thestream--2020-05-11--Database Swells to 1,285 Proven Cases of Voter Fraud

All-mail elections have received heightened attention in the media these past few weeks .
Prominent liberals highly endorse the idea , claiming it allows people to do their patriotic duty without risking being infected by the coronavirus .
In reality , without rigid safeguards to prevent fraud , misuse , and voter intimidation , absentee ballot fraud — while it may occur sporadically— already has affected the outcome of elections in states and counties across the country .
Just look at the 2018 congressional race in North Carolina that was overturned by the state election board .
Or the mayor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ removed from office last year after his conviction for absentee ballot fraud .
Although talk of voter fraud may be increasing because of the stakes in the 2020 election , The Heritage Foundation ’ s Election Fraud Database has been around for four years .
With the addition of our latest batch of cases , we are up to 1,285 proven instances of voter fraud .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
Heritage ’ s database is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t capture all voter fraud cases and certainly doesn ’ t capture reported instances that aren ’ t even investigated or prosecuted .
The database is intended to demonstrate the vulnerabilities in the election system and the many ways in which fraud is committed .
We try to keep a close eye on public information about potential cases through local news stories , court documents , county records , and police reports .
But even that is difficult to do in a country as large as the United States , with hundreds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of cases illustrates the existence and effect of voter fraud .
Most importantly , the public must understand that fraud can occur throughout the entire process of registering and voting .
Examples include impersonation fraud at the polls ; false voter registrations ; duplicate voting ; fraudulent absentee ballots ; vote buying ; illegal assistance and intimidation of voters ; ineligible voting , such as by aliens ; altering of vote counts ; and ballot petition fraud .
A recent Heritage fact sheet offers a quick summary of the dangers of voting by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an election ’ s integrity .
Another Heritage report details how Wisconsin successfully conducted its recent primary election – including in-person voting — and how other countries such as Liberia have conducted an election successfully during a health crisis .
Voting by mail makes it easier to commit fraud , intimidate voters , and destroy the protections of the secret ballot .
It puts elections into the hands of the Postal Service .
Without the oversight of election and polling officials , ballots can be lost , disqualified , and even stolen .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases illustrates a common type of fraud .
John and Grace Fleming both were found guilty of duplicate voting , once by absentee ballot in New Hampshire and then in person in Massachusetts .
We also added to the database the case of Reginald Holman , a city council member in Ashtubla , Ohio , who was forced to resign after an investigation found he illegally registered at his parents ’ address in Ashtubla rather than his actual residence in Plymouth , Ohio .
Take the case of Courtney Rainey in Canton , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bribing and harassing individuals to win a municipal election .
Or take the case of April Atilano , who was found guilty of changing party affiliations of voters and forging signatures on voter registration forms , among other things .
Atilano was hired by a private company to contact and register voters in Madera County , California .
Vigilant staffers in the County Clerk-Recorder ’ s Office noticed something fishy with the registration cards submitted by Atilano .
If they hadn ’ t have been so diligent , the forms would have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the voters .
County Clerk-Recorder Rebecca Martinez says she has zero tolerance for voter fraud in her county .
Asked about this issue , Martinez replied : “ Protecting our elections has always been my highest priority and I will continue to maintain this vigilance as we head into the presidential election in November.
” All public officials should have this attitude when it comes to protecting the sanctity of elections .
Some argue that even if voter fraud occurs , its impact is so marginal it couldn ’ t possibly effect the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simply not true — fraud can make the difference in a close election .
In a previous article , we pointed out how over 100 elections in Ohio were decided by less than two votes .
Heritage ’ s database contains numerous instances where voter fraud was so severe that it affected the outcome and new elections were called .
This is not a partisan issue .
Heritage has documented elections overturned or elected officials removed on account of fraud that involved both Democrats and Republicans .
Securing the integrity of elections should @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Yet since the inception of the COVID-19 pandemic ( and some would argue even before then ) , many leading Democrats have scoffed at the reality of voter fraud and the importance of election integrity – even though it is their own voters and supporters who often are affected by such fraud .
It is important that we take reasonable steps to make it hard to cheat in elections while making it easy for legitimate voters to vote .
Elected officials and party leaders , regardless of political affiliation , should put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ integrity is of the utmost importance in self-government and maintaining a functioning democratic republic .
Kaitlynn Samalis-Aldrich is a research assistant in the Meese Center for Judicial and Legal Studies at The Heritage Foundation .
Hans von Spakovsky is an authority on a wide range of issues—including civil rights , civil justice , the First Amendment , immigration , the rule of law and government reform—as a senior legal fellow in The Heritage Foundation ’ s Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies and manager of the think tank ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ research .

Kaitlynn Samalis-Aldrich and Hans von Spakovsky

All-mail elections have received heightened attention in the media these past few weeks. Prominent liberals highly endorse the idea, claiming it allows people to do their patriotic duty without risking being infected by the coronavirus.
In reality, without rigid safeguards to prevent fraud, misuse, and voter intimidation, absentee ballot fraud — while it may occur sporadically— already has affected the outcome of elections in states and counties across the country.
Just look at the 2018 congressional race in North Carolina that was overturned by the state election board. Or the mayor of Gordon, Alabama, who was removed from office last year after his conviction for absentee ballot fraud.
Although talk of voter fraud may be increasing because of the stakes in the 2020 election, The Heritage Foundation’s Election Fraud Database has been around for four years. With the addition of our latest batch of cases, we are up to 1,285 proven instances of voter fraud.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Heritage’s database is by no means comprehensive. It doesn’t capture all voter fraud cases and certainly doesn’t capture reported instances that aren’t even investigated or prosecuted. The database is intended to demonstrate the vulnerabilities in the election system and the many ways in which fraud is committed.
We try to keep a close eye on public information about potential cases through local news stories, court documents, county records, and police reports. But even that is difficult to do in a country as large as the United States, with hundreds of elections every year.
Dangers of Voting by Mail
This sampling of cases illustrates the existence and effect of voter fraud. Most importantly, the public must understand that fraud can occur throughout the entire process of registering and voting.
Examples include impersonation fraud at the polls; false voter registrations; duplicate voting; fraudulent absentee ballots; vote buying; illegal assistance and intimidation of voters; ineligible voting, such as by aliens; altering of vote counts; and ballot petition fraud.
A recent Heritage fact sheet offers a quick summary of the dangers of voting by mail and the necessary safeguards to ensure an election’s integrity. Another Heritage report details how Wisconsin successfully conducted its recent primary election – including in-person voting — and how other countries such as Liberia have conducted an election successfully during a health crisis.
Voting by mail makes it easier to commit fraud, intimidate voters, and destroy the protections of the secret ballot. It puts elections into the hands of the Postal Service.
Voting by mail makes it easier to commit fraud, intimidate voters, and destroy the protections of the secret ballot. It puts elections into the hands of the Postal Service. Without the oversight of election and polling officials, ballots can be lost, disqualified, and even stolen.
An example from our newest batch of cases illustrates a common type of fraud. John and Grace Fleming both were found guilty of duplicate voting, once by absentee ballot in New Hampshire and then in person in Massachusetts.
We also added to the database the case of Reginald Holman, a city council member in Ashtubla, Ohio, who was forced to resign after an investigation found he illegally registered at his parents’ address in Ashtubla rather than his actual residence in Plymouth, Ohio.
Take the case of Courtney Rainey in Canton, Mississippi, who was found guilty of bribing and harassing individuals to win a municipal election.
Or take the case of April Atilano, who was found guilty of changing party affiliations of voters and forging signatures on voter registration forms, among other things. Atilano was hired by a private company to contact and register voters in Madera County, California.
Vigilant staffers in the County Clerk-Recorder’s Office noticed something fishy with the registration cards submitted by Atilano. If they hadn’t have been so diligent, the forms would have been altered without the consent or knowledge of the voters.
County Clerk-Recorder Rebecca Martinez says she has zero tolerance for voter fraud in her county. Asked about this issue, Martinez replied: “Protecting our elections has always been my highest priority and I will continue to maintain this vigilance as we head into the presidential election in November.”
All public officials should have this attitude when it comes to protecting the sanctity of elections.
Proof That Fraud Can’t Impact Results
Some argue that even if voter fraud occurs, its impact is so marginal it couldn’t possibly effect the outcome of an election. That is simply not true — fraud can make the difference in a close election.
In a previous article, we pointed out how over 100 elections in Ohio were decided by less than two votes. Heritage’s database contains numerous instances where voter fraud was so severe that it affected the outcome and new elections were called.
This is not a partisan issue. Heritage has documented elections overturned or elected officials removed on account of fraud that involved both Democrats and Republicans.
Securing the integrity of elections should not become wrapped up in partisan politics. Yet since the inception of the COVID-19 pandemic (and some would argue even before then), many leading Democrats have scoffed at the reality of voter fraud and the importance of election integrity – even though it is their own voters and supporters who often are affected by such fraud.
It is important that we take reasonable steps to make it hard to cheat in elections while making it easy for legitimate voters to vote.
Elected officials and party leaders, regardless of political affiliation, should put their ambitions aside and understand that election integrity is of the utmost importance in self-government and maintaining a functioning democratic republic.
Kaitlynn Samalis-Aldrich is a research assistant in the Meese Center for Judicial and Legal Studies at The Heritage Foundation.
Hans von Spakovsky is an authority on a wide range of issues—including civil rights, civil justice, the First Amendment, immigration, the rule of law and government reform—as a senior legal fellow in The Heritage Foundation’s Edwin Meese III Center for Legal and Judicial Studies and manager of the think tank’s Election Law Reform Initiative. Read his research.
Copyright 2020 The Daily Signal


