contacts you with further instructions , ” the USDA said in a statement .
“ Do not plant seeds from unknown origins.
” Osama El-Lissy , with the Plant Protection program of USDA ’ s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service , said 14 species have been identified .
These include mustard , cabbage , morning glory , mint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hibiscus and rose .
Newsweek reports that it ’ s not just seeds .
Other items are showing up unasked for from China , including masks , sunglasses and socks .
Ray Walsh , a data privacy expert at ProPrivacy , told Newsweek that this constitutes a privacy concern .
“ Anybody who receives an unexpected package needs to be aware that their data is being misused by the seller.
” She added that there ’ s no evidence this kind of scam is leading to bank fraud or identity theft , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” The IndyStar reports that anyone who has received a package they didn ’ t request should change their passwords for online shopping accounts and monitor their credit cards for unauthorized activity .
Aliya Kuykendall is a staff writer and proofreader for The Stream .
You can follow Aliya on Twitter @ AliyaKuykendall and follow The Stream @ Streamdotorg .

People in all 50 states have reported receiving packages of seeds in the mail that they weren’t expecting, according to CBS News. The mysterious packages have also shown up in Canada. They are marked with the words “China Post.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said “we don’t have any evidence indicating this is something other than a ‘brushing scam’ where people receive unsolicited items from a seller who then posts false customer reviews to boost sales.”
China Post has said the labels are “fake” and has asked the U.S. Postal Service to send the packages back to China so they can investigate.
“Treat them like they’re radioactive. Treat them like they’re kryptonite,” Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said, adding not to throw them in the trash or otherwise dispose of them. The USDA instructs anyone who receives an unrequested package of seeds from overseas to immediately contact their state plant regulatory official or APHIS State plant health director, where they can be disposed of correctly.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
“Please hold onto the seeds and packaging, including the mailing label, until someone from your state department of agriculture or A.P.H.I.S. contacts you with further instructions,” the USDA said in a statement. “Do not plant seeds from unknown origins.”
Osama El-Lissy, with the Plant Protection program of USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, said 14 species have been identified. These include mustard, cabbage, morning glory, mint, sage, rosemary, lavender, hibiscus and rose.
Newsweek reports that it’s not just seeds. Other items are showing up unasked for from China, including masks, sunglasses and socks.
Ray Walsh, a data privacy expert at ProPrivacy, told Newsweek that this constitutes a privacy concern. “Anybody who receives an unexpected package needs to be aware that their data is being misused by the seller.” She added that there’s no evidence this kind of scam is leading to bank fraud or identity theft, but that it’s “theoretically possible.” The IndyStar reports that anyone who has received a package they didn’t request should change their passwords for online shopping accounts and monitor their credit cards for unauthorized activity.
Aliya Kuykendall is a staff writer and proofreader for The Stream. You can follow Aliya on Twitter @AliyaKuykendall and follow The Stream @Streamdotorg.


thestream--2020-08-12--Vote by Mail? No Thanks

Vote by Mail? No Thanks

As a general rule , whatever comes cheap and easy isn ’ t highly valued .
Yet some people these days want to take something once cherished — sacrificed for with oceans of blood and treasure — and reduce it to nothing more than a short walk to the mailbox .
I am referring to the act of voting .
About 110 billion human beings have lived on this planet since Adam and Eve .
What portion of that total do you suppose were empowered to cast a secret ballot in a free and fair election ?
I doubt it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seven percent .
The Two Sides of Risk Where do you stand on the question of mail-in voting for this November ’ s election ?
It is a hot topic right now , propelled to the fore by the pandemic .
One side says that since we are supposed to keep our distance , casting our ballots by mail will avoid circumstances that could spread the virus .
The main argument from the other side is that mail-in voting presents unacceptable risks of fraud , dysfunction and uncertainty that would jeopardize the integrity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think those risks are real .
Just because a mailed-in ballot gets delivered to the right place at the right time does not mean there wasn ’ t some hanky-panky at the moment the boxes were checked .
But I do know that when you show up at a polling place , it is you and only you who ’ s checking those boxes in the privacy of the booth .
It took more than a month for the results of several races in the June 23 New York primary to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in virus-related mail-in balloting .
Roughly 20 percent of mail ballots were ultimately rejected during the certification process .
Imagine the potential for confusion and abuse if vote-by-mailman were mandated nationwide for legislative , congressional and presidential contests .
Moreover , I am suspicious of the idea because those who are calling for it are pretty much the same crowd that doesn ’ t want a voter to ever have to produce identification .
I think they realize that anything that makes fraud more feasible will help their political party — which is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ In-Person Voting — Insist on Your Right In a recent commentary , the Heritage Foundation ’ s Hans von Spakovsky argued that “ Americans should insist on their right to vote in-person in their polling places in November , where they can be sure their ballots are safely received and counted.
” He reasons as follows : Mail-in ballots are the ballots most vulnerable to being altered , stolen or forged .
Just look at the current investigation going on in Paterson , N.J. , over a recent municipal election conducted entirely by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been charged with criminal election fraud , including a councilman and councilman-elect .
Evidence is surfacing of everything from voters reporting that they never received their absentee ballots ( even though they are recorded as having voted ) to accusations that one of the campaigns may have submitted fraudulent ballots .
Mail-in ballots also have a higher rejection rate than votes cast in person .
In the Paterson case , election officials apparently rejected one in five ballots for everything from signatures on the ballots not matching the signatures of voters on file @ @ @ @ @ @ @ technical rules that apply to absentee ballots .
What About the Virus ?
What about the virus , you ask ?
No problem .
We can add a few extra polling places if necessary .
We can wear masks and stand a few feet apart .
We can early vote in most states .
And if you know you will be out of town or ill on Election Day , you can vote absentee — a legitimate option no one objects to when it ’ s necessary and minimal .
If the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ process , so be it .
You can complain about that some day to people who live where they can ’ t vote at all , or to your 95-year-old grandfather who dodged hellfire on Hacksaw Ridge .
Do not mis-read me .
I am not one of those folks who thinks voting , no matter who or what you vote for , is holy writ .
I would never support mandatory voting , as a few countries have .
I ’ ve even defended a principled non-voter ’ s right to send @ @ @ @ @ @ @ urge lazy or thoughtless people to get up to speed or leave the vote to others more serious about public affairs .
And to those who see voting as their license for legalized plunder , I say clean up your character or stay home .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
What I am against are these two evils : corrupting the process to serve the interests of crooks who lust for power and demeaning it by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mail-in voting takes hold in this country , we can add yet another of our hard-won rights to the growing pile we don ’ t much care for anymore .
And if a walk to the mailbox gets too onerous , we could just vote by phone .
Punch a few buttons from the convenience of our recliners and bingo !
We will have ourselves a President , a Governor or a Senator !
Then we can get back to the Khardashians before the commercial ’ s over .
That is not , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ either strengthening or preserving a free society .
Lawrence W. Reed is President Emeritus and Humphreys Family Senior Fellow at FEE , having served for nearly 11 years as FEE ’ s president ( 2008-2019 ) .
He is author of the 2020 book , Was Jesus a Socialist ?
as well as Real Heroes : Inspiring True Stories of Courage , Character , and Conviction and Excuse Me , Professor : Challenging the Myths of Progressivism .