thestream--2020-05-11--How to Spoil the Words of Christ Himself

Let ’ s say you ’ re Satan .
Or one of his lesser minions .
( This isn ’ t an accusation , though I ’ m pretty sure he reads me .
It ’ s an invitation to a thought experiment . )
That whole “ I know !
Let ’ s get Him crucified !
” plan didn ’ t work out as planned .
In fact , it ’ s safe to admit it backfired , and blame it on some low-level tempter .
Now God ’ s words , via scripture and tradition , have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can you stop people from acting on them ?
Stop them even from hearing them without rolling their eyes and tuning out ?
The answer is obvious .
Get those words set to music by modern , liberal Christians .
Not just any music , of course .
After all , those dangerous monks set the psalms to music , and that completely backfired .
J.S .
Bach , John Wesley , and lately the Gettys have adapted faith to music , in ways that drove it into believers ’ hearts to grow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this , for instance : No , such rousing stuff won ’ t do .
You need music that drains divine words of their power .
Warbles or drones them repetitively , so that people get inoculated against them , wave them off or even laugh at them .
Music that toddlers would have scoffed at coming from Barney the Dinosaur .
Our Worst for His Best I wrote a long , snarky column about the worst examples of this genre .
Go read it , if this is a special interest of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But I have one song in mind , because it neuters and makes repulsive perhaps the most powerful injunction Jesus issued .
Take a listen ( but not too long — I don ’ t want to ruin Christ ’ s words for you ) : I ’ m sorry I had to do that .
But that phrase of Our Lord ’ s has been on mind a lot of late .
“ The least of my brethren.
” Whenever it flickered in ( or God put it on my heart ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that syrupy , grating melody .
Which was clearly the Enemy ’ s doing .
My point here is to do quite the opposite , to point up the stark , uplifting and action-packed implications of Christ ’ s words here .
Let ’ s read them in context , shall we ?
“ When the Son of man comes in his glory , and all the angels with him , then he will sit on his glorious throne .
Before him will be gathered all the nations , and he will separate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ separates the sheep from the goats , and he will place the sheep at his right hand , but the goats at the left .
Then the King will say to those at his right hand , ‘ Come , O blessed of my Father , inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world ; for I was hungry and you gave me food , I was thirsty and you gave me drink , I was a stranger and you welcomed me , I was naked and you clothed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visited me , I was in prison and you came to me.
’ Then the righteous will answer him , ‘ Lord , when did we see thee hungry and feed thee , or thirsty and give thee drink ?
And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee , or naked and clothe thee ?
And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee ?
’ And the King will answer them , ‘ Truly , I say to you , as you did it to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ brethren , you did it to me.
’ Then he will say to those at his left hand , ‘ Depart from me , you cursed , into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels ; for I was hungry and you gave me no food , I was thirsty and you gave me no drink , I was a stranger and you did not welcome me , naked and you did not clothe me , sick and in prison and you did not visit me.
’ Then they also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison , and did not minister to thee ?
’ Then he will answer them , ‘ Truly , I say to you , as you did it not to one of the least of these , you did it not to me.
’ And they will go away into eternal punishment , but the righteous into eternal life.
” ( Matthew 25 ) Those words deserve far better than to be set to elevator music .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and act on them throughout our lives .
( We ’ ve been told the price of neglecting them . )
Of course , the Enemy doesn ’ t just counter Christ ’ s meaning via cheesy , off-putting art .
He also uses politics to warp , distort , and invert Jesus ’ commands .
In fact today ’ s “ Woke ” left intoxicates itself with a false religion which Christian philosopher Rene Girard called Victimism .
Jason Jones and I summed that heresy up here at The Stream a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ suffering in order to gain political power .
He identifies himself with the forces of justice .
He will right the old wrongs .
He ’ ll avenge those whose ancestors suffered in the past .
What ’ s more , he will punish those who represent the old , onetime oppressors .
That is , their innocent descendants , or those who simply share their race or sex .
This is how U.S. elites can justify targeting all whites and especially white males .
It ’ s how they feel good about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collar workers — and seek to replace them with foreigners .
It ’ s how post-Christians inside Christian churches rationalize their attacks on the orthodox .
They reach back centuries and equate true believers with witch-burners and inquisitors .
And they fancy themselves liberators .
All this , while assuring themselves and gullible onlookers that they ’ re doing Jesus ’ will .
Given how crucial Christ assured us this test will prove on Judgment Day , we need to get this right .
Yes , there was a time when racial minorities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faced random beatings by police or unjust imprisonment .
When illegal immigrants had no almost no rights at all .
That time has long passed .
In fact , now billion-dollar corporations and trillion-dollar federal programs , backed by the state ’ s police and prisons , rectify such legal wrongs .
The Least of Christ ’ s Brothers Today Who stands unprotected today ?
Surely those people are the ones whom Our Lord calls us to look out for in this moment , where we stand .
Please Support The Stream : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
Step back , and think for a minute .
Really think about that .
Here ’ s the list that occurs to me , in descending order of absolute abandonment by our government and culture : • Unborn babies , who have no legal protection and may be dismembered and sold for profit .
• Handicapped or elderly people facing euthanasia in what Barack Obama called “ normal countries ” like The Netherlands , Belgium , and Switzerland .
• Christians persecuted by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ liberals ” pretend somehow partake in “ white privilege ” by proxy , so they refuse to help or even mention them .
• Elderly Americans trapped alone at nursing homes in blue states , whose governors are dumping virus patients in their facilities .
• Blue-collar workers whose professions have been outlawed indefinitely to “ save lives , ” by the same governors willfully infecting the elderly .
• People in developing countries who face hunger and possible starvation thanks to the economic lockdown .
• Americans trapped in the cycle of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state , with their kids stuck in rotten government schools .
I ’ m sure we could add to the list .
But that ’ s quite enough to keep us busy , isn ’ t it ?
These are the people whom Christ demands we aid now .
Let ’ s get on it .
“ O church arise , and put your armor on… .
” John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream , and author or co-author of ten books , including The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Let’s say you’re Satan. Or one of his lesser minions. (This isn’t an accusation, though I’m pretty sure he reads me. It’s an invitation to a thought experiment.)
That whole “I know! Let’s get Him crucified!” plan didn’t work out as planned. In fact, it’s safe to admit it backfired, and blame it on some low-level tempter. Now God’s words, via scripture and tradition, have spread all around the world. How can you stop people from acting on them? Stop them even from hearing them without rolling their eyes and tuning out?
The answer is obvious. Get those words set to music by modern, liberal Christians.
Not just any music, of course. After all, those dangerous monks set the psalms to music, and that completely backfired. J.S. Bach, John Wesley, and lately the Gettys have adapted faith to music, in ways that drove it into believers’ hearts to grow and flourish. Take a listen to this, for instance:
No, such rousing stuff won’t do. You need music that drains divine words of their power. Warbles or drones them repetitively, so that people get inoculated against them, wave them off or even laugh at them. Music that toddlers would have scoffed at coming from Barney the Dinosaur.
Behold the “contemporary Catholic worship song.”
The Enemy doesn’t just counter Christ’s meaning via cheesy, off-putting art. He also uses politics to warp, distort, and invert Jesus’ commands.
Our Worst for His Best
I wrote a long, snarky column about the worst examples of this genre. Go read it, if this is a special interest of yours, the hymnody of bathos. But I have one song in mind, because it neuters and makes repulsive perhaps the most powerful injunction Jesus issued. Take a listen (but not too long — I don’t want to ruin Christ’s words for you):
I’m sorry I had to do that. But that phrase of Our Lord’s has been on mind a lot of late. “The least of my brethren.” Whenever it flickered in (or God put it on my heart), my mind immediately set it to that syrupy, grating melody. Which was clearly the Enemy’s doing. My point here is to do quite the opposite, to point up the stark, uplifting and action-packed implications of Christ’s words here.
The Litmus Test on Judgment Day
Let’s read them in context, shall we?
“When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left. Then the King will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.’ And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25)
Victimism: The Counterfeit Gospel
Those words deserve far better than to be set to elevator music. We must burn them into our hearts, and act on them throughout our lives. (We’ve been told the price of neglecting them.)
Of course, the Enemy doesn’t just counter Christ’s meaning via cheesy, off-putting art. He also uses politics to warp, distort, and invert Jesus’ commands. In fact today’s “Woke” left intoxicates itself with a false religion which Christian philosopher Rene Girard called Victimism. Jason Jones and I summed that heresy up here at The Stream a few years back.
The Victimist weaponizes suffering in order to gain political power. He
identifies himself with the forces of justice. He will right the old wrongs. He’ll avenge those whose ancestors suffered in the past. What’s more, he will punish those who represent the old, onetime oppressors. That is, their innocent descendants, or those who simply share their race or sex. This is how U.S. elites can justify targeting all whites and especially white males. It’s how they feel good about themselves when they cackle at displaced blue collar workers — and seek to replace them with foreigners. It’s how post-Christians inside Christian churches rationalize their attacks on the orthodox. They reach back centuries and equate true believers with witch-burners and inquisitors. And they fancy themselves liberators.
All this, while assuring themselves and gullible onlookers that they’re doing Jesus’ will.
Given how crucial Christ assured us this test will prove on Judgment Day, we need to get this right. Yes, there was a time when racial minorities remained unprotected by law. When homosexuals faced random beatings by police or unjust imprisonment. When illegal immigrants had no almost no rights at all.
That time has long passed. In fact, now billion-dollar corporations and trillion-dollar federal programs, backed by the state’s police and prisons, rectify such legal wrongs.
The Least of Christ’s Brothers Today
Who stands unprotected today? Surely those people are the ones whom Our Lord calls us to look out for in this moment, where we stand.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Step back, and think for a minute. Really think about that. Here’s the list that occurs to me, in descending order of absolute abandonment by our government and culture:
Unborn babies, who have no legal protection and may be dismembered and sold for profit. Handicapped or elderly people facing euthanasia in what Barack Obama called “normal countries” like The Netherlands, Belgium, and Switzerland. Christians persecuted by Muslim or Communist governments, whom “liberals” pretend somehow partake in “white privilege” by proxy, so they refuse to help or even mention them. Elderly Americans trapped alone at nursing homes in blue states, whose governors are dumping virus patients in their facilities. Blue-collar workers whose professions have been outlawed indefinitely to “save lives,” by the same governors willfully infecting the elderly. People in developing countries who face hunger and possible starvation thanks to the economic lockdown. Americans trapped in the cycle of poverty and dependency created by our welfare state, with their kids stuck in rotten government schools.
I’m sure we could add to the list. But that’s quite enough to keep us busy, isn’t it? These are the people whom Christ demands we aid now.
Let’s get on it. “O church arise, and put your armor on… .”
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.