As a general rule, whatever comes cheap and easy isn’t highly valued. Yet some people these days want to take something once cherished — sacrificed for with oceans of blood and treasure — and reduce it to nothing more than a short walk to the mailbox.
I am referring to the act of voting.
About 110 billion human beings have lived on this planet since Adam and Eve. What portion of that total do you suppose were empowered to cast a secret ballot in a free and fair election? I doubt it was even as much as six or seven percent.
The Two Sides of Risk
Where do you stand on the question of mail-in voting for this November’s election? It is a hot topic right now, propelled to the fore by the pandemic. One side says that since we are supposed to keep our distance, casting our ballots by mail will avoid circumstances that could spread the virus. The main argument from the other side is that mail-in voting presents unacceptable risks of fraud, dysfunction and uncertainty that would jeopardize the integrity of the electoral process.
What I am against are these two evils: corrupting the process to serve the interests of crooks who lust for power and demeaning it by requiring no real effort.
Personally, I think those risks are real. Just because a mailed-in ballot gets delivered to the right place at the right time does not mean there wasn’t some hanky-panky at the moment the boxes were checked. But I do know that when you show up at a polling place, it is you and only you who’s checking those boxes in the privacy of the booth.
It took more than a month for the results of several races in the June 23 New York primary to be known, all because of a surge in virus-related mail-in balloting. Roughly 20 percent of mail ballots were ultimately rejected during the certification process.
Imagine the potential for confusion and abuse if vote-by-mailman were mandated nationwide for legislative, congressional and presidential contests. Moreover, I am suspicious of the idea because those who are calling for it are pretty much the same crowd that doesn’t want a voter to ever have to produce identification. I think they realize that anything that makes fraud more feasible will help their political party — which is a sad commentary on that party.
In-Person Voting — Insist on Your Right
In a recent commentary, the Heritage Foundation’s Hans von Spakovsky argued that “Americans should insist on their right to vote in-person in their polling places in November, where they can be sure their ballots are safely received and counted.”
He reasons as follows:
Mail-in ballots are the ballots most vulnerable to being altered, stolen or forged. Just look at the current investigation going on in Paterson, N.J., over a recent municipal election conducted entirely by mail. Four Paterson residents have already been charged with criminal election fraud, including a councilman and councilman-elect. Evidence is surfacing of everything from voters reporting that they never received their absentee ballots (even though they are recorded as having voted) to accusations that one of the campaigns may have submitted fraudulent ballots. Mail-in ballots also have a higher rejection rate than votes cast in person. In the Paterson case, election officials apparently rejected one in five ballots for everything from signatures on the ballots not matching the signatures of voters on file, to ballots not complying with the technical rules that apply to absentee ballots.
What About the Virus?
What about the virus, you ask? No problem. We can add a few extra polling places if necessary. We can wear masks and stand a few feet apart. We can early vote in most states. And if you know you will be out of town or ill on Election Day, you can vote absentee — a legitimate option no one objects to when it’s necessary and minimal. If the virus nonetheless adds some inconvenience to the voting process, so be it. You can complain about that some day to people who live where they can’t vote at all, or to your 95-year-old grandfather who dodged hellfire on Hacksaw Ridge.
Preserving a Free Society
Do not mis-read me. I am not one of those folks who thinks voting, no matter who or what you vote for, is holy writ. I would never support mandatory voting, as a few countries have. I’ve even defended a principled non-voter’s right to send a message by not voting. I urge lazy or thoughtless people to get up to speed or leave the vote to others more serious about public affairs. And to those who see voting as their license for legalized plunder, I say clean up your character or stay home.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
What I am against are these two evils: corrupting the process to serve the interests of crooks who lust for power and demeaning it by requiring no real effort.
If mass mail-in voting takes hold in this country, we can add yet another of our hard-won rights to the growing pile we don’t much care for anymore. And if a walk to the mailbox gets too onerous, we could just vote by phone. Punch a few buttons from the convenience of our recliners and bingo! We will have ourselves a President, a Governor or a Senator! Then we can get back to the Khardashians before the commercial’s over.
That is not, in my view, a technique for either strengthening or preserving a free society.
Lawrence W. Reed is President Emeritus and Humphreys Family Senior Fellow at FEE, having served for nearly 11 years as FEE’s president (2008-2019). He is author of the 2020 book, Was Jesus a Socialist?as well as Real Heroes: Inspiring True Stories of Courage, Character, and Conviction and Excuse Me, Professor: Challenging the Myths of Progressivism.
Originally published at FEE.org. Reprinted with permission.