thestream--2020-05-11--Military Photo of the Day: Recording Vitals

A U.S. Navy nurse records vitals during morning medical and coronavirus checks for sailors assigned to the aircraft carrier USS @ @ @ @ @ May 1 , 2020 .
Thank you to all of our military ’ s medical @ @ @ @ @ to keep American troops and their loved ones safe !
Please Support The Stream : @ @ @ @ @ About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .

A U.S. Navy nurse records vitals during morning medical and coronavirus checks for sailors assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt in Guam on May 1, 2020.
Thank you to all of our military’s medical professionals for their selfless work to keep American troops and their loved ones safe!
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.


thestream--2020-05-11--The Neighbor Called Me The Name. My Mother’s Decisive Response Changed My Life

My mother was a beautiful , humble Puerto Rican woman for whom the whole of life revolved around her children .
She was an intelligent woman with only a fifth grade education , having to abandon school in the late 1920s as mitigating poverty was a more pressing family concern .
Later on , she went to New York , as so many other Puerto Ricans did in the 40s and 50s in search of opportunity .
There she met my father .
They married and returned to the island , where I was proudly born and raised .
Her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ complicated by the color line and her adoration of my dear grandfather , Gumercindo , divorced from gramma .
My grandmother was a true African woman , a very dark skinned woman who was born just after emancipation .
She was lively and opinionated .
What I remember most of her was how severe in discipline she was and how she loved to dance Bomba songs ( a typical music inherited from the slaves ) and play maracas while dancing .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Our Day .
Her mother had been a slave who bought her freedom in gold , probably by receiving a grant from a Puerto Rican anti-slavery patriot through an effort they called “ Waters of Liberty.
” As slave women came to church on Sundays to baptize their babies , just before baptism , these men would give her money to buy her child ’ s freedom , just before he received the free gift of baptismal regeneration .
My mother and one uncle were darker than her youngest sibling and my gramma @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That became a source of struggle .
Uncle Ismael and mom were ostracized and formed a bond that I was never able to understand growing up .
When they saw each other they always greeted while embracing and weeping .
The sight always left me bewildered .
Mom was the most amazing mother — I guess we all think those things about our moms .
Loving , caring , always attentive to our needs , strong in discipline but even stronger in affection .
As my father worked long night shifts or was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the Socialist Party , mom was that perennial presence , and I thank God for that .
She used to say , “ If your father says that we are communist , then we are.
” She really did not care about politics .
As my father ’ s political activities continued and the FBI made it more difficult for him to keep a job , we depended on mom more and more .
She never attended mass but would send my brother and me to attend with friends .
In a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instilling in me a love for God .
She was truly a remarkable and happy woman who , at times , suffered spasms of melancholia out of a past of suffering .
I never forget the incident when I was riding my bike and collided with a neighbor ’ s bike .
I fell .
As I tried to stand up , she called me the name .
“ Why don ’ t you look more carefully , nigger ?
” I have never felt more insulted , sad , offended and hurt @ @ @ @ @ @ @ word .
I did not know what to say , so I said nothing and , of course , I ran home to mom .
Her response to me was decisive in my life .
Calmly , she told me to ignore it , because I was a great kid , there was nothing wrong with me , and that our neighbor was the sad one .
She told me to forgive her .
Soon , the girl came back to me for help with her homework , which I offered without complaint @ @ @ @ @ @ @ someone !
We remained friends for a long time .
My mother ’ s response taught me something radically important : my dignity resides in me , not in whatever sad errors others made about me .
She taught me that I am more than a color .
She made me see that my skills and character could defeat any evil ideas of race by which some people tried to define and limit me .
On this day , many years after she went to heaven , I love you , Mom .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Freedom & Virtue Institute , an organization dedicated to the promotion of the ideas of liberty , faith , and self-reliance .
A noted expert on effectively serving the poor and race relations , he ’ s the author of the acclaimed book , Not Tragically Colored : Freedom , Personhood , and the Renewal of Black America .
Ismael is a regular lecturer with the Acton Institute , and has spoken at Heritage Foundation , the Cato Institute , the Foundation for Economic Education , and many other organizations .

My mother was a beautiful, humble Puerto Rican woman for whom the whole of life revolved around her children. She was an intelligent woman with only a fifth grade education, having to abandon school in the late 1920s as mitigating poverty was a more pressing family concern.
Later on, she went to New York, as so many other Puerto Ricans did in the 40s and 50s in search of opportunity. There she met my father. They married and returned to the island, where I was proudly born and raised.
Complicated Relationships
Her relationship with my grandmother was difficult, complicated by the color line and her adoration of my dear grandfather, Gumercindo, divorced from gramma. My grandmother was a true African woman, a very dark skinned woman who was born just after emancipation. She was lively and opinionated. What I remember most of her was how severe in discipline she was and how she loved to dance Bomba songs (a typical music inherited from the slaves) and play maracas while dancing.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Her mother had been a slave who bought her freedom in gold, probably by receiving a grant from a Puerto Rican anti-slavery patriot through an effort they called “Waters of Liberty.” As slave women came to church on Sundays to baptize their babies, just before baptism, these men would give her money to buy her child’s freedom, just before he received the free gift of baptismal regeneration.
My mother and one uncle were darker than her youngest sibling and my gramma preferred the youngest for that reason. That became a source of struggle. Uncle Ismael and mom were ostracized and formed a bond that I was never able to understand growing up. When they saw each other they always greeted while embracing and weeping. The sight always left me bewildered.
The Most Amazing Mother
Mom was the most amazing mother — I guess we all think those things about our moms. Loving, caring, always attentive to our needs, strong in discipline but even stronger in affection. As my father worked long night shifts or was out doing politics as an active member of the Socialist Party, mom was that perennial presence, and I thank God for that.
She used to say, “If your father says that we are communist, then we are.” She really did not care about politics. As my father’s political activities continued and the FBI made it more difficult for him to keep a job, we depended on mom more and more.
She never attended mass but would send my brother and me to attend with friends. In a sense, she saved my life by instilling in me a love for God. She was truly a remarkable and happy woman who, at times, suffered spasms of melancholia out of a past of suffering.
I never forget the incident when I was riding my bike and collided with a neighbor’s bike. I fell. As I tried to stand up, she called me the name. “Why don’t you look more carefully, nigger?” I have never felt more insulted, sad, offended and hurt. Till today I despise that horrible word. I did not know what to say, so I said nothing and, of course, I ran home to mom.
Her Decisive Response
Her response to me was decisive in my life. Calmly, she told me to ignore it, because I was a great kid, there was nothing wrong with me, and that our neighbor was the sad one. She told me to forgive her. Soon, the girl came back to me for help with her homework, which I offered without complaint. I had value! I was someone! We remained friends for a long time.
My mother’s response taught me something radically important: my dignity resides in me, not in whatever sad errors others made about me. She taught me that I am more than a color. She made me see that my skills and character could defeat any evil ideas of race by which some people tried to define and limit me.
On this day, many years after she went to heaven, I love you, Mom.
Ismael Hernandez, is president of the Freedom & Virtue Institute, an organization dedicated to the promotion of the ideas of liberty, faith, and self-reliance. A noted expert on effectively serving the poor and race relations, he’s the author of the acclaimed book, Not Tragically Colored: Freedom, Personhood, and the Renewal of Black America. Ismael is a regular lecturer with the Acton Institute, and has spoken at Heritage Foundation, the Cato Institute, the Foundation for Economic Education, and many other organizations.


thestream--2020-05-11--NIFLA: We Remain Committed to Member Pregnancy Centers Through Uncertain Times