thestream--2020-08-12--Kamala Seals the Deal on Biden’s Anti-Catholic Campaign

I said Kamala Harris would be the nominee over a year ago .
Ultimately , I wasn ’ t wrong .
We ’ ve known that Biden ’ s running mate would finish out his term if he won .
And even then , as far back as Easter , I picked her to be Biden ’ s choice for running mate .
What were the choices ?
Bernie , who ’ s too old ?
Elizabeth Warren , Bernie with a brain , who lets Trump bait her into doing stupid things ?
Tulsi Gabbard , who was slightly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the “ Look at me , I ’ m gay !
” candidate ?
Beta O ’ Rourke , who got good press , but was a weirdo ?
The rest of them , whose names we ’ ve already forgotten ?
But I had my worries .
I was ( and am ) concerned about the overconfidence I hear on our side , from Wall Street Journal types calling liberalism “ a spent force ” to Claremont Institute conservatives who said Biden will lose because he is the establishment Trump overthrew .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ I was hearing that liberalism was “ a spent force ” in the early GWB years .
What happened with liberalism ?
Ten years later , the White House was bathed in rainbow colors and the Little Sisters of the Poor were told to provide contraceptives or else .
And ten years after that ?
We had a nation in which , as my Stream article put it , “ Bernie Sanders Could Win It All.
” But he lost !
No , not exactly .
Bernie the person lost .
But Bernie @ @ @ @ @ @ @ largely in control of the party … and even , in many places , of the streets .
Their new standard-bearer ?
Kamala Harris .
Added to the very liberal Biden , we have the arch-liberal Harris .
She ’ s the political opportunist who persecuted David Daleiden for exposing Planned Parenthood .
She attacked judicial nominees for being in the Knights of Columbus , as if a believing Christian can ’ t be a judge .
As “ whole life ” leader Charlie Camosy wrote : “ She is an abortion rights @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I don ’ t say that about most who ID as pro-choice … most are not pro-abortion .
She is . )
She supports no restrictions at all .
Abortions paid for with pro-lifers tax dollars .
And no religious freedom exceptions .
Under a Harris administration , Catholic hospitals would be forced to do abortions.
” We ’ ve got more trouble than our side has yet realized .
Harris is the smart choice for Biden .
It ’ s a high stakes gamble that will either crush us or crush him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Biden as Kamala , for good and for ill. As I said for sixteen months , Kamala is the Democrat I dislike the most .
No other candidate brings the ideological fanaticism and the chops to carry it out the way she does.She ’ s not just talk , like most of the others .
She knows better than anyone since Obama how to exploit the dying embers of our democracy to advance the coming authoritarianism .
Look at the way she flipped the Planned-Parenthood-selling-aborted-baby-parts-scandal on its head .
It was a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ She turned it into a persecution of David Daleiden .
She made him the bad guy .
Hers was a trick worthy of a totalitarian state .
Look at her attempt to delegitimize the Knights of Columbus by attacking a judicial nominee ’ s membership in the organization .
It ’ s a Catholic men ’ s organization , dedicated to service and deepening its members ’ spiritual lives .
Of course , it ’ s strongly pro-life , but otherwise not very political .
But that was enough for Harris to make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being a knight is so bad it disqualifies a man from being a judge .
Again , a trick worthy of a totalitarian state .
Nothing says mainstream , average-guy in the pew , believer like the Knights .
And she went right at them .
And look at the repressive idea she came up with during the debates .
In a Harris administration , the Justice Department would simply declare state-level pro-life laws to be in conflict with federal law and therefore invalid .
All that sounds crazy , right ?
So @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contraceptives , something Biden insists on doing even though the Supreme Court said no .
Just wait .
Kamala will be cooking up a lot more where that came from .
And like Obama , she ’ s got the chops to make it happen .
What this means is the Left will be energized by this pick .
They can see the possibilities I see in her .
They ’ re going to work much harder for Biden than was the case just a few hours ago .
You think the stakes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They just got way higher .
Biden is only the fourth Catholic in history to be a major candidate for President .
Yet he is running a campaign that will specifically target the Church for persecution .
Biden is running on an explicitly anti-Catholic platform .
And if he targets the Catholic Church , he ’ s targeting Christians in general .
His choice of running mate seals that deal like none other could .
This election , the issue isn ’ t just the Supreme Court and the unborn child , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s whether the Church ’ s ability to proclaim the gospel in the USA , as it has since the nation ’ s founding , will be put to an end .
Whether one of our own will be the instrument of a persecution of us like we have never seen in this land .
That is the agenda that Joe Biden has just greatly advanced with his choice of Kamala Harris today .
The stakes just got way higher .
But the flip side is that it should energize us too .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Peter Wolfgang is president of Family Institute of Connecticut Action .
He lives in Waterbury , Connecticut , with his wife and their seven children .
The views expressed on The Stream are solely his own .

I said Kamala Harris would be the nominee over a year ago. Ultimately, I wasn’t wrong. We’ve known that Biden’s running mate would finish out his term if he won. And even then, as far back as Easter, I picked her to be Biden’s choice for running mate.
What were the choices? Bernie, who’s too old? Elizabeth Warren, Bernie with a brain, who lets Trump bait her into doing stupid things? Tulsi Gabbard, who was slightly different than the rest? Buttigieg, the “Look at me, I’m gay!” candidate? Beta O’Rourke, who got good press, but was a weirdo? The rest of them, whose names we’ve already forgotten?
Conservative Over-Confidence
But I had my worries. I was (and am) concerned about the overconfidence I hear on our side, from Wall Street Journal types calling liberalism “a spent force” to Claremont Institute conservatives who said Biden will lose because he is the establishment Trump overthrew.
Maybe the second were right. But I was hearing that liberalism was “a spent force” in the early GWB years. What happened with liberalism? Ten years later, the White House was bathed in rainbow colors and the Little Sisters of the Poor were told to provide contraceptives or else.
And ten years after that? We had a nation in which, as my Stream article put it, “Bernie Sanders Could Win It All.” But he lost! No, not exactly. Bernie the person lost. But Bernie the movement won. They are now largely in control of the party … and even, in many places, of the streets. Their new standard-bearer? Kamala Harris.
Added to the very liberal Biden, we have the arch-liberal Harris. She’s the political opportunist who persecuted David Daleiden for exposing Planned Parenthood. She attacked judicial nominees for being in the Knights of Columbus, as if a believing Christian can’t be a judge.
As “whole life” leader Charlie Camosy wrote: “She is an abortion rights extremist and genuinely pro-abortion. (And I don’t say that about most who ID as pro-choice … most are not pro-abortion. She is.) She supports no restrictions at all. Abortions paid for with pro-lifers tax dollars. And no religious freedom exceptions. Under a Harris administration, Catholic hospitals would be forced to do abortions.”
We’ve got more trouble than our side has yet realized.
The Smart Choice
Harris is the smart choice for Biden. It’s a high stakes gamble that will either crush us or crush him. No one else brings as much to Biden as Kamala, for good and for ill.
As I said for sixteen months, Kamala is the Democrat I dislike the most. No other candidate brings the ideological fanaticism and the chops to carry it out the way she does.She’s not just talk, like most of the others. She knows better than anyone since Obama how to exploit the dying embers of our democracy to advance the coming authoritarianism.
Look at the way she flipped the Planned-Parenthood-selling-aborted-baby-parts-scandal on its head. It was a public relations disaster for the abortionist. She turned it into a persecution of David Daleiden. She made him the bad guy. Hers was a trick worthy of a totalitarian state.
Look at her attempt to delegitimize the Knights of Columbus by attacking a judicial nominee’s membership in the organization. It’s a Catholic men’s organization, dedicated to service and deepening its members’ spiritual lives. Of course, it’s strongly pro-life, but otherwise not very political.
But that was enough for Harris to make it an enemy. She says that being a knight is so bad it disqualifies a man from being a judge. Again, a trick worthy of a totalitarian state. Nothing says mainstream, average-guy in the pew, believer like the Knights. And she went right at them.
And look at the repressive idea she came up with during the debates. In a Harris administration, the Justice Department would simply declare state-level pro-life laws to be in conflict with federal law and therefore invalid.
All that sounds crazy, right? So did trying to force nuns to provide contraceptives, something Biden insists on doing even though the Supreme Court said no.
Just wait. Kamala will be cooking up a lot more where that came from. And like Obama, she’s got the chops to make it happen.
An Energized Left
What this means is the Left will be energized by this pick. They can see the possibilities I see in her. They’re going to work much harder for Biden than was the case just a few hours ago. You think the stakes for Christians were high before today? They just got way higher.
Biden is only the fourth Catholic in history to be a major candidate for President. Yet he is running a campaign that will specifically target the Church for persecution. Biden is running on an explicitly anti-Catholic platform. And if he targets the Catholic Church, he’s targeting Christians in general. His choice of running mate seals that deal like none other could.
This election, the issue isn’t just the Supreme Court and the unborn child, as huge as that is. It’s whether the Church’s ability to proclaim the gospel in the USA, as it has since the nation’s founding, will be put to an end. Whether one of our own will be the instrument of a persecution of us like we have never seen in this land.
That is the agenda that Joe Biden has just greatly advanced with his choice of Kamala Harris today.
The stakes just got way higher. But the flip side is that it should energize us too. If we have what it takes.
Peter Wolfgang is president of Family Institute of Connecticut Action. He lives in Waterbury, Connecticut, with his wife and their seven children. The views expressed on The Stream are solely his own.


thestream--2020-08-12--World’s Most Famous Atheist Now Sees the Value of Christianity

Richard Dawkins is the last person I ’ d expect to start realizing the value of Christianity .
He ’ s probably the most famous atheist in the world and he ’ s downright devout in his views .
Totalitarian , in fact .
Back in 2015 , he even told the Irish Times that children need to be “ protected ” from the religious beliefs of their parents .
“ There is a balancing act and you have to balance the rights of parents and the rights of children , and I think the balance has swung too far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ Children do need to be protected so that they can have a proper education and not be indoctrinated in whatever religion their parents happen to have been brought up in.
” As for those who value the Scriptures above all ?
“ You have to write off those people , ” he advised .
As an atheist , Dawkins is also willing to say morally horrifying things .
He would disagree with that characterization , because he doesn ’ t believe in objective morality .
The Heavens are empty .
There is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And so when a Twitter follower asked him what someone should do if their pre-born child had Down syndrome , he was practical .
“ Abort it and try again , ” he advised .
“ It would be immoral to bring it into the world if you have the choice.
” Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
By “ it ” Dawkins meant the child with Down syndrome .
Disability activists were outraged .
Parents of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the abortionist were furious .
Dawkins “ apologized ” by doubling down .
“ If your morality is based , as mine is , on a desire to increase the sum of happiness and reduce human suffering , ” he wrote , “ the decision to deliberately give birth to a Down ’ s baby , when you have the choice to abort it early in the pregnancy , might actually be immoral from the point of view of the child ’ s own welfare.
” Nearly 99 % of people with Down @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % like who they are .
96 % like how they look .
Dawkins ’ ableism says much more about him than them .
But this isn ’ t surprising from the man who , the year before , had tweeted that the baby in the womb was human — but it didn ’ t matter .
“ With respect to those meanings of ‘ human ’ that are relevant to the morality of abortion , ” he stated , “ any fetus is less human than an adult pig.
” And then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his weird habit of musing on whether we ’ ll get over our moral hang-ups about cannibalism .
If God doesn ’ t exist and we aren ’ t created in His image , what ’ s wrong with human steaks ?
Dawkins can ’ t answer that question .
That ’ s why Richard Dawkins is the last person I ’ d expect to start realizing the value of Christianity .
And yet , he has begun to sing a different tune .
On March 21 , 2018 , for example , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children from Christianity tweeted out a report from The Guardian .
The report detailed the collapse of Christianity in Great Britain .
Among other things , it noted that almost 70 % between ages 16 and 29 subscribe to no religion .
Dawkins ’ dream is being realized .
Christianity is dying .
I doubt even he expected to be one of the mourners .
But his tweet accompanying this report indicates that he is seeing his success as a curse .
“ Before we rejoice at the death throes of the relatively @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , “ let ’ s not forget Hilaire Belloc ’ s menacing rhyme : ‘ Always keep a-hold of nurse , For fear of finding something worse.
’ ” In fact , he said , “ There are no Christians , as far as I know , blowing up buildings .
I am not aware of any Christian suicide bombers .
I am not aware of any major Christian denomination that believes the penalty for apostasy is death.
” Last year , Dawkins went even further .
He told The Times that ending @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be a terrible idea .
Why ?
Because it would “ give people a license to do really bad things.
” Citing the example of security cameras as a deterrent to shoplifting , he made what must have been a painful admission : “ People may feel free to do bad things because they feel God is no longer watching them.
” Not just shoplifting , either , if you think about it .
He touched on the same theme in his recent book Outgrowing God .
“ Whether irrational or not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plausible that , if somebody sincerely believes God is watching his every move , he might be more likely to be good , ” he confessed begrudgingly .
“ I must say that I hate that idea .
I want to believe that humans are better than that .
I ’ d like to believe I ’ m honest whether anyone is watching or not.
” In short ?
Dawkins doesn ’ t believe in God , but he does recognize that other people believing in God may have objective benefits for society @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ It might bring the crime right down.
” As I noted in a previous column for The Stream , many once-virulent atheists appear to be changing their tune .
Dawkins does not believe in God , but may finally be beginning to understand why Christianity is so important .
Without God , civilization can not thrive .
Now , even world ’ s most famous atheist Richard Dawkins is worried about what that godless world might look like — and who might take God ’ s place should He decide to leave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speaker , writer , and pro-life activist .
He is the author of The Culture War and Seeing Is Believing : Why Our Culture Must Face the Victims of Abortion , and co-author of A Guide to Discussing Assisted Suicide .

Richard Dawkins is the last person I’d expect to start realizing the value of Christianity. He’s probably the most famous atheist in the world and he’s downright devout in his views. Totalitarian, in fact.
Back in 2015, he even told the Irish Times that children need to be “protected” from the religious beliefs of their parents. “There is a balancing act and you have to balance the rights of parents and the rights of children, and I think the balance has swung too far towards parents,” he mused. “Children do need to be protected so that they can have a proper education and not be indoctrinated in whatever religion their parents happen to have been brought up in.”
As for those who value the Scriptures above all? “You have to write off those people,” he advised.
Horrifyingly Practical
As an atheist, Dawkins is also willing to say morally horrifying things. He would disagree with that characterization, because he doesn’t believe in objective morality. The Heavens are empty. There is nobody to judge Dawkins but Dawkins. And so when a Twitter follower asked him what someone should do if their pre-born child had Down syndrome, he was practical. “Abort it and try again,” he advised. “It would be immoral to bring it into the world if you have the choice.”
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
By “it” Dawkins meant the child with Down syndrome. Disability activists were outraged. Parents of the children Dawkins sees as fodder for the abortionist were furious. Dawkins “apologized” by doubling down. “If your morality is based, as mine is, on a desire to increase the sum of happiness and reduce human suffering,” he wrote, “the decision to deliberately give birth to a Down’s baby, when you have the choice to abort it early in the pregnancy, might actually be immoral from the point of view of the child’s own welfare.”
Nearly 99% of people with Down syndrome report being extremely happy. 97% like who they are. 96% like how they look. Dawkins’ ableism says much more about him than them. But this isn’t surprising from the man who, the year before, had tweeted that the baby in the womb was human — but it didn’t matter. “With respect to those meanings of ‘human’ that are relevant to the morality of abortion,” he stated, “any fetus is less human than an adult pig.”
And then, of course, there’s his weird habit of musing on whether we’ll get over our moral hang-ups about cannibalism. If God doesn’t exist and we aren’t created in His image, what’s wrong with human steaks? Dawkins can’t answer that question.
The Last Person
That’s why Richard Dawkins is the last person I’d expect to start realizing the value of Christianity. And yet, he has begun to sing a different tune.
On March 21, 2018, for example, the atheist who proposed “protecting” children from Christianity tweeted out a report from The Guardian. The report detailed the collapse of Christianity in Great Britain. Among other things, it noted that almost 70% between ages 16 and 29 subscribe to no religion.
Dawkins’ dream is being realized. Christianity is dying. I doubt even he expected to be one of the mourners.
But his tweet accompanying this report indicates that he is seeing his success as a curse. “Before we rejoice at the death throes of the relatively benign Christian religion,” he noted, “let’s not forget Hilaire Belloc’s menacing rhyme: ‘Always keep a-hold of nurse, For fear of finding something worse.’” In fact, he said, “There are no Christians, as far as I know, blowing up buildings. I am not aware of any Christian suicide bombers. I am not aware of any major Christian denomination that believes the penalty for apostasy is death.”
Last year, Dawkins went even further. He told The Times that ending religion — once his fervent goal — would be a terrible idea. Why? Because it would “give people a license to do really bad things.” Citing the example of security cameras as a deterrent to shoplifting, he made what must have been a painful admission: “People may feel free to do bad things because they feel God is no longer watching them.”
Not just shoplifting, either, if you think about it.
Dawkins Outgrows God
He touched on the same theme in his recent book Outgrowing God. “Whether irrational or not, it does, unfortunately, seem plausible that, if somebody sincerely believes God is watching his every move, he might be more likely to be good,” he confessed begrudgingly. “I must say that I hate that idea. I want to believe that humans are better than that. I’d like to believe I’m honest whether anyone is watching or not.”
In short? Dawkins doesn’t believe in God, but he does recognize that other people believing in God may have objective benefits for society. For example, he grumbled, “It might bring the crime right down.”
As I noted in a previous column for The Stream, many once-virulent atheists appear to be changing their tune. Dawkins does not believe in God, but may finally be beginning to understand why Christianity is so important. Without God, civilization cannot thrive.
Now, even world’s most famous atheist Richard Dawkins is worried about what that godless world might look like — and who might take God’s place should He decide to leave.
Jonathon Van Maren is a public speaker, writer, and pro-life activist. He is the author of The Culture War and Seeing Is Believing: Why Our Culture Must Face the Victims of Abortion, and co-author of A Guide to Discussing Assisted Suicide.