We at the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates ( NIFLA ) are happy to share that the COVID-19 outbreak is only “ momentary trouble.
” God reminds us to fix our sights on the eternal , not the temporary .
In the meantime , we are “ staying the course ” and continuing to serve .
Today , NIFLA is navigating our ship through turbulent seas and howling winds .
We remain focused on our mission , but can not do so unless the Lord guides us daily .
We will never forget this .
Our pregnancy centers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ definitions of essential service providers .
They are serving their communities while following CDC and federal guidelines to reduce the spread of COVID-19 .
Fox News and World Magazine recently published articles praising the great work of these dedicated nonprofits during the coronavirus pandemic .
The stories cover cases in which pregnancy centers have partnered with local health organizations during the pandemic to provide life-saving medical care , support and resources to mothers in need .
“ People who have never seen us before have come in for emergency help with diapers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unemployed now , ” said Dr. Karen Poehailos , who serves as regional medical director at ThriVe Central VA Women ’ s Healthcare .
She also noted that her center has moved postpartum support and other groups online in an effort to support abortion-vulnerable women as safely as possible .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
“ We ’ re following [ Centers for Disease Control ] guidelines , OSHA guidelines in order to protect our employees @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NIFLA Vice President of Legal Affairs told Fox News in a recent interview .
“ They ’ re all using PPE , the latest guidelines said even their patients coming in need to be wearing a mask , so we just implemented that with them , ” she added .
“ An unintended pregnancy is stressful anyway — you add a pandemic and economic collapse onto that , and it ’ s even worse for them , ” said Leslie Salazar-Carrillo , CEO of NIFLA member center Pathway Health Clinic .
Here are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work NIFLA centers are doing in the midst of this storm .
According to a recent email from Anne-Marie Cronin , Executive Director of Waterleaf Women ’ s Center in Illinois : Waterleaf has been open during this stay-at-home order and was able to help 17-year-old Jackie choose life .
Jackie came to Waterleaf adamant about having an abortion .
The father of the baby was on the fence about keeping the baby until he saw the ultrasound .
It was his first time seeing an ultrasound , in which he said , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , he and Jackie decided to keep their baby .
Jackie was nervous telling her parents about the baby and didn ’ t know how to go about doing so .
Through Aspire , the resource division of Waterleaf , we counseled Jackie on how to tell her parents and they agreed to help support Jackie and her boyfriend bring their baby into the world .
Additionally , Jackie and her boyfriend are taking parenting classes through Aspire.
” Another email from Nancy Basham , Executive Director of Women ’ s Help Center @ @ @ @ @ @ @ named Erin came to them and was planning to abort her unborn baby boy .
After the center completed their initial consultation during which Erin maintained that her intention was still to have an abortion , something unexpected happened .
Basham went on to explain : Our ministry had been praying for Erin and her baby , and we continued to pray for them throughout the day .
It was a busy one : client after client came in that day … Each of them had appointments to abort their second-trimester baby .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ abortionist was charging them only $ 520.00 for the abortion .
All of these other moms chose life for their babies , through either parenting or adoption !
About an hour after closing , the phone rang .
It was Erin , calling to tell ‘ that lady ’ that she had spent the day thinking and praying about everything we had talked about and had decided she would have her baby .
There was joy in her voice !
Basham continued , “ Many other moms have chosen life for their unborn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ here to offer them the compassion and support they needed to choose life .
No matter the struggles and obstacles we face , being called to the ministry of life is a blessing beyond measure.
” Another pregnancy center in Texas has partnered with WIC to provide essential items to families .
According to an email from Susie Garza , Director of Development at Pregnancy Help Center of Galveston , Clients call ahead and make an appointment for curbside pickup of diapers , wipes , baby food , and formula .
We are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Galveston Diaper Bank , which supplies many of our diapers and wipes .
We are also partnering with our local WIC office .
… Now , clients can come and pick up their needed items from our center and either enroll in or renew their WIC benefits at the same time .
We are so grateful for these partnerships , and to be in a physical location that fosters this kind of service thanks to our donors .
… We are adhering to CDC guidelines while still providing for our community .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ community from individuals and other organizations , and we are inspired to know that other pregnancy centers across the nation are also providing families with the support they need .
Through the guidance of our Lord , these and other centers are navigating the storm and helping women and their babies , which NIFLA President Thomas Glessner describes in his recent Townhall piece .
Through the love and protection of our Lord Jesus Christ , pregnancy centers are continuing to spread the joy and peace of life , even in the middle of @ @ @ @ @

We at the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA) are happy to share that the COVID-19 outbreak is only “momentary trouble.” God reminds us to fix our sights on the eternal, not the temporary. In the meantime, we are “staying the course” and continuing to serve.
Today, NIFLA is navigating our ship through turbulent seas and howling winds. We remain focused on our mission, but cannot do so unless the Lord guides us daily. We will never forget this.
Essential Service Providers
Our pregnancy centers and medical clinics meet federal and state definitions of essential service providers. They are serving their communities while following CDC and federal guidelines to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Fox News and World Magazine recently published articles praising the great work of these dedicated nonprofits during the coronavirus pandemic. The stories cover cases in which pregnancy centers have partnered with local health organizations during the pandemic to provide life-saving medical care, support and resources to mothers in need.
“People who have never seen us before have come in for emergency help with diapers, wipes and formula because they’re unemployed now,” said Dr. Karen Poehailos, who serves as regional medical director at ThriVe Central VA Women’s Healthcare. She also noted that her center has moved postpartum support and other groups online in an effort to support abortion-vulnerable women as safely as possible.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
“We’re following [Centers for Disease Control] guidelines, OSHA guidelines in order to protect our employees,” Anne O’Connor, NIFLA Vice President of Legal Affairs told Fox News in a recent interview. “They’re all using PPE, the latest guidelines said even their patients coming in need to be wearing a mask, so we just implemented that with them,” she added.
“An unintended pregnancy is stressful anyway — you add a pandemic and economic collapse onto that, and it’s even worse for them,” said Leslie Salazar-Carrillo, CEO of NIFLA member center Pathway Health Clinic.
Waterleaf Women’s Center
Here are just a few examples of the life-saving work NIFLA centers are doing in the midst of this storm. According to a recent email from Anne-Marie Cronin, Executive Director of Waterleaf Women’s Center in Illinois:
Waterleaf has been open during this stay-at-home order and was able to help 17-year-old Jackie choose life. Jackie came to Waterleaf adamant about having an abortion. The father of the baby was on the fence about keeping the baby until he saw the ultrasound. It was his first time seeing an ultrasound, in which he said, ‘That was awesome’! Together, he and Jackie decided to keep their baby. Jackie was nervous telling her parents about the baby and didn’t know how to go about doing so. Through Aspire, the resource division of Waterleaf, we counseled Jackie on how to tell her parents and they agreed to help support Jackie and her boyfriend bring their baby into the world. Additionally, Jackie and her boyfriend are taking parenting classes through Aspire.”
Women’s Help Center
Another email from Nancy Basham, Executive Director of Women’s Help Center in Florida shared that a young woman named Erin came to them and was planning to abort her unborn baby boy. After the center completed their initial consultation during which Erin maintained that her intention was still to have an abortion, something unexpected happened. Basham went on to explain:
Our ministry had been praying for Erin and her baby, and we continued to pray for them throughout the day. It was a busy one: client after client came in that day … Each of them had appointments to abort their second-trimester baby. Each of them told us that the abortionist was charging them only $520.00 for the abortion. All of these other moms chose life for their babies, through either parenting or adoption! About an hour after closing, the phone rang. It was Erin, calling to tell ‘that lady’ that she had spent the day thinking and praying about everything we had talked about and had decided she would have her baby. There was joy in her voice!
Basham continued, “Many other moms have chosen life for their unborn babies since that Friday because we were here to offer them the compassion and support they needed to choose life. No matter the struggles and obstacles we face, being called to the ministry of life is a blessing beyond measure.”
Pregnancy Help Center of Galveston
Another pregnancy center in Texas has partnered with WIC to provide essential items to families. According to an email from Susie Garza, Director of Development at Pregnancy Help Center of Galveston,
Clients call ahead and make an appointment for curbside pickup of diapers, wipes, baby food, and formula. We are partnering with our local diaper bank, Galveston Diaper Bank, which supplies many of our diapers and wipes. We are also partnering with our local WIC office. … Now, clients can come and pick up their needed items from our center and either enroll in or renew their WIC benefits at the same time. We are so grateful for these partnerships, and to be in a physical location that fosters this kind of service thanks to our donors. … We are adhering to CDC guidelines while still providing for our community. We are heartened by the support in our community from individuals and other organizations, and we are inspired to know that other pregnancy centers across the nation are also providing families with the support they need.
Navigating the Storm
Through the guidance of our Lord, these and other centers are navigating the storm and helping women and their babies, which NIFLA President Thomas Glessner describes in his recent Townhall piece.
Through the love and protection of our Lord Jesus Christ, pregnancy centers are continuing to spread the joy and peace of life, even in the middle of dark and uncertain times.
Olivia Briscoe is a freelance writer who lives in the beautiful state of Virginia with her husband and daughter. Olivia has been published in LifeSiteNews and the online newspaper Potomac Local and has written blog posts for the pro-life organizations NIFLA: National Institute of Family & Life Advocates and The Moral Outcry. Follow Olivia on Twitter at @OliviaAveni.