thestream--2020-08-12--If Something Irritates You, It Must Be Racist … Or Something™

America ’ s going through a Great Awakening today .
Millions are seeing their hearts transformed , their lives turned upside down , their souls convicted of sin … .
Sadly , they ’ re wrong .
Wasting their time .
The faith they ’ re embracing is false , and won ’ t redeem them .
And it ’ s irredeemably stupid .
That ’ s my personal beef with the Woke creed of Darwinian materialist Anti-Racism .
It ’ s so dumb you can ’ t argue with it , because the people who hold to it have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brains , pulled out the plug , and switched off the circuit breaker .
Using reason among the Woke is like handing blind kids printed tracts explaining the benefits of Braille .
It might make you feel good , but it doesn ’ t help them .
Wokeness is just that stupid .
It ’ s Tom-Cruise-your-soul-was-planted-on-earth-in-volcanoes-by-the-evil-space-lord-Xenu-stupid .
It ’ s NeverTrump-vote-for-a-Democrat-Congress-stupid .
But that hasn ’ t stopped the Woke cult , any more than the same flaw stopped Scientology , or the career of William Kristol .
Humor exerts a force @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was inspired to write my Bad Catholics series of humorous doctrinal books by observing the power of laughter to undermine people ’ s faith .
George Carlin ’ s routines mocking religion did far more than thousands of earnest atheist tracts .
So why not use humor to skewer unbelief , false beliefs , and crass secular stereotypes ?
So instead of flailing around employing facts , reason or history to reach the minds of the Woke , I suggest you reach out to their hearts .
Each of us , in his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his comfort zone and offer Woke folks the healing power of Scorn .
Reach down ( I know you can do this ! )
and find that bitter , sarcastic place inside each one of us .
If you ’ re me , it ’ s the place that snickers as you watch Tonya Harding on World ’ s Dumbest Outlaws each night before going to sleep .
Summon and share your Scorn .
Witness to it with others , until those Woke folks too are snowy-white , washed in the Bile .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ I just used … Racist-or-Something™ ?
I mean , sure .
We all know that imagery of spotless white lambs comes straight from scriptures of swarthy , desert-tanned Jews .
It was only hijacked by ignorant People of Pallor many long centuries later .
But the Woke folks warn us that petty considerations like that don ’ t exempt a phrase out of ancient Hebrew prophecy from the taint of modern sin .
Because Racism™ doesn ’ t depend on whether you had a racist intent .
It doesn ’ t ask whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the inequality of the races .
Or if you treasure ill-will , or baseless negative stereotypes concerning people because of their color .
Racism™ isn ’ t what Rev .
Martin Luther , Jr. , or even Frederick Douglass thought it was : an un-Christian set of beliefs and actions .
Instead it ’ s what Marxist theorists like the founders of Black Lives Matter ( LLC ) assert : It ’ s bias plus privilege and power .
You have to be the top dog to ever be guilty of racism .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ black American who hates Korean store-owners ?
That ’ s not Racism™ , since they own a convenience store and you don ’ t .
If you follow Louis Farrakhan and say “ I ’ m not an anti-Semite , I ’ m anti-Termite ” ?
Nope .
On average Jews have more money and privilege than you do .
So your conscience is clear .
So Hutu extremists planning to rise up and murder the Tutsis in Rwanda , calling them “ cockroaches ” who needed to be exterminated ?
They weren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Hutus were still the underdogs at the moment , having less money and power than the Tutsis .
It was only after the revolution , when the Tutsis were weak and terrified , fleeing for nearby countries , that Hutu hatred met the conditions for Racism™ .
Is all this making sense yet ?
I hope not , because it ’ s gibberish .
But wait , it gets worse .
If you do happen to belong to a group which in general has power and privilege in a given place and time @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s a kind of Original Sin , attached to anyone in the group , regardless of his intentions , wishes , or deeds .
By being white in a ( still for now ) white majority country , every unemployed coal miner or traumatized Vietnam vet partakes in White Privilege , and is the beneficiary and practitioner ( by virtue of living ) of white Racism™ .
That ’ s the message of the best-selling idiot book White Fragility , which mostly white diversity trainers are charging companies thousands to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Any policy , law , historical practice , economic system , idea , character virtue , religious teaching , or law of physics that can be said to have a “ disparate impact ” on non-whites and whites ?
That ’ s definitely Racist™ .
Even if the intent was clearly , provably innocent , it doesn ’ t matter .
If anything affects whites and non-whites differently , it ’ s Racist™ .
With just one exception : The Sexual Revolution .
That ’ s not racist at all , no @ @ @ @ @ @ @ illegitimacy , and the welfare estate on poor people , especially black people .
Those things can ’ t be Racist™ , and neither can Planned Parenthood , even though it was founded and run for decades by white supremacists .
Are we clear on all of this ?
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
As I said , you can ’ t argue with stark , raving nonsense .
I won ’ t try to prove @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soul in a volcano millions of years ago .
Or that Racism™ is an incoherent pile of politicized bat guano .
Instead I will mock it , and urge you to as well .
The left is trying to set up an entire official religion , with all the pieties , rituals , and taboos any cult of Caesar requires .
As you read this , it ’ s rising and growing and attacking American cities , like the Stay-Puf Marshmallow Man at the end of Ghostbusters .
Your Pet Peeves Are Probably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ legal , we should laugh at it and get everyone else laughing too .
Even as academics wring their uncalloused , tenured hands about whether mathematics , grammar , and classical music might be Racist™ , we need to drive the Gadarene swine further down their own slippery slope .
Start referring to anything and everything that bothers you as “ Racist … Or Something™.
” I ’ ve added the “ or something ” to suggest the laser precision of leftist moral judgments .
There ’ s a small chance , perhaps @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but rather sexist .
Human biology is absolutely both trans- and homo-phobic .
So leave a little room for that , just in case .
So what ’ s on my list of things that are Racist … Or Something™ ?
Just off the top of my head : • The virus lockdown , which closed down Alamo Drafthouse , my parish church , and half of the 2020 season of the Dallas Bach Society .
I hate missing each of those things , so the lockdown in my view is totally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chinese Communist regime , which released the virus on us .
And which also runs , you know , concentration camps forcing an ethnic minority ( the Uighurs ) to manufacture Nike sneakers as slaves .
• Excessively hoppy IPAs , which hipsters seem to think it ’ s a test of manhood to choke down , they ’ re so bitter .
Totally Racist … Or Something™ .
• Entropy , and the heat death of the universe .
It sounds like that ’ s bound to suck .
There ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ peeves .
Please share them on social media .
Anything at all that frustrates or gets you down , it ’ s # Racistorsomething™ .
Come on people , let ’ s share the Scorn .
John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream , and author or co-author of ten books , including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism .
He is co-author with Jason Jones of “ God , Guns , & the Government .
”