thestream--2020-05-11--Boundaries Are a Blessing

Boundaries Are a Blessing

We recently moved from Maryland to Colorado and began a new adventure in a place we had never lived .
We were both excited and a little anxious to get settled into a new neighborhood after spending the past 18 years in the same home .
It was a huge change .
When we moved into our house , the backyard was missing two things — a fence and landscaping .
There was no grass yet , so dust and mud were everywhere .
Because of that , we were unable to let the dogs out of the house into @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an incredible mess , and we would also take the risk that they might run into the street and get hurt or lost .
Finally , after several weeks , we had a new lawn and the fence was installed .
There was only one problem .
There were still two large openings in the fence where the dogs could get loose .
As a result , we still had to keep the dogs on a leash until it was completed .
Once the fence was done , we let the dogs out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from end to end and exploring every square inch of the backyard .
They were finally free — free to run and play without any fear , and without the possibility of tracking mud into the house .
It was a joy to watch .
We often think of boundaries as restrictive instead of freeing .
We think limits prevent us from having fun or might make us miss out on something .
But just like our fence , God designed boundaries as a blessing .
In the garden of Eden , He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Adam and Eve .
When they broke that barrier by eating the apple , they felt shame and had to hide .
For the first time they experienced separation from the One who created them .
In our families , kids often don ’ t like the limits that their parents put on them .
Think about the limits set for the amount of time spent using technology , which friends to hang out with , the clothes worn or even the shows watched .
It ’ s easy to be frustrated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ limits are there for a reason .
And most often it ’ s for our good .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
In sports , without boundaries it wouldn ’ t be very fun , entertaining or safe to play the sport .
Think about it .
Can you imagine what it would be like to play or even watch a game of football , soccer , baseball , tennis — you name it — if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It would become total chaos , and no one would know how to play the game .
But with boundaries , the players can be incredibly creative and show their skills and talents .
The games become fun to watch .
In the above verses from Proverbs 4 , we are given simple boundaries that lead to life .
We are told to guard our heart , be careful with our words , keep on the straight path and be mindful of where we go .
These boundaries bring life and help us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to God .
God gives us boundaries for our benefit and blessing .
Boundaries protect us from dangerous things and give us incredible freedom to enjoy everything within the boundaries .
Everything God designs is for our good and His glory .
In Exodus Chapter 20 , we read about the Ten Commandments that God gave to Moses .
The first four tell us how to love God .
The last six tell us how to love each other .
These boundaries are designed not as a list of dos and don ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to life and freedom .
God ’ s ways are always best .
We have two ways that we can look at the fences or boundaries in our lives .
One way is to look at them as something that is restrictive .
Those boundaries are there to keep you from all the fun stuff .
They are meant to punish you and serve to remind you of all the things that you can ’ t do .
When we have this perspective , we tend to rebel and find ways around , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to do whatever we want to do , when we want to do it .
In the end , we believe that whoever put up that fence did it to punish us .
We see it as a bad thing .
But a second way to look at fences and boundaries is to see them as something that allows us great freedom and joy .
It creates a safe area where we can explore and have adventures .
It gives us a space to be fully alive and creative .
A place @ @ @ @ @ @ @ become our best for God .
Instead of reminding us of all the “ can ’ t dos , ” we are blessed by all the “ can dos.
” When we have this perspective , we experience protection and blessing and can live without regret .
We see the fence as a good thing .
Jimmy Page serves as the Divisional Vice President for the West for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes .
As a 20-year leader in health care , he and his wife are co-founders of an innovative cancer foundation @ @ @ @ @ @ @ author of several books and speaks for companies , teams , schools and non-profits around the world .
Follow him @ jimmypage37 or email to jimmy @ fca.org .

We recently moved from Maryland to Colorado and began a new adventure in a place we had never lived. We were both excited and a little anxious to get settled into a new neighborhood after spending the past 18 years in the same home. It was a huge change.
When we moved into our house, the backyard was missing two things — a fence and landscaping. There was no grass yet, so dust and mud were everywhere. Because of that, we were unable to let the dogs out of the house into the backyard. They would have made an incredible mess, and we would also take the risk that they might run into the street and get hurt or lost. Finally, after several weeks, we had a new lawn and the fence was installed. There was only one problem. There were still two large openings in the fence where the dogs could get loose. As a result, we still had to keep the dogs on a leash until it was completed.
They were finally free — free to run and play without any fear, and without the possibility of tracking mud into the house.
Once the fence was done, we let the dogs out and they had a blast, running from end to end and exploring every square inch of the backyard. They were finally free — free to run and play without any fear, and without the possibility of tracking mud into the house. It was a joy to watch.
God Designed Boundaries as a Blessing
We often think of boundaries as restrictive instead of freeing. We think limits prevent us from having fun or might make us miss out on something. But just like our fence, God designed boundaries as a blessing. In the garden of Eden, He only withheld the fruit of one tree from Adam and Eve. When they broke that barrier by eating the apple, they felt shame and had to hide. For the first time they experienced separation from the One who created them.
In our families, kids often don’t like the limits that their parents put on them. Think about the limits set for the amount of time spent using technology, which friends to hang out with, the clothes worn or even the shows watched. It’s easy to be frustrated by these boundaries, but usually those limits are there for a reason. And most often it’s for our good.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
In sports, without boundaries it wouldn’t be very fun, entertaining or safe to play the sport. Think about it. Can you imagine what it would be like to play or even watch a game of football, soccer, baseball, tennis — you name it — if there weren’t any lines? It would become total chaos, and no one would know how to play the game. But with boundaries, the players can be incredibly creative and show their skills and talents. The games become fun to watch.
Above all else, guard your heart for everything you do flows from it. Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil. (Proverbs 4:23-27)
In the above verses from Proverbs 4, we are given simple boundaries that lead to life. We are told to guard our heart, be careful with our words, keep on the straight path and be mindful of where we go. These boundaries bring life and help us to live a life that is pleasing to God.
A Good Fence Gives Freedom
God gives us boundaries for our benefit and blessing. Boundaries protect us from dangerous things and give us incredible freedom to enjoy everything within the boundaries. Everything God designs is for our good and His glory.
In Exodus Chapter 20, we read about the Ten Commandments that God gave to Moses. The first four tell us how to love God. The last six tell us how to love each other. These boundaries are designed not as a list of dos and don’ts, but instead as a pathway to life and freedom. God’s ways are always best.
We have two ways that we can look at the fences or boundaries in our lives. One way is to look at them as something that is restrictive. Those boundaries are there to keep you from all the fun stuff. They are meant to punish you and serve to remind you of all the things that you can’t do. When we have this perspective, we tend to rebel and find ways around, over or through the fences. We want to do whatever we want to do, when we want to do it. In the end, we believe that whoever put up that fence did it to punish us. We see it as a bad thing.
But a second way to look at fences and boundaries is to see them as something that allows us great freedom and joy. It creates a safe area where we can explore and have adventures. It gives us a space to be fully alive and creative. A place where we can fulfill our potential and become our best for God. Instead of reminding us of all the “can’t dos,” we are blessed by all the “can dos.” When we have this perspective, we experience protection and blessing and can live without regret. We see the fence as a good thing.
Jimmy Page serves as the Divisional Vice President for the West for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. As a 20-year leader in health care, he and his wife are co-founders of an innovative cancer foundation, Believe Big. Page is the author of several books and speaks for companies, teams, schools and non-profits around the world. Follow him @jimmypage37 or email to [email protected].


thestream--2020-05-11--Twitter Rolls Out COVID Misinformation Warning Labels. Will They Target Chinese Officials Who Blame

Twitter Rolls Out COVID Misinformation Warning Labels. Will They Target Chinese Officials Who Blame US for Outbreak?

Twitter will slap warning labels and other messages on coronavirus-related content the company deems harmful but perhaps not harmful enough to warrant removal .
The social media company will begin providing additional context and warning messages on some tweets containing disputed or misleading information about the pandemic , Twitter announced in a blog post Monday .
Twitter ’ s move came as Chinese officials engage in a concerted coronavirus disinformation campaign on the platform .
“ Moving forward , we may use these labels and warning messages to provide additional explanations or clarifications in situations where the risks of harm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but where people may still be confused or misled by the content , ” Twitter noted in the post .
Moderators will filter such content through three categories : misleading information , disputed claims and unverified claims , the announcement noted .
Misleading information will carry a label or be outright removed , depending on the severity of the content , while unverified claims will not have any action taken against them .
Disputed claims will contain a label or a warning .
“ Our teams are using and improving on internal systems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
These systems help ensure we ’ re not amplifying Tweets with these warnings or labels and detecting the high-visibility content quickly , ” Twitter ’ s blog post notes .
The company will also rely on “ trusted partners to identify content that is likely to result in offline harm.
” Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
Twitter ’ s Head of Integrity Yoel Roth explained in a Twitter post Monday that the “ labels will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meets the requirements of our policy , including world leaders.
” Company spokeswoman Katie Rosborough told the Daily Caller News Foundation that the labels will apply to anyone .
Twitter revised some of its policies to “ protect the public conversation around COVID-19 , ” according to a March 4 blog post from the company .
Advertisements that “ opportunistically use the COVID-19 outbreak to target inappropriate ads ” are also banned , the March post added .
The tech company , meanwhile , is still refusing to remove a Chinese official ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responsible for injecting coronavirus into Wuhan , China , where experts believe the virus originated .
Coronavirus , or COVID-19 , has killed more than 280,000 people worldwide .
“ When did Patient Zero appear in the United States ?
How many people are infected ?
What is the name of the hospital ?
” Lijian Zhao , deputy director of China ’ s Foreign Ministry Information Department , said in a March 12 tweet .
“ It may be that the US military brought the epidemic to Wuhan.
” Zhao added : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The United States owes us an explanation !
” Zhao also falsely stated in the tweet that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield was “ arrested ” before floating the conspiracy theory to his 317,000 followers .
A spokesman told the DCNF on March 13 that the official ’ s tweets do not violate company policies .
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience .
For licensing opportunities of our original content , @ @ @ @ @ @

Twitter will slap warning labels and other messages on coronavirus-related content the company deems harmful but perhaps not harmful enough to warrant removal.
The social media company will begin providing additional context and warning messages on some tweets containing disputed or misleading information about the pandemic, Twitter announced in a blog post Monday.
Twitter’s move came as Chinese officials engage in a concerted coronavirus disinformation campaign on the platform.
“Moving forward, we may use these labels and warning messages to provide additional explanations or clarifications in situations where the risks of harm associated with a Tweet are less severe but where people may still be confused or misled by the content,” Twitter noted in the post.
Moderators will filter such content through three categories: misleading information, disputed claims and unverified claims, the announcement noted. Misleading information will carry a label or be outright removed, depending on the severity of the content, while unverified claims will not have any action taken against them. Disputed claims will contain a label or a warning.
“Our teams are using and improving on internal systems to proactively monitor content related to COVID-19. These systems help ensure we’re not amplifying Tweets with these warnings or labels and detecting the high-visibility content quickly,” Twitter’s blog post notes. The company will also rely on “trusted partners to identify content that is likely to result in offline harm.”
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Twitter’s Head of Integrity Yoel Roth explained in a Twitter post Monday that the “labels will apply to anyone sharing misleading information that meets the requirements of our policy, including world leaders.” Company spokeswoman Katie Rosborough told the Daily Caller News Foundation that the labels will apply to anyone.
Twitter revised some of its policies to “protect the public conversation around COVID-19,” according to a March 4 blog post from the company. Advertisements that “opportunistically use the COVID-19 outbreak to target inappropriate ads” are also banned, the March post added.
The tech company, meanwhile, is still refusing to remove a Chinese official’s tweets suggesting the U.S. Army is responsible for injecting coronavirus into Wuhan, China, where experts believe the virus originated. Coronavirus, or COVID-19, has killed more than 280,000 people worldwide.
“When did Patient Zero appear in the United States? How many people are infected? What is the name of the hospital?” Lijian Zhao, deputy director of China’s Foreign Ministry Information Department, said in a March 12 tweet. “It may be that the US military brought the epidemic to Wuhan.”
Zhao added: “America needs to be transparent! The United States owes us an explanation!” Zhao also falsely stated in the tweet that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield was “arrested” before floating the conspiracy theory to his 317,000 followers.
A spokesman told the DCNF on March 13 that the official’s tweets do not violate company policies.
Copyright 2020 The Daily Caller News Foundation
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].


thestream--2020-05-11--January 5, 2017: A Day That Will Live in Infamy … But Will #Obamagate Bring Justice?

On January 5 , 2017 , we suffered a sneak attack on America .
President Barack Obama and his administration torpedoed our democracy .
They hit the ship of state in its engine : America ’ s sacred tradition of the peaceful transfer of power .
On that day , President Obama officially declared war on his duly-elected successor .
He greenlit a black op against President-Elect Trump .
One designed to paint him as a Russian traitor and paralyze his administration .
Obama declared war on you , the American people .
President Obama as good as confessed all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Friday .
Let ’ s step back .
Soon enough we ’ ll get to the soon-to-be-infamous January 5 White House meeting .
But first we must tattoo on our minds the words of Lisa Page .
Lisa Page wasn ’ t simply Peter Strzok ’ s paramour .
She was former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe ’ s top lawyer .
Also an FBI liaison with the White House .
She was in the thick of everything .
And she held the smoking gun .
It comes in the form of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the Trump campaign .
Page told Strzok on September 2 , 2016 : “ POTUS wants to know everything we are doing.
” So , did they do that ?
Did they keep Obama in the loop ?
Are we meant to think they defied him ?
The Deep State Cabal Gets Its Marching Orders Now let ’ s go to the White House .
It ’ s 15 days before Trump is inaugurated .
Obama gathered all his major security figures : FBI Director James Comey , CIA Director John Brennan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Attorney General Loretta Lynn , National Security Advisor Susan Rice and Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates .
( Yes , Joe Biden , you were there , too . )
Only one day before , FBI agents had concluded incoming National Security Adviser Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn was innocent of any Russian collusion .
They wanted to close the counter-intelligence case on him , called “ Crossfire Razor.
” Strzok ordered it to stay open .
The “ 7th floor ” was involved .
That meant FBI top brass .
That meant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ discuss what to do about Trump and the Russian “ investigation.
” Let The Federalists ‘ Mollie Hemingway pick up the story : One part of Obama ’ s guidance ?
Limiting the information given his successor about the Russia investigation .
Margot Cleveland picks this apart at The Federalist .
What happened in the meeting ’ s wake ?
Remember what just-released transcripts from Obama ’ s top officials sworn testimony tell us .
None of them had seen any empirical evidence of any Russia-Trump conspiracy .
Zero .
Nada .
Yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ January of 2017 and beyond promoting that lie .
They ran around Capitol Hill and to their media allies .
They kept their story straight : Trump had colluded with Russia .
Trump was a Russian agent or Putin stooge .
Obama Knew His Men Were Lying to America Here ’ s a simple question for liberal friends who doubt Obama ’ s central role .
Are you ready ?
When stories of Trump-Russia collusion began running 24/7 , why didn ’ t Obama say , “ Hold up .
There ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
Where ’ s Obama defending the office of the presidency ?
Nowhere .
All Obama ’ s key players knew there was no evidence .
Each was involved in some way in the Trump-Russia Collusion op .
But Obama and Biden didn ’ t know the whole thing was a sham ?
No .
That ’ s simply not possible .
Obama was a details guy .
He demanded that his minions keep him in the loop .
( Repeat this like a mantra : “ POTUS wants to know everything we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ) knew there was no evidence against Trump .
Or any of his associates .
POTUS knew the Steele dossier was bogus .
And that Hillary had paid for it .
Yet he let the coup d ’ etat roll .
Why ?
Strzok had tweeted Page in August 2016 , “ The White House is running this.
” The Trump-Russia Collusion Black Op was an Obama operation .
Many have long suspected that Obama was neck-deep in this seditious conspiracy .
Remember when Trump tweeted in March 2017 about how Obama “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mocked ?
What was Obama ’ s official response ?
It wasn ’ t “ That is a preposterous lie.
” Nor “ Trump is delusional.
” Nor even a simple , “ No spying occurred.
” A spokesman said : “ A cardinal rule of the Obama administration was that no White House official ever interfered with an independent investigation led by the Department of Justice .
As part of that practice neither President Obama nor any White House official ever ordered surveillance on any U.S. citizen .
Always seemed a slippery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we now know , the White House would not order surveillance .
DOJ and FBI — not the White House — would put in a request for surveillance to a FISA court .
And now , we also know Obama was directly engaged in an “ independent ” investigation led by the DOJ .
After the main meeting , Obama asked Yates and Comey to stay .
According to Yates , she was shocked when Obama started talking about Flynn ’ s call with the Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak .
How would he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Logan Act … which would be used to set the trap for Flynn .
Why didn ’ t Obama have the normal , patriotic reaction ?
And blurt out something like this : “ You ’ re going to try and use a 220-year old law that ’ s never been successfully prosecuted ?
Against a three-star general who happens to be doing the traditional task of an incoming National Security Advisor ?
” He didn ’ t .
Obama didn ’ t throw Comey out of the Oval Office .
He sent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and lie to Trump .
On January 6 , a day after the meeting , James Comey went to Trump Tower .
Exactly as planned , he briefed Trump on only the “ salacious details ” of the Steele dossier .
He told Trump CNN had the dossier , but was waiting for a news hook to run with it .
Miraculously , Comey barely got back to his towncar before CNN ran a story about their meeting .
They had their hook .
And the sham investigation went public .
Why didn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dossier had not been verified in the slightest ?
Why didn ’ t Comey tell Trump it was 100 % a Clinton campaign work of propaganda ?
Trump could have killed the Trump-Russia frenzy immediately had the world been told Hillary was behind the dossier .
So why did the FBI director leave the incoming President of the United States defenseless ?
The dossier ’ s release could cripple Trump ’ s ability to govern and certainly paralyze relations with rival Russia ?
Comey knew that .
Why deliberately hurt national security ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ had worked out that strategy after the Obama WH meeting .
But Obama didn ’ t know that was the plan ?
Of course he did .
He ’ d just gotten done talking to them about keeping Trump in the dark .
If Obama wasn ’ t behind what happened at Trump Tower , Obama would have been furious .
“ Who leaked the meeting ?
Why didn ’ t you tell Trump the source of the dossier ?
” In fact , had he not been behind the plan , he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself .
Susan Rice , on the day of the inauguration , wrote a bizarre email to herself .
The goal was to memorialize the January 5 meeting .
Three letters : C-Y-A .
Rice claims Obama insisted that all his top officers act “ by the book.
” Rice should have asked which book .
( Rules for Radicals , maybe ? )
As the Flynn documents prove and the transcripts demonstrate , nobody followed our law books .
Take just one example .
Comey ’ s trick of sending FBI agents @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without informing WH counsel had Yates in a fury .
Distinctly not “ by the book.
” An FBI director keeping vital information from a President ?
Definitely not by the book .
The CIA director lying to the House Minority Leader Harry Reid about dossier was verified ?
Egregiously not by the book .
Political appointees and officials running to the media , talking about Trump ’ s dangerous Russian collusion activities and the fear Trump ’ s team would destroy the evidence .
( Remember there was no evidence , by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Outrageously not by the book .
The constant illegal leaks ?
Seditiously not by the book .
The spying on a rival political campaign , the FISA warrants now exposed as complete garbage ?
Tyrannically not by the book .
But did Obama protest ?
Was he indignant that his orders to be “ by the book ” were not carried out ?
Has he uttered a peep against any of the investigations and revelations made in recent months ?
No .
Not a sound .
Then again , perhaps we ’ re @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was talking about a different book .
In this case , a textbook case of a CIA Black Op against a hostile government .
Except this time , the government targeted was the United States of America under the duly-elected president , Donald Trump .
Former President Obama has reacted to the DOJ decision to drop the prosecution of Flynn .
Did he look at the very clear , indisputable evidence that the FBI set Flynn up ?
And applaud the decision ?
No .
He did not .
Please Support The Stream @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
Instead , he told former staffers Friday : “ There is no precedent that anybody can find for someone who has been charged with perjury just getting off scot-free.
” First off , plenty of people get charged with perjury and not convicted .
Second , the government never charged Flynn with perjury .
Third , draining your bank accounts and losing your house is hardly escaping scot-free .
So much for Obama the constitutional scholar .
Obama continued : “ That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you begin to get worried that basic — not just institutional norms — but our basic understanding of rule of law is at risk.
” Former congressman Trey Gowdy was aghast ; said it was an “ amazing statement.
” He demanded : Former President Barack Obama said that he approved of what the Deep State did to General Flynn .
He expressed zero shock that the Trump-Russia Collusion Hoax was pushed by his top officials even though they admit under oath there was zero empirical evidence .
He has confessed his role @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s no wonder # ObamaGate is trending .
Over 2.5 million tweets over the weekend .
As his mentor Rev .
Jeremiah Wright said after 9/11 , “ The chickens are coming home to roost.
” 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 .