America’s going through a Great Awakening today. Millions are seeing their hearts transformed, their lives turned upside down, their souls convicted of sin … .
Sadly, they’re wrong. Wasting their time. The faith they’re embracing is false, and won’t redeem them. And it’s irredeemably stupid. That’s my personal beef with the Woke creed of Darwinian materialist Anti-Racism. It’s so dumb you can’t argue with it, because the people who hold to it have shut down the relevant regions of their brains, pulled out the plug, and switched off the circuit breaker. Using reason among the Woke is like handing blind kids printed tracts explaining the benefits of Braille. It might make you feel good, but it doesn’t help them.
Wokeness is just that stupid. It’s Tom-Cruise-your-soul-was-planted-on-earth-in-volcanoes-by-the-evil-space-lord-Xenu-stupid. It’s NeverTrump-vote-for-a-Democrat-Congress-stupid. But that hasn’t stopped the Woke cult, any more than the same flaw stopped Scientology, or the career of William Kristol.
Washed in the Bile
Humor exerts a force where reason finds itself helpless. I was inspired to write my Bad Catholics series of humorous doctrinal books by observing the power of laughter to undermine people’s faith. George Carlin’s routines mocking religion did far more than thousands of earnest atheist tracts. So why not use humor to skewer unbelief, false beliefs, and crass secular stereotypes?
So instead of flailing around employing facts, reason or history to reach the minds of the Woke, I suggest you reach out to their hearts. Each of us, in his own way, can step out of his comfort zone and offer Woke folks the healing power of Scorn. Reach down (I know you can do this!) and find that bitter, sarcastic place inside each one of us. If you’re me, it’s the place that snickers as you watch Tonya Harding on World’s Dumbest Outlaws each night before going to sleep. Summon and share your Scorn. Witness to it with others, until those Woke folks too are snowy-white, washed in the Bile.
Racist-or-Something™
Wait, isn’t that phrase I just used … Racist-or-Something™? I mean, sure. We all know that imagery of spotless white lambs comes straight from scriptures of swarthy, desert-tanned Jews. It was only hijacked by ignorant People of Pallor many long centuries later. But the Woke folks warn us that petty considerations like that don’t exempt a phrase out of ancient Hebrew prophecy from the taint of modern sin.
Because Racism™ doesn’t depend on whether you had a racist intent. It doesn’t ask whether you hold false, anti-biblical beliefs about the inequality of the races. Or if you treasure ill-will, or baseless negative stereotypes concerning people because of their color. Racism™ isn’t what Rev. Martin Luther, Jr., or even Frederick Douglass thought it was: an un-Christian set of beliefs and actions. Instead it’s what Marxist theorists like the founders of Black Lives Matter (LLC) assert: It’s bias plus privilege and power.
You have to be the top dog to ever be guilty of racism. So if you’re a poor black American who hates Korean store-owners? That’s not Racism™, since they own a convenience store and you don’t. If you follow Louis Farrakhan and say “I’m not an anti-Semite, I’m anti-Termite”? Nope. On average Jews have more money and privilege than you do. So your conscience is clear.
I won’t try to prove that Xenu didn’t plant my soul in a volcano millions of years ago. Or that Racism™ is an incoherent pile of politicized bat guano.
So Hutu extremists planning to rise up and murder the Tutsis in Rwanda, calling them “cockroaches” who needed to be exterminated? They weren’t really Racists™, because the Hutus were still the underdogs at the moment, having less money and power than the Tutsis. It was only after the revolution, when the Tutsis were weak and terrified, fleeing for nearby countries, that Hutu hatred met the conditions for Racism™.
Bias Plus Power Equals … Balderdash
Is all this making sense yet? I hope not, because it’s gibberish. But wait, it gets worse. If you do happen to belong to a group which in general has power and privilege in a given place and time, Racism™ is almost impossible to avoid. It’s a kind of Original Sin, attached to anyone in the group, regardless of his intentions, wishes, or deeds. By being white in a (still for now) white majority country, every unemployed coal miner or traumatized Vietnam vet partakes in White Privilege, and is the beneficiary and practitioner (by virtue of living) of white Racism™. That’s the message of the best-selling idiot book White Fragility, which mostly white diversity trainers are charging companies thousands to stuff down their employees’ bodily orifices.
Any policy, law, historical practice, economic system, idea, character virtue, religious teaching, or law of physics that can be said to have a “disparate impact” on non-whites and whites? That’s definitely Racist™. Even if the intent was clearly, provably innocent, it doesn’t matter.
If anything affects whites and non-whites differently, it’s Racist™. With just one exception: The Sexual Revolution. That’s not racist at all, no matter the disparate impact of abortion, illegitimacy, and the welfare state on poor people, especially black people. Those things can’t be Racist™, and neither can Planned Parenthood, even though it was founded and run for decades by white supremacists. Are we clear on all of this?
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
As I said, you can’t argue with stark, raving nonsense. I won’t try to prove that Xenu didn’t plant my soul in a volcano millions of years ago. Or that Racism™ is an incoherent pile of politicized bat guano. Instead I will mock it, and urge you to as well. The left is trying to set up an entire official religion, with all the pieties, rituals, and taboos any cult of Caesar requires. As you read this, it’s rising and growing and attacking American cities, like the Stay-Puf Marshmallow Man at the end of Ghostbusters.
Your Pet Peeves Are Probably Racist™ Too
While it’s still legal, we should laugh at it and get everyone else laughing too. Even as academics wring their uncalloused, tenured hands about whether mathematics, grammar, and classical music might be Racist™, we need to drive the Gadarene swine further down their own slippery slope. Start referring to anything and everything that bothers you as “Racist … Or Something™.” I’ve added the “or something” to suggest the laser precision of leftist moral judgments. There’s a small chance, perhaps, that electromagnetism might not be racist, but rather sexist. Human biology is absolutely both trans- and homo-phobic. So leave a little room for that, just in case.
So what’s on my list of things that are Racist … Or Something™? Just off the top of my head:
The virus lockdown, which closed down Alamo Drafthouse, my parish church, and half of the 2020 season of the Dallas Bach Society. I hate missing each of those things, so the lockdown in my view is totally Racist … Or Something™.
The Chinese Communist regime, which released the virus on us. And which also runs, you know, concentration camps forcing an ethnic minority (the Uighurs) to manufacture Nike sneakers as slaves.
Excessively hoppy IPAs, which hipsters seem to think it’s a test of manhood to choke down, they’re so bitter. Totally Racist … Or Something™.
Aging, and my slowing metabolism.
Big gay media Jesuits for Choice.
Entropy, and the heat death of the universe. It sounds like that’s bound to suck.
There’s plenty of room here for your pet peeves. Please share them on social media. Anything at all that frustrates or gets you down, it’s #Racistorsomething™. Come on people, let’s share the Scorn.
John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream, and author or co-author of ten books, including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism. He is co-author with Jason Jones of “God, Guns, & the Government.”