On January 5, 2017, we suffered a sneak attack on America. President Barack Obama and his administration torpedoed our democracy. They hit the ship of state in its engine: America’s sacred tradition of the peaceful transfer of power.
On that day, President Obama officially declared war on his duly-elected successor. He greenlit a black op against President-Elect Trump. One designed to paint him as a Russian traitor and paralyze his administration. Obama declared war on you, the American people.
President Obama as good as confessed all this in a call to former staffers on Friday.
Pearl Harbor at the White House
Let’s step back. Soon enough we’ll get to the soon-to-be-infamous January 5 White House meeting. But first we must tattoo on our minds the words of Lisa Page. Lisa Page wasn’t simply Peter Strzok’s paramour. She was former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe’s top lawyer. Also an FBI liaison with the White House. She was in the thick of everything. And she held the smoking gun. It comes in the form of one message regarding the spy operation aimed at the Trump campaign. Page told Strzok on September 2, 2016: “POTUS wants to know everything we are doing.”
So, did they do that? Did they keep Obama in the loop? Are we meant to think they defied him?
The Deep State Cabal Gets Its Marching Orders
Now let’s go to the White House. It’s 15 days before Trump is inaugurated. Obama gathered all his major security figures: FBI Director James Comey, CIA Director John Brennan, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, Attorney General Loretta Lynch, National Security Advisor Susan Rice and Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates. (Yes, Joe Biden, you were there, too.)
Only one day before, FBI agents had concluded incoming National Security Adviser Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn was innocent of any Russian collusion. They wanted to close the counter-intelligence case on him, called “Crossfire Razor.” Strzok ordered it to stay open. The “7th floor” was involved. That meant FBI top brass. That meant Comey and McCabe.
Weaponizing the Fake Dossier
Obama wanted to discuss what to do about Trump and the Russian “investigation.” Let The Federalists‘ Mollie Hemingway pick up the story:
It was at this meeting that Obama gave guidance to key officials who would be tasked with protecting his administration’s utilization of secretly funded Clinton campaign research, which alleged Trump was involved in a treasonous plot to collude with Russia, from being discovered or stopped by the incoming administration.
One part of Obama’s guidance? Limiting the information given his successor about the Russia investigation. Margot Cleveland picks this apart at The Federalist.
There is no excuse for an outgoing president to withhold “intel” on supposed Russian agents from the president-elect. And there is no excuse for an outgoing president to advise hold-over high-ranking officials to do likewise once the new president has taken office. Or, rather, the only excuse is an equally scandalous one: Obama knew the Russia investigation was a hoax from the get-go.
A Campaign of Illegal Leaks
What happened in the meeting’s wake?
[H]igh-level operatives began intensely leaking selective information supporting a supposed Russia-Trump conspiracy theory, the incoming National Security Advisor was ambushed, and the incoming Attorney General [Jeff Sessions] was forced to recuse himself from oversight of investigations of President Trump.
Remember what just-released transcripts from Obama’s top officials sworn testimony tell us. None of them had seen any empirical evidence of any Russia-Trump conspiracy. Zero. Nada.
Yet Obama’s officials and agents spent January of 2017 and beyond promoting that lie. They ran around Capitol Hill and to their media allies. They kept their story straight: Trump had colluded with Russia. Trump was a Russian agent or Putin stooge.
Obama Knew His Men Were Lying to America
Here’s a simple question for liberal friends who doubt Obama’s central role. Are you ready? When stories of Trump-Russia collusion began running 24/7, why didn’t Obama say, “Hold up. There’s no empirical evidence of that!”? Where’s Obama defending the office of the presidency? Nowhere.
All Obama’s key players knew there was no evidence. Each was involved in some way in the Trump-Russia Collusion op. But Obama and Biden didn’t know the whole thing was a sham? No. That’s simply not possible.
Obama was a details guy. He demanded that his minions keep him in the loop. (Repeat this like a mantra: “POTUS wants to know everything we are doing.”)
POTUS (Obama) knew there was no evidence against Trump. Or any of his associates. POTUS knew the Steele dossier was bogus. And that Hillary had paid for it. Yet he let the coup d’etat roll.
Why? Strzok had tweeted Page in August 2016, “The White House is running this.” The Trump-Russia Collusion Black Op was an Obama operation.
The Inner Cabal Meets
Obama’s Slippery Non-Denial Many have long suspected that Obama was neck-deep in this seditious conspiracy. Remember when Trump tweeted in March 2017 about how Obama “wire-tapped” him? And was widely mocked? What was Obama’s official response? It wasn’t “That is a preposterous lie.” Nor “Trump is delusional.” Nor even a simple, “No spying occurred.” A spokesman said: “A cardinal rule of the Obama administration was that no White House official ever interfered with an independent investigation led by the Department of Justice. As part of that practice neither President Obama nor any White House official ever ordered surveillance on any U.S. citizen. Always seemed a slippery lawyerly answer. After all, as we now know, the White House would not order surveillance. DOJ and FBI — not the White House — would put in a request for surveillance to a FISA court. And now, we also know Obama was directly engaged in an “independent” investigation led by the DOJ.
After the main meeting, Obama asked Yates and Comey to stay. According to Yates, she was shocked when Obama started talking about Flynn’s call with the Russian ambassador Sergey Kislyak. How would he know? Yates said Comey mentioned the Logan Act … which would be used to set the trap for Flynn.
Why didn’t Obama have the normal, patriotic reaction? And blurt out something like this: “You’re going to try and use a 220-year old law that’s never been successfully prosecuted? Against a three-star general who happens to be doing the traditional task of an incoming National Security Advisor?”
He didn’t. Obama didn’t throw Comey out of the Oval Office. He sent him, with blessings, to sand-bag and lie to Trump.
Deceiving the Incoming President
On January 6, a day after the meeting, James Comey went to Trump Tower. Exactly as planned, he briefed Trump on only the “salacious details” of the Steele dossier. He told Trump CNN had the dossier, but was waiting for a news hook to run with it. Miraculously, Comey barely got back to his towncar before CNN ran a story about their meeting. They had their hook. And the sham investigation went public.
Why didn’t Comey tell Trump that the dossier had not been verified in the slightest? Why didn’t Comey tell Trump it was 100% a Clinton campaign work of propaganda? Trump could have killed the Trump-Russia frenzy immediately had the world been told Hillary was behind the dossier.
So why did the FBI director leave the incoming President of the United States defenseless? The dossier’s release could cripple Trump’s ability to govern and certainly paralyze relations with rival Russia? Comey knew that. Why deliberately hurt national security?
Comey Played Errand Boy to Obama
Comey says he, Clapper and Brennan had worked out that strategy after the Obama WH meeting. But Obama didn’t know that was the plan? Of course he did. He’d just gotten done talking to them about keeping Trump in the dark.
If Obama wasn’t behind what happened at Trump Tower, Obama would have been furious. “Who leaked the meeting? Why didn’t you tell Trump the source of the dossier?” In fact, had he not been behind the plan, he would have been honor-bound to call Trump himself.
Obama Burns the Book
Susan Rice, on the day of the inauguration, wrote a bizarre email to herself. The goal was to memorialize the January 5 meeting. Three letters: C-Y-A. Rice claims Obama insisted that all his top officers act “by the book.” Rice should have asked which book. (Rules for Radicals, maybe?) As the Flynn documents prove and the transcripts demonstrate, nobody followed our law books. Take just one example. Comey’s trick of sending FBI agents into the White House to nail Flynn without informing WH counsel had Yates in a fury. Distinctly not “by the book.”
An FBI director keeping vital information from a President? Definitely not by the book.
The CIA director lying to the House Minority Leader Harry Reid about dossier was verified? Egregiously not by the book.
Political appointees and officials running to the media, talking about Trump’s dangerous Russian collusion activities and the fear Trump’s team would destroy the evidence. (Remember there was no evidence, by their own admission under oath.) Outrageously not by the book.
The constant illegal leaks? Seditiously not by the book.
The spying on a rival political campaign, the FISA warrants now exposed as complete garbage? Tyrannically not by the book.
But did Obama protest? Was he indignant that his orders to be “by the book” were not carried out? Has he uttered a peep against any of the investigations and revelations made in recent months?
No. Not a sound. Then again, perhaps we’re looking at this wrong. Perhaps Obama was talking about a different book. In this case, a textbook case of a CIA Black Op against a hostile government. Except this time, the government targeted was the United States of America under the duly-elected president, Donald Trump.
Obama Goes on Offense
Former President Obama has reacted to the DOJ decision to drop the prosecution of Flynn. Did he look at the very clear, indisputable evidence that the FBI set Flynn up? And applaud the decision? No. He did not.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Instead, he told former staffers Friday: “There is no precedent that anybody can find for someone who has been charged with perjury just getting off scot-free.” First off, plenty of people get charged with perjury and not convicted. Second, the government never charged Flynn with perjury. Third, draining your bank accounts and losing your house is hardly escaping scot-free. So much for Obama the constitutional scholar.
Obama continued: “That’s the kind of stuff where you begin to get worried that basic — not just institutional norms — but our basic understanding of rule of law is at risk.”
Obama Endorses Lawlessness
Former congressman Trey Gowdy was aghast; said it was an “amazing statement.” He demanded:
Where is [Obama’s] respect for the rule of law for the crime that Michael Flynn was the victim of? … Remember, he was unmasked by somebody in Obama’s administration and then it was leaked … that is a 10-year felony, to disseminate classified information. Michael Flynn was a victim of that crime.
Former President Barack Obama said that he approved of what the Deep State did to General Flynn. He expressed zero shock that the Trump-Russia Collusion Hoax was pushed by his top officials even though they admit under oath there was zero empirical evidence. He has confessed his role in bringing it about.
It’s no wonder #ObamaGate is trending. Over 2.5 million tweets over the weekend. As his mentor Rev. Jeremiah Wright said after 9/11, “The chickens are coming home to roost.”
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--2020-05-11--God Hates Unequal Weights and Measures