thestream--2020-08-12--Some Illuminating Content in the Biden-Sanders ‘Unity Plan’

The 110-page , Biden-Sanders “ Unity Plan ” was released last month , but I failed to review it until just this week .
Some key word searches yielded some very interesting — and revealing — results .
For example , God is never mentioned in the document .
Not once .
As for “ religion , ” that is found one time , specifically in the section dealing with private schools .
It reads : “ Prohibit the disbursement of federal funds to organizations or providers that discriminate based on race , sex , religion , disability , national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , or immigration status.
” As for the word “ faith , ” it occurs four times .
But two of those are in the phrase “ bad faith.
” The other two clearly refer to the Islamic faith , in this description of some of the alleged horrors of the Trump administration ’ s immigration policy : “ banning people from traveling to the United States based on their faith or their country of origin ” ( repeated twice , verbatim , in the document ) .
Accordingly , there are three @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or Jews .
Suffice it to say , then , that protecting the religious rights of Americans , especially American Christians and Jews , is not a focus of this plan .
That , however , should occasion no surprise , since the Democrats last year boasted about being the party of the religiously non-affiliated .
( For the record , “ Israel ” is mentioned but once , and in this benign context : “ The United States will invite China , the EU , Israel , Sweden , Canada , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ partners in designing breakthrough technologies through the Clean Energy Ministerial ’ s Carbon Capture , Utilization , and Storage Initiative and Mission Innovation.
” ) In stark contrast to the absence of references to God and the paucity of references to faith , the word gender occurs 22 times .
More importantly , “ transgender ” occurs twice , and in very specific contexts : “ we will act expeditiously to reinstate Department of Education guidance protecting transgender students ’ rights under Title IX and make clear that schools shall not discriminate based @ @ @ @ @ @ @ repeated , although not verbatim , later in the plan . )
Put another way , young ladies in high school , get ready to have boys who identify as girls sharing your bathrooms and locker rooms , by federal mandate .
And individual states , expect to lose your federal school funding should you refuse to comply .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
But there ’ s more .
We also find “ LGBTQ ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So , “ religion ” is mentioned once , “ Christian ” and “ Jew ” and “ God ” are not mentioned at all , but “ LGBTQ ” is mentioned 17 times .
Need I say more ?
Exalting One Group Over Another for Political Correctness ?
As for ethnic issues , “ white ” is found 19 times , “ Native American ” 17 times , “ Latino ” 14 times , and “ brown ” 8 times .
In sharp contrast , “ black ” is found 50 times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the words “ white ” and “ brown ” are spelled with lowercase “ w ” and “ b , ” respectively , Black is spelled with uppercase “ B.
” Is this , then , the new way to fight equality , by exalting one group over the others , distinguishing Black from brown or white ?
Or is this simply a vivid example of pandering to the spirit of political correctness ?
Either way , it is bizarre to capitalize one description of color while leaving the others lowercase .
This @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , it shouts intentionality .
As for “ abortion , ” is occurs only once in the document , but it is part of a major paragraph devoted to outlining the extreme nature of the Biden-Sanders plan .
It reads : Like the majority of Americans , Democrats believe that every woman should be able to access high-quality reproductive health care services , including safe and legal abortion .
We will restore federal funding for Planned Parenthood , which provides vital preventive and reproductive health care for millions of women , especially low-income @ @ @ @ @ @ @ LGBTQ+ people across the country , including in underserved areas .
Democrats oppose and will fight to overturn federal and state laws that create barriers to women ’ s reproductive rights , including repealing the Hyde Amendment , and will work to protect and codify Roe v. Wade .
We are proud to be the party of the Affordable Care Act , which made prescription contraceptives available free of charge to all women and has helped significantly reduce teen pregnancy rates .
So , in anticipation of the official Democratic Platform , this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state laws , repeal the Hyde Amendment ( which former Vice President Biden supported for years until the 2020 primaries ) , and seek to codify Roe v. Wade .
( According to The Cut , “ Codifying Roe v. Wade would take the question of safe and legal abortion out of the Supreme Court ’ s hands by passing legislation in Congress that guarantees women in every state the right to unfettered access to abortion care .
This would protect the right to choose even in the event that Roe v. Wade @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But Plenty of Reason for Concern Of course , none of this was in any doubt , but it is still striking to see the words on paper .
The Biden-Sanders plan is as pro-abortion as can be .
As for the rest of the plan , there are many more issues that could be addressed , but I simply focused on some of those that are of perennial concern to many evangelicals .
I also passed over head scratching statements like this : “ The U.S. economy is rigged against the American @ @ @ @ @ @ @ didn ’ t know that ?
A good , robust socialism will surely cure that ill. Again , there are no surprises here .
But there are certainly reasons for concern .
Dr. Michael Brown ( www.askdrbrown.org ) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program .
His latest book is Evangelicals at the Crossroads : Will We Pass the Trump Test ?
Connect with him on Facebook , Twitter or YouTube .

The 110-page, Biden-Sanders “Unity Plan” was released last month, but I failed to review it until just this week. Some key word searches yielded some very interesting — and revealing — results.
For example, God is never mentioned in the document. Not once.
Protecting Religious Liberty is Not a Priority
As for “religion,” that is found one time, specifically in the section dealing with private schools. It reads: “Prohibit the disbursement of federal funds to organizations or providers that discriminate based on race, sex, religion, disability, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, or immigration status.”
As for the word “faith,” it occurs four times. But two of those are in the phrase “bad faith.” The other two clearly refer to the Islamic faith, in this description of some of the alleged horrors of the Trump administration’s immigration policy: “banning people from traveling to the United States based on their faith or their country of origin” (repeated twice, verbatim, in the document). Accordingly, there are three references to Muslims and none to Christians or Jews.
Suffice it to say, then, that protecting the religious rights of Americans, especially American Christians and Jews, is not a focus of this plan. That, however, should occasion no surprise, since the Democrats last year boasted about being the party of the religiously non-affiliated. (For the record, “Israel” is mentioned but once, and in this benign context: “The United States will invite China, the EU, Israel, Sweden, Canada, the United Kingdom and other countries to be partners in designing breakthrough technologies through the Clean Energy Ministerial’s Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Storage Initiative and Mission Innovation.”)
Prepare for a Federal Mandate Violating Privacy in Public Schools
In stark contrast to the absence of references to God and the paucity of references to faith, the word gender occurs 22 times.
More importantly, “transgender” occurs twice, and in very specific contexts: “we will act expeditiously to reinstate Department of Education guidance protecting transgender students’ rights under Title IX and make clear that schools shall not discriminate based on LGBTQ status.” (This is repeated, although not verbatim, later in the plan.)
Put another way, young ladies in high school, get ready to have boys who identify as girls sharing your bathrooms and locker rooms, by federal mandate. And individual states, expect to lose your federal school funding should you refuse to comply.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
But there’s more. We also find “LGBTQ” mentioned 17 times in the plan.
So, “religion” is mentioned once, “Christian” and “Jew” and “God” are not mentioned at all, but “LGBTQ” is mentioned 17 times. Need I say more?
Exalting One Group Over Another for Political Correctness?
As for ethnic issues, “white” is found 19 times, “Native American” 17 times, “Latino” 14 times, and “brown” 8 times. In sharp contrast, “black” is found 50 times. Not only so, but while the words “white” and “brown” are spelled with lowercase “w” and “b,” respectively, Black is spelled with uppercase “B.”
Is this, then, the new way to fight equality, by exalting one group over the others, distinguishing Black from brown or white? Or is this simply a vivid example of pandering to the spirit of political correctness? Either way, it is bizarre to capitalize one description of color while leaving the others lowercase. This was anything but an oversight. Rather, it shouts intentionality.
A Plan to “Codify” Roe
As for “abortion,” is occurs only once in the document, but it is part of a major paragraph devoted to outlining the extreme nature of the Biden-Sanders plan. It reads:
Like the majority of Americans, Democrats believe that every woman should be able to access high-quality reproductive health care services, including safe and legal abortion. We will restore federal funding for Planned Parenthood, which provides vital preventive and reproductive health care for millions of women, especially low-income women and women of color, and LGBTQ+ people across the country, including in underserved areas. Democrats oppose and will fight to overturn federal and state laws that create barriers to women’s reproductive rights, including repealing the Hyde Amendment, and will work to protect and codify Roe v. Wade. We are proud to be the party of the Affordable Care Act, which made prescription contraceptives available free of charge to all women and has helped significantly reduce teen pregnancy rates.
So, in anticipation of the official Democratic Platform, this plan promises to overturn pro-life federal and state laws, repeal the Hyde Amendment (which former Vice President Biden supported for years until the 2020 primaries), and seek to codify Roe v. Wade. (According to The Cut, “Codifying Roe v. Wade would take the question of safe and legal abortion out of the Supreme Court’s hands by passing legislation in Congress that guarantees women in every state the right to unfettered access to abortion care. This would protect the right to choose even in the event that Roe v. Wade is overturned.”)
No Surprises, But Plenty of Reason for Concern
Of course, none of this was in any doubt, but it is still striking to see the words on paper. The Biden-Sanders plan is as pro-abortion as can be.
As for the rest of the plan, there are many more issues that could be addressed, but I simply focused on some of those that are of perennial concern to many evangelicals.
I also passed over head scratching statements like this: “The U.S. economy is rigged against the American people.” But of course. Who didn’t know that? A good, robust socialism will surely cure that ill.
Again, there are no surprises here. But there are certainly reasons for concern.
Dr. Michael Brown (www.askdrbrown.org) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. His latest book is Evangelicals at the Crossroads: Will We Pass the Trump Test? Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.


thestream--2020-08-12--Report: U.S. Military Helicopter Shot at in Virginia

A member of a U.S. Air Force flight crew was injured when a military helicopter was shot at on Monday in Virginia , according to McClatchy DC .
The report ’ s details are troubling .
The Air Force UH-1N Huey helicopter “ was forced to make an emergency landing at a Virginia airport Monday after someone shot at it , ” McClatchy DC reporter Tara Copp wrote .
The FBI is investigating the shooting , which led to a crew member being taken to a Manassas , Virginia , hospital for treatment before being cleared for release .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s fleet of aircraft at Maryland ’ s Joint Base Andrews , which includes Air Force One .
McClatchy ’ s report included the following statement from the FBI .
“ The FBI Washington Field Office is working jointly with our law enforcement partners , including the Air Force Office of Special Investigations , to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident .
One individual in the helicopter sustained a non-threatening injury , for which he was treated and subsequently released from the hospital , ” the bureau said .
Anyone with information on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Federal Bureau of Investigation at 202-278-2000 .
McClatchy DC ’ s report also included an official statement from Joint Base Andrews .
“ The Office of Special Investigations is fully engaged with our FBI colleagues on this incident .
OSI take threats to our airmen and our resources very seriously , ” the statement said .
“ As this is an ongoing investigation , no further investigative details can be released at this time.
” The Stream will be following this breaking news story and have an update on Friday in our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tom Sileo is a contributing senior editor of The Stream .
He is co-author of Three Wise Men , Brothers Forever , 8 Seconds of Courage and Fire in My Eyes .
Follow Tom on Twitter @ TSileo and The Stream at @ Streamdotorg .

A member of a U.S. Air Force flight crew was injured when a military helicopter was shot at on Monday in Virginia, according to McClatchy DC.
The report’s details are troubling. The Air Force UH-1N Huey helicopter “was forced to make an emergency landing at a Virginia airport Monday after someone shot at it,” McClatchy DC reporter Tara Copp wrote.
The FBI is investigating the shooting, which led to a crew member being taken to a Manassas, Virginia, hospital for treatment before being cleared for release. The helicopter is part of the military’s fleet of aircraft at Maryland’s Joint Base Andrews, which includes Air Force One.
McClatchy’s report included the following statement from the FBI.
“The FBI Washington Field Office is working jointly with our law enforcement partners, including the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident. One individual in the helicopter sustained a non-threatening injury, for which he was treated and subsequently released from the hospital,” the bureau said.
Anyone with information on this shooting is being asked to contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation at 202-278-2000. McClatchy DC’s report also included an official statement from Joint Base Andrews.
“The Office of Special Investigations is fully engaged with our FBI colleagues on this incident. OSI take threats to our airmen and our resources very seriously,” the statement said. “As this is an ongoing investigation, no further investigative details can be released at this time.”
The Stream will be following this breaking news story and have an update on Friday in our weekly This Week at War feature.
Tom Sileo is a contributing senior editor of The Stream. He is co-author of Three Wise Men, Brothers Forever, 8 Seconds of Courage and Fire in My Eyes. Follow Tom on Twitter @TSileo and The Stream at @Streamdotorg.