God Hates Unequal Weights and Measures

Are the women who accused Donald Trump of sexual assault telling the truth ?
What about Brett Kavanaugh ’ s accusers ?
What about Joe Biden ’ s accusers ?
Ultimately , only the people involved know the full details .
But for us on the outside , those of us watching and reacting , one thing is required : consistency .
As Scripture teaches , God hates unequal weights and measures .
This theme is found throughout the Bible , in passages like this , having to do with buying and selling : “ You shall not have in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ smaller .
You shall not have in your house alternate measures , a larger and a smaller .
You must have completely honest weights and completely honest measures , if you are to endure long on the soil that the Lord your God is giving you .
For everyone who does those things , everyone who deals dishonestly , is abhorrent to the Lord your God ” ( Deuteronomy 25:13-16 ) .
Yet we do this all the time when it comes to allegations and accusations .
If the charges come against someone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as specious and unsupported .
If the charges come against someone we don ’ t like , we embrace the charges as strong and believable .
How can this be right ?
Tara Reade ’ s Accusations Expose Hypocrisy on the Left and Right At the moment , and for good reason , many of us on the right are pointing out the hypocrisy of the left in dealing with the Tara Reade accusations .
This is because the same media pundits and political leaders and celebrities who were pushing the # MeToo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accused now look the other way when it is their man , Joe Biden , who is being accused .
What about “ believe women ” ?
What about equal weights and measures ?
What about treating candidate Biden the same way candidate Trump was treated ?
Or the same way Judge Kavanaugh was treated ?
But here ’ s the problem .
Some of us are hypocrites too .
Some of us instantly dismissed all charges against Trump , despite the long list of accusers .
Some of us didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But we want the accusations against Biden to be taken seriously .
To repeat : how is that right ?
We Should Call out Hypocrisy Wherever We See It Some would reply , “ But there ’ s a difference .
The accusers of Trump and Kavanaugh had no credibility .
Biden ’ s accusers are much more credible.
” But those on the left say it ’ s the exact opposite , claiming that the accusers of Trump and Kavanaugh are credible while the accusers of Biden are not .
All I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to call out hypocrisy , which we should , then we need to call it wherever we see it .
As I often say , the sword cuts both ways .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
Proverbs states that “ Partiality in judging is not good ” ( Proverbs 24:23 ; note that the Hebrew idiom for “ partiality ” is literally “ recognizing the face , ” hence being a respecter of persons , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ poor another ) .
Or , in the words of James ( Jacob ) : “ My brothers and sisters , show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ , the Lord of glory ” ( James 2:1 ) .
That is pretty clear : show no partiality .
This does not mean that we do not investigate or that we do not come to conclusions .
Not at all .
The key is that we do it as fairly and impartially as possible , taking account of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is to use equal weights and measures .
A great Jewish thinker once stated that , when it comes to our religious practices , it is unfair to compare the best of our tradition with the worst of someone else ’ s .
It ’ s the same with other areas of life , where we tend to contrast the best examples on “ our side ” with the worst examples on the “ other side.
” In turn , those on the “ other side ” do the same thing with us @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
We polarize even more and understand the real issues even less .
When it comes to a subject as serious as that of alleged sexual assaults ( we ’ re not talking about consensual acts here ) , it behooves us to move beyond political biases and personal prejudices .
Let all things be examined fairly and accurately .
That means holding the accusers accountable if they are lying while holding the accused responsible if they have broken the law .
If we are to make judgments , let us make them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who hates unequal weights and measures takes delight in equity , fairness , and justice .
To quote Proverbs once more , “ A false balance is an abomination to the LORD , but a just weight is his delight ” ( Proverbs 11:1 ) .
Dr. Michael Brown ( www.askdrbrown.org ) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program .
His latest book is When the World Stops : Words of Faith , Hope , and Wisdom in the Midst of Crisis .
Connect with him on Facebook @ @ @ @ @

Are the women who accused Donald Trump of sexual assault telling the truth? What about Brett Kavanaugh’s accusers? What about Joe Biden’s accusers? Ultimately, only the people involved know the full details. But for us on the outside, those of us watching and reacting, one thing is required: consistency. As Scripture teaches, God hates unequal weights and measures.
This theme is found throughout the Bible, in passages like this, having to do with buying and selling: “You shall not have in your pouch alternate weights, larger and smaller. You shall not have in your house alternate measures, a larger and a smaller. You must have completely honest weights and completely honest measures, if you are to endure long on the soil that the Lord your God is giving you. For everyone who does those things, everyone who deals dishonestly, is abhorrent to the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 25:13-16).
Yet we do this all the time when it comes to allegations and accusations.
If the charges come against someone we like, we reject the charges as specious and unsupported. If the charges come against someone we don’t like, we embrace the charges as strong and believable. How can this be right?
Tara Reade’s Accusations Expose Hypocrisy on the Left and Right
At the moment, and for good reason, many of us on the right are pointing out the hypocrisy of the left in dealing with the Tara Reade accusations.
This is because the same media pundits and political leaders and celebrities who were pushing the #MeToo movement when Trump and Kavanaugh were being accused now look the other way when it is their man, Joe Biden, who is being accused.
Some of us instantly dismissed all charges against Trump, despite the long list of accusers. … But we want the accusations against Biden to be taken seriously.
What about “believe women”? What about equal weights and measures? What about treating candidate Biden the same way candidate Trump was treated? Or the same way Judge Kavanaugh was treated?
But here’s the problem. Some of us are hypocrites too.
Some of us instantly dismissed all charges against Trump, despite the long list of accusers. Some of us didn’t even entertain the charges against Kavanaugh. But we want the accusations against Biden to be taken seriously. To repeat: how is that right?
We Should Call out Hypocrisy Wherever We See It
Some would reply, “But there’s a difference. The accusers of Trump and Kavanaugh had no credibility. Biden’s accusers are much more credible.”
But those on the left say it’s the exact opposite, claiming that the accusers of Trump and Kavanaugh are credible while the accusers of Biden are not.
All I’m saying is that if we want to call out hypocrisy, which we should, then we need to call it wherever we see it. As I often say, the sword cuts both ways.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Proverbs states that “Partiality in judging is not good” (Proverbs 24:23; note that the Hebrew idiom for “partiality” is literally “recognizing the face,” hence being a respecter of persons, treating the rich one way and the poor another).
Or, in the words of James (Jacob): “My brothers and sisters, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory” (James 2:1). That is pretty clear: show no partiality.
God Hates Unequal Measures, but Loves Fairness
This does not mean that we do not investigate or that we do not come to conclusions. Not at all.
The key is that we do it as fairly and impartially as possible, taking account of our biases and proclivities. The key is to use equal weights and measures.
A great Jewish thinker once stated that, when it comes to our religious practices, it is unfair to compare the best of our tradition with the worst of someone else’s.
It’s the same with other areas of life, where we tend to contrast the best examples on “our side” with the worst examples on the “other side.” In turn, those on the “other side” do the same thing with us. And what is the end result? We polarize even more and understand the real issues even less.
When it comes to a subject as serious as that of alleged sexual assaults (we’re not talking about consensual acts here), it behooves us to move beyond political biases and personal prejudices.
Let all things be examined fairly and accurately. That means holding the accusers accountable if they are lying while holding the accused responsible if they have broken the law.
If we are to make judgments, let us make them righteously and consistently. The same God who hates unequal weights and measures takes delight in equity, fairness, and justice. To quote Proverbs once more, “A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is his delight” (Proverbs 11:1).
Dr. Michael Brown (www.askdrbrown.org) is the host of the nationally syndicated Line of Fire radio program. His latest book is When the World Stops: Words of Faith, Hope, and Wisdom in the Midst of Crisis. Connect with him on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube.