thestream--2020-06-02--Hawk Nelson Band Leader Abandons Faith, Raising Questions for Christians

Those who listened to Christian music in the early-mid 2000s may have been shocked to learn last week that Jon Steingard , the leader singer of Hawk Nelson , no longer believes in God .
In a lengthy Instagram post , Steingard shares his story .
It ’ s one of church culture , shaky belief , and gnawing doubt .
We ’ ll never know the full story of his upbringing .
But we can use his words to examine our own churches , our own ministries , our own understanding of God ’ s Word .
How many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the same questions ?
How can we make sure we ’ re answering them ?
Why Do You Believe ?
According to Steingard , a preacher ’ s kid , “ Church wasn ’ t something we went to once a week — it was more like something we came home to as often as possible.
” And “ when you grow up in a community that holds a shared belief , and that shared belief is so incredibly central to everything , you simply adopt it.
” Simply adopting the beliefs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ like a very strong faith foundation .
But it ’ s common .
How many children raised in Christian homes “ ask Jesus into their heart ” because it ’ s the thing to do ?
As someone whose childhood church was also more of a home than a weekly activity , I know it ’ s a lot .
At some point , though , a reckoning comes .
A point when the belief of your parents isn ’ t good enough , and you have to decide whether or not to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we have to prepare children for that reckoning .
That includes encouraging them to ask questions — even hard ones .
It includes talking about doubts openly and honestly .
What were Steingard ’ s hard questions ?
According to his post , the big ones were the problem of evil and the apparent contradictions in the Bible .
In this , he ’ s part of a larger trend .
A 2018 Barna report found that for Gen Z , the problem of evil is a collective “ deal breaker.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the two generations share many of the same core concerns , research shows .
As Sean McDowell and J. Warner Wallace note in their book , So The Next Generation Will Know , “ the age of doubt and cynicism appear to be dropping.
” In other words , youth are expressing “ intellectual skepticism ” at younger ages .
“ That ’ s why it ’ s so important for us to start early — even before your kids are verbalizing their questions , ” McDowell and Wallace write .
Who knows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and explored doubts ?
Maybe they didn ’ t .
Or maybe they did , and his hesitance to express uncertainty was merely a personal issue .
Either way , Steingard says he developed “ the reflex to push it down , and soldier on.
” That ’ s not what God encourages , and it ’ s not what we should encourage , either .
Another feature of Steingard ’ s testimony is his discomfort with the gimmicky side of church subculture .
“ Praying in public always felt like some kind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ confesses .
“ Emotional cries such as ‘ Holy Spirit come fill this place ’ always felt clunky and awkward leaving my lips.
” Steingard ’ s discomfort isn ’ t unique .
In Blessed are the Misfits , Brant Hansen encourages Christians who are uncomfortable praying in public ( or struggle to pray at all ) , not great at evangelizing , and generally lack the “ feelings ” emphasized in many churches .
“ Our feelings have nothing to do with whether God loves us or is still involved in our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s possible to be a believer — even a strong one — who doesn ’ t “ get much , or any , emotional reward from our spiritual lives.
” Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
The problem is that a lot of churches , and especially youth ministries , overemphasize “ emotional reward.
” Often they go to ridiculous lengths to manufacture that “ on fire ” feeling they hope will keep youth committed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where attendees were told to sign a pledge to “ date Jesus , ” which he felt was “ manipulative and unsettling.
” It ’ s fine that Steingard didn ’ t want to pledge to “ date Jesus ” as a teenager ( it ’ s probably smart , actually ) .
What ’ s not fine is that the program evidently made him feel that by not participating , he was missing something about Christianity itself .
There may be more to Steingard ’ s story .
Perhaps his church and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to his doubts and address the hard questions of life .
We often don ’ t know why someone rejects the faith they were raised in .
Even so , Steingard ’ s story raises important questions for Christians .
His experience is a piece of a larger narrative , one of Millennials and members of Gen Z abandoning religion at record rates , largely over questions like the problem of evil .
It behooves us to ask ourselves how we ’ re addressing these questions , if we ’ re addressing them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the answers we ’ re giving .
In a sincere effort to reach young people , it ’ s easy for Christians to obsess over being “ relevant.
” But relevance is not the same as entertainment — a mistake many seem to make .
Churches , youth groups , and other Christian organizations shouldn ’ t worry about being entertaining or facilitating an emotional experience .
Doing so is actually damaging to the cause .
Instead they should teach truth , encourage real discussion , and address hard questions head on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ need , and that will never change .

Those who listened to Christian music in the early-mid 2000s may have been shocked to learn last week that Jon Steingard, the leader singer of Hawk Nelson, no longer believes in God.
In a lengthy Instagram post, Steingard shares his story. It’s one of church culture, shaky belief, and gnawing doubt. We’ll never know the full story of his upbringing. But we can use his words to examine our own churches, our own ministries, our own understanding of God’s Word.
How many other children raised in church grow up with the same questions? How can we make sure we’re answering them?
Why Do You Believe?
According to Steingard, a preacher’s kid, “Church wasn’t something we went to once a week — it was more like something we came home to as often as possible.” And “when you grow up in a community that holds a shared belief, and that shared belief is so incredibly central to everything, you simply adopt it.”
Simply adopting the beliefs of your community doesn’t sound like a very strong faith foundation. But it’s common. How many children raised in Christian homes “ask Jesus into their heart” because it’s the thing to do? As someone whose childhood church was also more of a home than a weekly activity, I know it’s a lot.
At some point, though, a reckoning comes. A point when the belief of your parents isn’t good enough, and you have to decide whether or not to make it yours.
In Christian circles, we have to prepare children for that reckoning. That includes encouraging them to ask questions — even hard ones. It includes talking about doubts openly and honestly.
A Trend of Intellectual Skepticism
What were Steingard’s hard questions? According to his post, the big ones were the problem of evil and the apparent contradictions in the Bible. In this, he’s part of a larger trend. A 2018 Barna report found that for Gen Z, the problem of evil is a collective “deal breaker.” Though Steingard’s a Millennial, the two generations share many of the same core concerns, research shows.
As Sean McDowell and J. Warner Wallace note in their book, So The Next Generation Will Know, “the age of doubt and cynicism appear to be dropping.” In other words, youth are expressing “intellectual skepticism” at younger ages. “That’s why it’s so important for us to start early — even before your kids are verbalizing their questions,” McDowell and Wallace write.
In a tweet responding to the initial publication of this article, Steingard said that his parents “have never wavered in their love for me and openness to these discussions.” That is to their credit. Even so, he confesses in his original Instagram post that he developed “the reflex to push [doubts] down, and soldier on.”
That’s not what God encourages, and it’s not what we should encourage, either.
Drop the Gimmicks
Another feature of Steingard’s testimony is his discomfort with the gimmicky side of church subculture. “Praying in public always felt like some kind of weird performance art,” he confesses. “Emotional cries such as ‘Holy Spirit come fill this place’ always felt clunky and awkward leaving my lips.”
Steingard’s discomfort isn’t unique. In Blessed are the Misfits, Brant Hansen encourages Christians who are uncomfortable praying in public (or struggle to pray at all), not great at evangelizing, and generally lack the “feelings” emphasized in many churches. “Our feelings have nothing to do with whether God loves us or is still involved in our lives,” he writes. It’s possible to be a believer — even a strong one — who doesn’t “get much, or any, emotional reward from our spiritual lives.”
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
The problem is that a lot of churches, and especially youth ministries, overemphasize “emotional reward.” Often they go to ridiculous lengths to manufacture that “on fire” feeling they hope will keep youth committed to Christ.
Steingard recalls a youth conference where attendees were told to sign a pledge to “date Jesus,” which he felt was “manipulative and unsettling.” It’s fine that Steingard didn’t want to pledge to “date Jesus” as a teenager (it’s probably smart, actually). What’s not fine is that the program evidently made him feel that by not participating, he was missing something about Christianity itself.
He’s Part of a Larger Story
There may be more to Steingard’s story. Perhaps his church and family did everything they could to listen to his doubts and address the hard questions of life. We often don’t know why someone rejects the faith they were raised in.
Even so, Steingard’s story raises important questions for Christians. His experience is a piece of a larger narrative, one of Millennials and members of Gen Z abandoning religion at record rates, largely over questions like the problem of evil. It behooves us to ask ourselves how we’re addressing these questions, if we’re addressing them — and if we’re confident in the answers we’re giving.
In a sincere effort to reach young people, it’s easy for Christians to obsess over being “relevant.” But relevance is not the same as entertainment — a mistake many seem to make. Churches, youth groups, and other Christian organizations shouldn’t worry about being entertaining or facilitating an emotional experience. Doing so is actually damaging to the cause. Instead they should teach truth, encourage real discussion, and address hard questions head on. That’s the foundation youth need, and that will never change.
Editor’s note: This article was updated on June 3, 2020 to include Jon Steingard’s response.
Liberty McArtor, former staff writer for The Stream, is a freelance writer in the great state of Texas, where she lives north of Dallas with her husband and son. Follow Liberty on Twitter @LibertyMcArtor, or learn more about her at LibertyMcArtor.com.


thestream--2020-06-02--Increased Police Presence Dissipates Riots, Americans Arm Themselves to Fight Back

As riots and protests continue to rage across the United States , police presence in cities has increased and some Americans have begun taking up arms to protect their families , businesses and communities .
Rioters in cities such as Washington , D.C. , New York City , and Los Angeles looted , pillaged , and burned into the early hours of the morning on Saturday and Sunday .
Law enforcement braced for more riots Monday evening , and President Donald Trump vowed Monday evening to mobilize all federal resources against those engaged in such destructive behavior .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and military to stop the rioting and looting , to end the destruction and arson , and to protect the rights of law-abiding Americans , including your Second Amendment rights , ” the president said .
Citizens across the country have already begun to take matters into their own hands in order to protect their livelihoods .
Photographs depict business owners armed with guns protecting their stores from looters and rioters in Santa Monica .
In Florida , a sheriff encouraged residents to fire upon any prospective looters or pillagers following heated protests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
“ The people in Polk County like guns , they have guns , I encourage them to own guns , ” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a press briefing Monday , according to Fox 13 .
“ And if you try to break into their homes to steal , to set fires , I ’ m highly recommending they blow you back out of the house with their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , D.C. protests stayed quieter than previous nights as law enforcement surrounded protesters before loading some into arrest vans , footage obtained by Daily Caller reporters shows .
Helicopters hovered over the city , shut down early for a 7 p.m. curfew mandated by both DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and Trump .
Police told The Daily Caller that everyone who is arrested will be given a summons ( not taken to prison in DC ) unless they have committed a felony previously or have a prior warrant .
In Philadelphia , a large @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the police and their community as they prowled the streets with baseball bats .
In Rochester , New York , and in Chicago , Illinois , armed Arab business owners reportedly kept watch over their stores to protect against looters , according to posts on social media .
In Los Angeles , business owners desperately tried to flag down police to ward off looters from ruining their businesses .
But protests continued to rage in New York , where rioters looted and pillaged the city and a trooper and an officer were reportedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 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 licensing @ dailycallernewsfoundation.org .

As riots and protests continue to rage across the United States, police presence in cities has increased and some Americans have begun taking up arms to protect their families, businesses and communities.
Rioters in cities such as Washington, D.C., New York City, and Los Angeles looted, pillaged, and burned into the early hours of the morning on Saturday and Sunday. Law enforcement braced for more riots Monday evening, and President Donald Trump vowed Monday evening to mobilize all federal resources against those engaged in such destructive behavior.
“I am mobilizing all federal resources, civilian and military to stop the rioting and looting, to end the destruction and arson, and to protect the rights of law-abiding Americans, including your Second Amendment rights,” the president said.
Citizens across the country have already begun to take matters into their own hands in order to protect their livelihoods. Photographs depict business owners armed with guns protecting their stores from looters and rioters in Santa Monica.
BREAKING: Armed business owners are now stationed outside and on top their properties in Santa Monica. They are taking their protection into their own hands now. @FOXLA pic.twitter.com/GTawCJPA2g — Bill Melugin (@BillFOXLA) June 1, 2020
In Florida, a sheriff encouraged residents to fire upon any prospective looters or pillagers following heated protests that took place in the Lakeland area.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
“The people in Polk County like guns, they have guns, I encourage them to own guns,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a press briefing Monday, according to Fox 13.
“And if you try to break into their homes to steal, to set fires, I’m highly recommending they blow you back out of the house with their guns,” Judd said.
WATCH:
"The people in Polk County like guns, they have guns, I encourage them to own guns… And if you try to break into their homes to steal, to set fires, I'm highly recommending they blow you back out of the house with their guns." STORY: https://t.co/NjG4Frlphy pic.twitter.com/KH0g3X0POC — FOX 13 Tampa Bay (@FOX13News) June 1, 2020
Washington, D.C. protests stayed quieter than previous nights as law enforcement surrounded protesters before loading some into arrest vans, footage obtained by Daily Caller reporters shows. Helicopters hovered over the city, shut down early for a 7 p.m. curfew mandated by both DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and Trump.
Police told The Daily Caller that everyone who is arrested will be given a summons (not taken to prison in DC) unless they have committed a felony previously or have a prior warrant.
Military helicopters trying to disperse protesters here in DC pic.twitter.com/md6hYVqE7u — Katie Hill (@KatieHill4CA) June 2, 2020
In Philadelphia, a large group of men reportedly sought to protect the police and their community as they prowled the streets with baseball bats.
WATCH:
There are now two all white armed vigilante groups roaming Fishtown with the blessing of the @phillypolice pic.twitter.com/csGWCDZ6Nw — Josh Albert (@jpegjoshua) June 1, 2020
In Rochester, New York, and in Chicago, Illinois, armed Arab business owners reportedly kept watch over their stores to protect against looters, according to posts on social media.
Arab business owners protecting their businesses in Rochester NY! pic.twitter.com/xWvY5qsaqq — al.prodigy (@Al__prodigy) June 1, 2020
In Los Angeles, business owners desperately tried to flag down police to ward off looters from ruining their businesses.
(2/3) EXCLUSIVE: A group of alleged looters square-off against business owners in Van Nuys as police converge onto the scene. The tense moments were captured live in front of our FOX 11 news camera. https://t.co/KEbNy7SnKw pic.twitter.com/ruAjXGSeev — FOX 11 Los Angeles (@FOXLA) June 2, 2020
But protests continued to rage in New York, where rioters looted and pillaged the city and a trooper and an officer were reportedly hit by a car.
Video taken from above a Nordstrom Rack in Union Square shows the chaos of the looting and riots in NYC: https://t.co/drRlIbUROk pic.twitter.com/WBuIsh1WzE — Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) June 2, 2020
BREAKING: A trooper and an officer were hit by a car that blew through a line of officers at the protest on Bailey Avenue according to PBA President John Evans. They were taken to ECMC. Stay with @SPECNewsBuffalo for updates. #Buffalo pic.twitter.com/odQygo09lH — Stephen Marth (@StephenMarth) June 2, 2020
Reports of looting at multiple areas in New York City, including Manhattan and the Bronx. Curfew will be put into effect at 11:00pm ET.pic.twitter.com/nQ1DRNKvyZ — Alex Salvi (@alexsalvinews) June 2, 2020
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--2020-06-02--Over $1 Million Raised for Black Firefighter Whose Sports Bar Was Destroyed in Riots

A black firefighter who invested his life savings into opening up a sports bar in Minneapolis was reduced to tears after looters destroyed his life ’ s work .
Korboi Balla originally planned to open his bar in March , but those plans had to be put on hold due to the coronavirus crisis .
Balla had been gearing up to finally open his bar after Minnesota gave the go-ahead for restaurants to begin reopening on June 1 .
But by Friday morning , Balla ’ s bar was little more than a pile of bricks after protests of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ black man who died in Minneapolis police custody on Monday , led to widespread rioting and looting in the city .
“ I don ’ t know what we ’ re going to do , ” Korboi Balla told CBS News on Thursday morning while holding back tears .
“ It hurts , man .
It ’ s not fair , it ’ s not right .
We ’ ve been working so hard for this place .
It ’ s not just for me , it ’ s for my family.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Thursday morning , looters broke back into his bar to try to break into his safe .
“ As we were standing in front of the restaurant , people were in the back trying to steal the safe !
” Balla ’ s wife , Twyana Balla , wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday .
“ This just happened an hour ago in broad daylight !
” Twyana Balla added in the post that she and her husband do not have insurance for their business .
“ I ’ m hearing people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ WELL WE DON ’ T AND THIS IS ALL OUT OF POCKET , ” Twyana Balla wrote .
“ Let someone come run in your home and loot for the cause then let ’ s see you be ok with it !
” “ Justice for George Floyd but not this kind of justice , ” she wrote .
Her husband ’ s restaurant had been reduced to a pile of bricks by Friday morning , Twyana Balla said in a video posted to Facebook .
“ There must have been an explosion @ @ @ @ @ @ @ building is gone , ” she said .
Korboi Balla launched a GoFundMe campaign on Thursday to raise funds to rebuild his bar .
The crowdfunding campaign brought in over $ 160,000 for the small business owner in less than 24 hours .
It has reached more than $ 1,028,000 as of Tuesday .
More than 170 businesses in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area have been damaged or looted since Floyd ’ s death on Monday , police told the Twin Cities Pioneer Press .
This article has been updated to reflect the amount @ @ @ @ @

A black firefighter who invested his life savings into opening up a sports bar in Minneapolis was reduced to tears after looters destroyed his life’s work.
Korboi Balla originally planned to open his bar in March, but those plans had to be put on hold due to the coronavirus crisis. Balla had been gearing up to finally open his bar after Minnesota gave the go-ahead for restaurants to begin reopening on June 1.
But by Friday morning, Balla’s bar was little more than a pile of bricks after protests of the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died in Minneapolis police custody on Monday, led to widespread rioting and looting in the city.
“I don’t know what we’re going to do,” Korboi Balla told CBS News on Thursday morning while holding back tears. “It hurts, man. It’s not fair, it’s not right. We’ve been working so hard for this place. It’s not just for me, it’s for my family.”
While CBS reporters were interviewing Balla on Thursday morning, looters broke back into his bar to try to break into his safe.
“As we were standing in front of the restaurant, people were in the back trying to steal the safe!” Balla’s wife, Twyana Balla, wrote in a Facebook post on Thursday. “This just happened an hour ago in broad daylight!”
Twyana Balla added in the post that she and her husband do not have insurance for their business.
“I’m hearing people say F*** the business they have insurance WELL WE DON’T AND THIS IS ALL OUT OF POCKET,” Twyana Balla wrote. “Let someone come run in your home and loot for the cause then let’s see you be ok with it!”
“Justice for George Floyd but not this kind of justice,” she wrote.
Her husband’s restaurant had been reduced to a pile of bricks by Friday morning, Twyana Balla said in a video posted to Facebook.
“There must have been an explosion because the whole front part of the building is gone,” she said.
Korboi Balla launched a GoFundMe campaign on Thursday to raise funds to rebuild his bar. The crowdfunding campaign brought in over $160,000 for the small business owner in less than 24 hours. It has reached more than $1,028,000 as of Tuesday.
More than 170 businesses in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area have been damaged or looted since Floyd’s death on Monday, police told the Twin Cities Pioneer Press.
This article has been updated to reflect the amount raised in the GoFundMe.
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--2020-06-02--Who’s Behind the Riots? The New York Times and the Pulitzer Prize Committee

Most revolutions , successful or failed , follow a pattern .
It repeats itself in every genuine revolution ( not the American War of Independence , by the way ) , from France in 1789 to Russia in 1917 , western Europe in 1968 , and America in 2020 .
One set of elites gets dissatisfied with the limits on its power .
It keeps meeting resistance .
Perhaps in the form of the existing political system .
Or the inertia of past institutions .
Or the brute fact that ordinary citizens want nothing to do with its pet agenda @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and predictable , don ’ t come fast enough .
Not for this elite cabal , which has hired or swayed the most talented messagers to reinforce its faith .
To sing , and paint , and report everywhere that this group can replace the church as the voice of God on earth .
Even displace Christ as the remaker of human nature .
Getting the Munchies for Power That ’ s quite a bowl to smoke .
It gives you the serious munchies , makes you desperately hunger for power .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that stuff , you pace your comfortable home , or faculty lounge , or parents ’ basement , like a tiger in a cage .
In fact , you see each real , existing person or thing that resists your influence , remains beyond your power , as one of the bars in that cage .
This public critic , that private rival , that group of “ reactionary ” churchgoers or gunowners — they ’ re imposing on your freedom .
They ’ re holding back “ progress , ” obstructing change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hate crime aimed at you .
Even the facts of the past , the real history of your country , fills you with bubbling anger .
Those things are really beyond your power .
You obviously can ’ t change them .
Or can you ?
Maybe you remember reading Orwell .
The line flickers through your head , from way back in high school : “ Who controls the past , controls the future : who controls the present , controls the past… .
” And for once , the seething frustration @ @ @ @ @ @ @ … hope .
Maybe facts aren ’ t stubborn things after all .
Maybe the masses will prove more malleable than you ’ d feared .
You go look up the source of the quote .
Okay , it ’ s in one of his novels , 1984 , that Orwell elaborated on this insight .
You find the passage in context : Finally !
A progressive writer who gets it .
Nothing you read in Saul Alinsky or even Ta-Nehisi Coates cut straight to the point like this .
Of course the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ change needs to apply such a strategy .
( Wait a minute , what ’ s “ Ingsoc ” ?
You look it up , “ English Socialism , ” which sounds even better . )
Since the world as it now exists is a vicious crime in your eyes , and its past a long trail of ugly , ignorant blunders , why not sweep it away ?
Leave a blank slate , a fresh new draft on which you and your allies can start again clean ?
Start without the interference @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those who fetishize the past .
Of course , to manage all that you need , beyond elite consensus , at least the masses ’ compliance .
The first weapon in gaining that ?
Alas , persuasion — a clumsy , inelegant step you engage in only reluctantly , since it permits interference by others , who dare to try persuading the masses of their own false , evil ideas .
Best to get that over with as quickly as possible .
Then seize by any means the gateways of information .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , who ’ ll censor discussions for you .
Then the power to label your enemies as “ hate groups.
” Keep their books from getting published , or at least from getting sold .
You Need Iconic Victims , and Street Muscle One way to speed up that power-grab ?
Find one or more groups of genuinely disadvantaged people .
Folks who haven ’ t done nearly as well out of history as you have .
So hungry French peasants , or Russian workers , or fatherless urban black kids … it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use what you have at hand .
Claim that your private theories explain why they ’ re doing so badly .
Promise them the moon .
Whatever it takes to recruit them as foot soldiers when you need them .
Don ’ t worry , you won ’ t have to think much about them once you ’ re in charge — any more than the Jacobins looked out for the peasants , or the Soviets set free their workers .
You just need them for now , both as symbolic “ victims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
They ’ ll do most of the bleeding , and their neighborhoods will burn .
But their grandchildren will thank you .
Or something .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
And of course you ’ ll want to control the curricula at colleges , and the textbooks taught in school .
That ’ s where the real change can happen .
These young people don ’ t know anything yet .
They haven ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ They hardly have any attachment to the past you find so oppressive , the present that fills you with rage .
It ’ s for you , and your movement , to make sure that never happens .
To teach them a history that anchors the future you have in mind .
To root it in a hatred as perfect as your own .
Of course , you ’ ve plenty of tools ready to hand .
Your allies have managed to get Howard Zinn ’ s A People ’ s History of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ True , it ’ s a little cartoonish , and scholars scoff at it .
But it gets the job done .
It ’ s time to craft something considerably more prestigious , and launch it with great panache .
Get tuxedoed headwaiters to roll it out on a silver platter like a rack of standing ribs at Queen Elizabeth ’ s banquet , to the oohs and aahs of onlookers and the pops of flash photography .
Enter The 1619 Project .
This collection of articles published at The New York Times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has already been awarded a Pulitzer Prize .
Committees of education bureaucrats are crafting 1619 curricula which they ’ ll stuff down the throats of school boards at the point of a bayonet .
( “ So you ’ re saying you don ’ t want to teach against racism ?
You do know I ’ m recording this meeting… .
” ) It ’ s true that even liberal scholars at elite universities have debunked its central factual and interpretative claims .
That ’ s a minus .
Of course , reactionaries @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on these details .
But you have audacious hope that the sheer moral power of the 1619 message will sweep such distractions aside .
It ’ s simple , radical , and absolutely transformative : America is evil .
It was settled by slaveowners as a place to work their slaves .
Its founders rebelled against Britain in order to hold onto their slaves .
Its Declaration and Constitution were conscious frauds designed to paper over slavery .
And the white power structure has conspired to use these racist institutions and instruments to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Wow .
Racism , which you insist only white people can be guilty of , and which each of them gets born with like Original Sin , is now almost the only sin .
Because Hitler was one type of racist , you can make every “ racist ” a type of Hitler .
And you can see little Hitlers everywhere in America .
Convince professors of this , and you will have Alabama professors advising rioters on Twitter as how to pull down the Washington monument .
Teach young people this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ burn down James Madison ’ s church , and deface the Lincoln Memorial .
And the World War II Memorial , which actually marks the defeat … of racist fascism .
To smash every plate glass window in “ racist ” neighborhoods .
To treat those who disagree with them like SS soldiers fighting in the ruins of Berlin .
And imagine that they ’ re in the Red Army , liberating the world .
John Zmirak is a senior editor at The Stream , and author or co-author of ten books , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism .

Most revolutions, successful or failed, follow a pattern. It repeats itself in every genuine revolution (not the American War of Independence, by the way), from France in 1789 to Russia in 1917, western Europe in 1968, and America in 2020.
One set of elites gets dissatisfied with the limits on its power. It keeps meeting resistance. Perhaps in the form of the existing political system. Or the inertia of past institutions. Or the brute fact that ordinary citizens want nothing to do with its pet agenda. So its gains, while steady and predictable, don’t come fast enough.
Not for this elite cabal, which has hired or swayed the most talented messagers to reinforce its faith. To sing, and paint, and report everywhere that this group can replace the church as the voice of God on earth. Even displace Christ as the remaker of human nature.
Getting the Munchies for Power
That’s quite a bowl to smoke. It gives you the serious munchies, makes you desperately hunger for power. If you’ve addled your head with that stuff, you pace your comfortable home, or faculty lounge, or parents’ basement, like a tiger in a cage. In fact, you see each real, existing person or thing that resists your influence, remains beyond your power, as one of the bars in that cage.
This public critic, that private rival, that group of “reactionary” churchgoers or gunowners — they’re imposing on your freedom. They’re holding back “progress,” obstructing change. Their mere presence amounts to a hate crime aimed at you. Even the facts of the past, the real history of your country, fills you with bubbling anger. Those things are really beyond your power. You obviously can’t change them.
Reading 1984 as a How-To Book
Or can you? Maybe you remember reading Orwell. The line flickers through your head, from way back in high school: “Who controls the past, controls the future: who controls the present, controls the past… .”
And for once, the seething frustration that pervades your life gives way to … hope. Maybe facts aren’t stubborn things after all. Maybe the masses will prove more malleable than you’d feared. You go look up the source of the quote. Okay, it’s in one of his novels, 1984, that Orwell elaborated on this insight. You find the passage in context:
The mutability of the past is the central tenet of Ingsoc. Past events, it is argued, have no objective existence, but survive only in written records and in human memories. The past is whatever the records and the memories agree upon. And since the Party is in full control of all records, and in equally full control of the minds of its members, it follows that the past is whatever the Party chooses to make it.
Finally! A progressive writer who gets it. Nothing you read in Saul Alinsky or even Ta-Nehisi Coates cut straight to the point like this. Of course the Party of progress, hope, and change needs to apply such a strategy. (Wait a minute, what’s “Ingsoc”? You look it up, “English Socialism,” which sounds even better.)
They pretend that America is evil. It was settled by slaveowners as a place to work their slaves. Its founders rebelled against Britain in order to hold onto their slaves. Its Declaration and Constitution were conscious frauds designed to paper over slavery.
Year Zero: A Clean Slate
Since the world as it now exists is a vicious crime in your eyes, and its past a long trail of ugly, ignorant blunders, why not sweep it away? Leave a blank slate, a fresh new draft on which you and your allies can start again clean? Start without the interference of the ignorant, the un-Woke, those who fetishize the past.
Of course, to manage all that you need, beyond elite consensus, at least the masses’ compliance. The first weapon in gaining that? Alas, persuasion — a clumsy, inelegant step you engage in only reluctantly, since it permits interference by others, who dare to try persuading the masses of their own false, evil ideas. Best to get that over with as quickly as possible. Then seize by any means the gateways of information. The respect or fear of social media companies, who’ll censor discussions for you. Then the power to label your enemies as “hate groups.” Keep their books from getting published, or at least from getting sold.
You Need Iconic Victims, and Street Muscle
One way to speed up that power-grab? Find one or more groups of genuinely disadvantaged people. Folks who haven’t done nearly as well out of history as you have. So hungry French peasants, or Russian workers, or fatherless urban black kids … it doesn’t really matter, just use what you have at hand. Claim that your private theories explain why they’re doing so badly. Promise them the moon.
Whatever it takes to recruit them as foot soldiers when you need them. Don’t worry, you won’t have to think much about them once you’re in charge — any more than the Jacobins looked out for the peasants, or the Soviets set free their workers. You just need them for now, both as symbolic “victims” and street muscle when riots come. They’ll do most of the bleeding, and their neighborhoods will burn. But their grandchildren will thank you. Or something.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Control the Means of Information Production
And of course you’ll want to control the curricula at colleges, and the textbooks taught in school. That’s where the real change can happen. These young people don’t know anything yet. They haven’t yet internalized the structures of oppression. They hardly have any attachment to the past you find so oppressive, the present that fills you with rage. It’s for you, and your movement, to make sure that never happens. To teach them a history that anchors the future you have in mind. To root it in a hatred as perfect as your own.
Of course, you’ve plenty of tools ready to hand. Your allies have managed to get Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States taught almost everywhere. True, it’s a little cartoonish, and scholars scoff at it. But it gets the job done. It’s time to craft something considerably more prestigious, and launch it with great panache. Get tuxedoed headwaiters to roll it out on a silver platter like a rack of standing ribs at Queen Elizabeth’s banquet, to the oohs and aahs of onlookers and the pops of flash photography.
America: Founded on Radical Evil
Enter The 1619 Project. This collection of articles published at The New York Times aspires to greatness. Indeed, it has already been awarded a Pulitzer Prize. Committees of education bureaucrats are crafting 1619 curricula which they’ll stuff down the throats of school boards at the point of a bayonet. (“So you’re saying you don’t want to teach against racism? You do know I’m recording this meeting… .”)
It’s true that even liberal scholars at elite universities have debunked its central factual and interpretative claims.
That’s a minus. Of course, reactionaries seized, as they always do, on these details. But you have audacious hope that the sheer moral power of the 1619 message will sweep such distractions aside. It’s simple, radical, and absolutely transformative: America is evil. It was settled by slaveowners as a place to work their slaves. Its founders rebelled against Britain in order to hold onto their slaves. Its Declaration and Constitution were conscious frauds designed to paper over slavery. And the white power structure has conspired to use these racist institutions and instruments to keep up oppression to this very day.
Little Hitlers Everywhere
Wow. Racism, which you insist only white people can be guilty of, and which each of them gets born with like Original Sin, is now almost the only sin. Because Hitler was one type of racist, you can make every “racist” a type of Hitler. And you can see little Hitlers everywhere in America.
Convince professors of this, and you will have Alabama professors advising rioters on Twitter as how to pull down the Washington monument. Teach young people this, and they will indeed want to burn down James Madison’s church, and deface the Lincoln Memorial. And the World War II Memorial, which actually marks the defeat … of racist fascism. To smash every plate glass window in “racist” neighborhoods. To treat those who disagree with them like SS soldiers fighting in the ruins of Berlin. And imagine that they’re in the Red Army, liberating the world.
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--2020-06-03--Marxist Rage, Not ‘Justice,’ Fueled Riots in 1968 and Again in 2020

Tucked away near the end of the book Ten Blocks From the White House , by reporter Ben Gilbert and the staff of the Washington Post , is a theme that has reverberated through urban riots for more than fifty years .
That theme is Marxism .
Ten Blocks from the White House tells the story of the riots that erupted in Washington , D.C. in 1968 , after the murder of Martin Luther King .
More than 1,200 buildings were burned .
The cost was almost $ 25 million .
As with the spring of 2020 riots , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Four months after the D.C. riot , in August 1968 , Gilbert , a black reporter for the Washington Post , got a lead .
He made contact with three men who claimed responsibility for the violence following King ’ s death .
The men were left-wing agitators who had been planning violence for months before King ’ s death .
Then they used King ’ s death to spread chaos , from setting fires and tossing bricks to dynamiting buildings .
Many of the rioters were looters , criminals and kids .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ they cared little or nothing about Martin Luther King — just as today ’ s anarchists care nothing about George Floyd .
1968 : “ Not a Riot , But a Rebellion .
There is Organization.
” After the smoke cleared , Gilbert put word on the street that he wanted to speak with the men who had sparked the conflagration .
He heard back that the main instigator would meet him at an old D.C. hotel .
When Gilbert arrived , three men were there .
The men were hidden behind ski @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
One quoted Che Guevara — “ In a revolution , you either win or die.
” Another called white people “ the Beast ” and insisted King was killed because he fought “ colonization.
” Today these men are probably tenured professors at America ’ s elite universities .
The leader then explained how they had been planning violent action since February , or two months before King was killed .
“ A lot of areas we went into , ” said one , “ there was nothing going on till we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our thing , man , people just took up.
” Using Molotov cocktails and dynamite stolen from construction sites , the men bombed stores , most of them white-owned businesses in the black neighborhood now known as Shaw .
One of the men claimed responsibility for at least fifteen of the fires that destroyed parts of the city .
He further explained that he had more than twenty-five men working with him .
“ There is organization .
Don ’ t you realize that , as I said , there ’ s a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organization !
That ’ s the reason that it was not a riot but a rebellion !
There is organization .
You have your assigned districts that you work with.
” We hear an identical echo in 2020 .
More and more reporting reveals that Marxist groups like Antifa used bricks , rocks , fireworks and a network of scouts and cars to bring mayhem to New York and other cities in the wake of the killing of George Floyd .
2020 ’ s Marxist are more pathetic kids than full-blown radicals .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Carmichael .
Carmichael , a communist , took over the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee ( SNCC ) in 1966 .
He was a main agitator in the 1968 D.C. riots .
Carmichael had , according to historian Fred Siegel , an “ ideological infatuation with violence.
” Carmichael and other totalitarian visionaries wanted to wed the violent action of the street radicals to the civil rights movement .
As described by historian Benjamin Muse , Carmichael ’ s rhetoric “ resembled at times the anti-white fulminations of Malcolm X , at times a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , at times the senseless bawling of an angry child.
” In 1968 Carmichael was stationed in Washington , D.C. , after spending time in Hanoi , Havana , and Moscow .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
It ’ s interesting to compare the reporting of the 1968 riots with now .
“ The crowds … generally were made up of bands of youth , ” the Post reported in 1968 .
“ Some were schoolchildren @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some were teenagers and twenty-year-olds — many dropouts or unemployed.
” A young black man at the scene put it more bluntly to the Post : “ [ T ] he death of Martin Luther King had nothing to do [ with this ] .
It was an excuse to be destructive or clean up.
” Today the Post , infected with the soft Marxism of identity politics , would never report so accurately .
America ’ s 2020 riots are a pee-wee-league retread of 1968 ’ s leftist demolition .
In fact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the rage goes back much farther than 1968 .
Civil rights historian Benjamin Muse noted as much .
He addressed the radical element that took over the Civil Rights movement in the mid-1960s : “ We Have Gone Full Swing Into Revolution ” Versus “ We Shall Overcome ” The morning after Martin King was murdered , Stokely Carmichael held a news conference .
There he announced , “ America killed Dr. Martin Luther King , Jr. last night … .
What it means is that we have gone full swing into the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a rally at Howard University , one of the oldest and most prestigious black schools in America .
Howard stands proudly on a hilltop over black Washington , which at the time was burning .
One reporter observed that “ the tenor of the speeches was vehemently anti-white.
” The American flag was lowered and the flag of Ujamma , a black separatist group , was raised .
After Carmichael spoke , something remarkable happened .
The doors of Howard ’ s Crampton auditorium opened .
A throng of immaculately dressed black @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been at a memorial service for Dr. King .
The faithful had sung Brahms ’ s “ Requiem , ” the hymn “ Precious Lord , ” and “ A Mighty Fortress is Our God.
” The service ended with “ We Shall Overcome.
” As the mourners filed out , they came face to face with Carmichael .
Here were two faces of America — the rage of the radical and the dignity of the nonviolent Christian .
Fifty years later they are still facing off .
Mark Judge is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

Tucked away near the end of the book Ten Blocks From the White House, by reporter Ben Gilbert and the staff of the Washington Post, is a theme that has reverberated through urban riots for more than fifty years. That theme is Marxism.
Ten Blocks from the White House tells the story of the riots that erupted in Washington, D.C. in 1968, after the murder of Martin Luther King. More than 1,200 buildings were burned. The cost was almost $25 million. As with the spring of 2020 riots, the mayhem was caused by Marxist radicals.
Four months after the D.C. riot, in August 1968, Gilbert, a black reporter for the Washington Post, got a lead. He made contact with three men who claimed responsibility for the violence following King’s death. The men were left-wing agitators who had been planning violence for months before King’s death. Then they used King’s death to spread chaos, from setting fires and tossing bricks to dynamiting buildings.
Many of the rioters were looters, criminals and kids. According to at least one witness, they cared little or nothing about Martin Luther King — just as today’s anarchists care nothing about George Floyd.
1968: “Not a Riot, But a Rebellion. There is Organization.”
After the smoke cleared, Gilbert put word on the street that he wanted to speak with the men who had sparked the conflagration. He heard back that the main instigator would meet him at an old D.C. hotel. When Gilbert arrived, three men were there. The men were hidden behind ski masks and announced themselves as Marxist revolutionaries.
One quoted Che Guevara — “In a revolution, you either win or die.” Another called white people “the Beast” and insisted King was killed because he fought “colonization.” Today these men are probably tenured professors at America’s elite universities.
Here were two faces of America — the rage of the radical and the dignity of the nonviolent Christian. Fifty years later they are still facing off.
The leader then explained how they had been planning violent action since February, or two months before King was killed. “A lot of areas we went into,” said one, “there was nothing going on till we got there. But once we started our thing, man, people just took up.”
Using Molotov cocktails and dynamite stolen from construction sites, the men bombed stores, most of them white-owned businesses in the black neighborhood now known as Shaw. One of the men claimed responsibility for at least fifteen of the fires that destroyed parts of the city.
He further explained that he had more than twenty-five men working with him. “There is organization. Don’t you realize that, as I said, there’s a revolution going on; there must be organization! That’s the reason that it was not a riot but a rebellion! There is organization. You have your assigned districts that you work with.”
2020 a Pee-Wee-League Retread of 1968’s Leftist Demolition
We hear an identical echo in 2020. More and more reporting reveals that Marxist groups like Antifa used bricks, rocks, fireworks and a network of scouts and cars to bring mayhem to New York and other cities in the wake of the killing of George Floyd. 2020’s Marxists are more pathetic kids than full-blown radicals. Their violent forefathers are men like Stokley Carmichael. Carmichael, a communist, took over the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in 1966. He was a main agitator in the 1968 D.C. riots. Carmichael had, according to historian Fred Siegel, an “ideological infatuation with violence.”
Carmichael and other totalitarian visionaries wanted to wed the violent action of the street radicals to the civil rights movement. As described by historian Benjamin Muse, Carmichael’s rhetoric “resembled at times the anti-white fulminations of Malcolm X, at times a harangue of Spartacus to the Roman gladiators, at times the senseless bawling of an angry child.” In 1968 Carmichael was stationed in Washington, D.C., after spending time in Hanoi, Havana, and Moscow.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
It’s interesting to compare the reporting of the 1968 riots with now. “The crowds … generally were made up of bands of youth,” the Post reported in 1968. “Some were schoolchildren, younger than ten years old; some were teenagers and twenty-year-olds — many dropouts or unemployed.” A young black man at the scene put it more bluntly to the Post: “[T]he death of Martin Luther King had nothing to do [with this]. It was an excuse to be destructive or clean up.” Today the Post, infected with the soft Marxism of identity politics, would never report so accurately.
America’s 2020 riots are a pee-wee-league retread of 1968’s leftist demolition. In fact, the main fuel of resentment fueling the rage goes back much farther than 1968. Civil rights historian Benjamin Muse noted as much. He addressed the radical element that took over the Civil Rights movement in the mid-1960s:
In many respects, including its confinement to a racial minority, comparison of [the radical takeover of the civil rights movement] with the French Revolution would of course be overdrawn. Yet certain analogies with that convulsion may be apt. The American Negro Revolution, preached for years by Negro intellectuals and set in motion in the early 1960s by elements of the bourgeoisie, witnessed in 1966 a rising, turbulent and misguided, of the sans-culottes.
“We Have Gone Full Swing Into Revolution” Versus “We Shall Overcome”
The morning after Martin King was murdered, Stokely Carmichael held a news conference. There he announced, “America killed Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. last night … . What it means is that we have gone full swing into the revolution.”
After his conference Carmichael went to a rally at Howard University, one of the oldest and most prestigious black schools in America. Howard stands proudly on a hilltop over black Washington, which at the time was burning. One reporter observed that “the tenor of the speeches was vehemently anti-white.” The American flag was lowered and the flag of Ujamma, a black separatist group, was raised.
After Carmichael spoke, something remarkable happened. The doors of Howard’s Crampton auditorium opened. A throng of immaculately dressed black men and women poured forth. They had been at a memorial service for Dr. King. The faithful had sung Brahms’s “Requiem,” the hymn “Precious Lord,” and “A Mighty Fortress is Our God.” The service ended with “We Shall Overcome.” As the mourners filed out, they came face to face with Carmichael. Here were two faces of America — the rage of the radical and the dignity of the nonviolent Christian. Fifty years later they are still facing off.
Mark Judge is a writer and filmmaker in Washington, D.C.


thestream--2020-06-03--What the Fight for Traditional Marriage Teaches Us About George Floyd

There was a Black Lives Matter protest on Sunday morning downtown in my home city of Waterbury .
Later that afternoon a group blocked the interstate that runs through the center of the city .
The police arrested 28 .
The next day ’ s edition of the ( Waterbury ) Republican-American featured several photos of people being arrested for disrupting the highway .
They are almost entirely young white persons .
Antifa indeed .
These were two different events held by two different groups .
People who wish to divide this country want you to believe otherwise .
Some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Don ’ t do it .
The Black Lives Matter protest in Waterbury was led by Jalia West , a young woman who is a recent graduate of UConn ’ s nursing program .
See the mutual admiration that Jalia and the Waterbury Police Department have for one another here .
See Jalia ’ s rejection of the second protest here .
Trump is right to label Antifa a domestic terrorist organization after this weekend ’ s riots .
The Left disapproves .
But it was the Left that wanted to do the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Right after the El Paso shooting .
It ’ s been less than a year , but who even remembers that now ?
Who remembers how the Left jumped on a summer of mass shootings to declare domestic gun groups the equivalent of foreign terrorists ?
Who remembers how only those shootings that fit the narrative stayed in the media spotlight ?
Who now remembers that just this past January Senate Democrats in our state legislature wanted a new police department to combat only “ right wing ” hate crimes and violent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Left was foisting on the country .
And , just as he has on so many other occasions , Trump just stole it out from under them .
And , just as in those other occasions , he was right to do so .
In terms of lethality , guys like the El Paso shooter are ( thus far ) much worse than Antifa .
But they tend to be lone nuts who spent too much time on the internet .
By contrast , if you ’ re looking for an extremist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Antifa fits the bill , especially after this past weekend .
And remember , it was the Democrats who were in the market for a domestic terror threat to organize against .
What We Can Do Some concrete steps .
Back in his day , Bobby Kennedy joked that he wasn ’ t worried about the Communist Party USA because every third member was an undercover FBI agent .
Today ’ s FBI ought to do the same to Antifa .
Take a break from serving the Deep State coup against Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for a change , FBI .
Are the Antifa members too young to pull it off ?
Find young-looking agents .
If our space program and cell phones can take a cue from Star Trek , why can ’ t our law enforcement take a cue from 21 Jumpstreet ?
That ’ s the first thing to do .
Here ’ s the second .
When Islamists stage a terrorist attack , peaceful Muslims are told they must do more against the violent extremists within their community .
After this weekend , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about Antifa .
Democrats must be made to disown it .
Other activist groups should disavow them , as Black Lives Matter has done here in Waterbury .
The Left should give Antifa , and similarly violent entities , no quarter .
Some of their own causes , like the legitimate grievances of African-Americans , are Antifa ’ s first victims .
An obvious-no-brainer-low-hanging-fruit of an issue like the death of George Floyd has been turned into a discussion about riots .
We all , whatever our politics , will unite in opposition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talking about racial justice ?
Here was the perfect chance .
But now almost everyone ’ s gone back to their corners and back to throwing insults at each other .
African-Americans will be the first to recognize that Antifa hasn ’ t done them any favors .
Finally , the Republicans are in dire need of a new strategy in the matter of minorities in general .
After Muslims were massacred in New Zealand , I attended a rally the local Muslim community held here in Waterbury .
Speakers expressing solidarity with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ entirely of the Left : anti-gun activists , Trump haters , etc .
All the local politicos were Democrats .
And honestly , even if a Connecticut Republican were there , what would he say ?
Our last candidate for governor ran on a platform of repealing the state income tax and nothing else .
That won ’ t mean much to the guy worried about his family being killed back in Yemen .
Even if liberals are the real racists , as I wrote here a few days ago , mainstream conservatives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ racism that would win friends among African-Americans .
Likewise , when my friend Austin Ruse tagged me yesterday with a study from a few years ago purporting to show no racial disparity in lethal acts of police brutality , and a long back-and-forth ensued between him and my colleague Christina Bennett , I had the same thoughts as I did at the Muslim rally .
Even if those stats are true ( and I ’ m not sure they are , overall ) Candace Owens-style talking points will win even less , not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And , therefore , to the causes guys like Austin and I fight for .
People who say “ Believe my statistic and not your own lying eyes , what about Chicago , what about the black family , etc.
” will not help , especially in response to those with whom we have the most in common in the African-American community .
Better to start with what we share with those who are our allies in the community , most especially the deep well of faith among African-Americans , and build out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the stories they tell , as David Mills has written here on The Stream .
As we did in the fight for traditional marriage , we need to be right there in the community .
We can ’ t be folks ready with social media talking points to say it ain ’ t so whenever an incident causes an uptick in concerns about racism .
That is something I am seeing all up and down my Facebook newsfeed .
Social conservatives were doing a better job in making these connections some fifteen years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The more the old ( pre-Obergerfell ) fight for marriage is in the rearview mirror , the more we forgot the need to stay close to minority communities .
We need to remember it again .
To do that , we need to show a true commitment — which is also a genuinely Christian and conservative commitment — to their interests and concerns .
Peter Wolfgang is president of Family Institute of Connecticut Action .
He lives in Waterbury , Connecticut , with his wife and their seven children .
The views expressed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

There was a Black Lives Matter protest on Sunday morning downtown in my home city of Waterbury. Later that afternoon a group blocked the interstate that runs through the center of the city. The police arrested 28.
The next day’s edition of the (Waterbury) Republican-American featured several photos of people being arrested for disrupting the highway. They are almost entirely young white persons. Antifa indeed.
These were two different events held by two different groups. People who wish to divide this country want you to believe otherwise. Some of you are taking the bait. Don’t do it.
BLM and Antifa
The Black Lives Matter protest in Waterbury was led by Jalia West, a young woman who is a recent graduate of UConn’s nursing program. See the mutual admiration that Jalia and the Waterbury Police Department have for one another here. See Jalia’s rejection of the second protest here.
Trump is right to label Antifa a domestic terrorist organization after this weekend’s riots. The Left disapproves. But it was the Left that wanted to do the same thing last summer to people on the Right after the El Paso shooting.
It’s been less than a year, but who even remembers that now? Who remembers how the Left jumped on a summer of mass shootings to declare domestic gun groups the equivalent of foreign terrorists? Who remembers how only those shootings that fit the narrative stayed in the media spotlight? Who now remembers that just this past January Senate Democrats in our state legislature wanted a new police department to combat only “right wing” hate crimes and violent extremism?
That was quite the narrative the Left was foisting on the country. And, just as he has on so many other occasions, Trump just stole it out from under them. And, just as in those other occasions, he was right to do so.
In terms of lethality, guys like the El Paso shooter are (thus far) much worse than Antifa. But they tend to be lone nuts who spent too much time on the internet. By contrast, if you’re looking for an extremist ideological conspiracy fomenting attacks on our nation, Antifa fits the bill, especially after this past weekend. And remember, it was the Democrats who were in the market for a domestic terror threat to organize against.
What We Can Do
Some concrete steps. Back in his day, Bobby Kennedy joked that he wasn’t worried about the Communist Party USA because every third member was an undercover FBI agent. Today’s FBI ought to do the same to Antifa. Take a break from serving the Deep State coup against Trump and do something useful for your country for a change, FBI.
Are the Antifa members too young to pull it off? Find young-looking agents. If our space program and cell phones can take a cue from Star Trek, why can’t our law enforcement take a cue from 21 Jumpstreet?
That’s the first thing to do. Here’s the second. When Islamists stage a terrorist attack, peaceful Muslims are told they must do more against the violent extremists within their community. After this weekend, the same should be said to the Left about Antifa. Democrats must be made to disown it. Other activist groups should disavow them, as Black Lives Matter has done here in Waterbury.
The Left should give Antifa, and similarly violent entities, no quarter. Some of their own causes, like the legitimate grievances of African-Americans, are Antifa’s first victims. An obvious-no-brainer-low-hanging-fruit of an issue like the death of George Floyd has been turned into a discussion about riots.
We all, whatever our politics, will unite in opposition to that. The Left wants Americans talking about racial justice? Here was the perfect chance. But now almost everyone’s gone back to their corners and back to throwing insults at each other. African-Americans will be the first to recognize that Antifa hasn’t done them any favors.
The Republicans’ Need
Finally, the Republicans are in dire need of a new strategy in the matter of minorities in general. After Muslims were massacred in New Zealand, I attended a rally the local Muslim community held here in Waterbury. Speakers expressing solidarity with them in their time of mourning were entirely of the Left: anti-gun activists, Trump haters, etc. All the local politicos were Democrats.
And honestly, even if a Connecticut Republican were there, what would he say? Our last candidate for governor ran on a platform of repealing the state income tax and nothing else. That won’t mean much to the guy worried about his family being killed back in Yemen. Even if liberals are the real racists, as I wrote here a few days ago, mainstream conservatives haven’t shown the concern for racism that would win friends among African-Americans.
Likewise, when my friend Austin Ruse tagged me yesterday with a study from a few years ago purporting to show no racial disparity in lethal acts of police brutality, and a long back-and-forth ensued between him and my colleague Christina Bennett, I had the same thoughts as I did at the Muslim rally. Even if those stats are true (and I’m not sure they are, overall) Candace Owens-style talking points will win even less, not more, votes to the GOP. And, therefore, to the causes guys like Austin and I fight for.
People who say “Believe my statistic and not your own lying eyes, what about Chicago, what about the black family, etc.” will not help, especially in response to those with whom we have the most in common in the African-American community. Better to start with what we share with those who are our allies in the community, most especially the deep well of faith among African-Americans, and build out from there. That means listening to the stories they tell, as David Mills has written here on The Stream.
As we did in the fight for traditional marriage, we need to be right there in the community. We can’t be folks ready with social media talking points to say it ain’t so whenever an incident causes an uptick in concerns about racism. That is something I am seeing all up and down my Facebook newsfeed.
Social conservatives were doing a better job in making these connections some fifteen years ago than we are right now. The more the old (pre-Obergerfell) fight for marriage is in the rearview mirror, the more we forgot the need to stay close to minority communities. We need to remember it again. To do that, we need to show a true commitment — which is also a genuinely Christian and conservative commitment — to their interests and concerns.
Peter Wolfgang is president of Family Institute of Connecticut Action. He lives in Waterbury, Connecticut, with his wife and their seven children. The views expressed on The Stream are solely his own.


thestream--2020-06-03--Military Photo of the Day: Welcome the US Navy’s Newest Littoral Combat Ship!

The U.S. Navy ’ s newest littoral combat ship , the future USS Kansas City , arrives at its new @ @ @ @ @ Diego on May 24 , 2020 .
Thank you to Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class @ @ @ @ @ image .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political @ @ @ @ @ of Our Day .

The U.S. Navy’s newest littoral combat ship, the future USS Kansas City, arrives at its new homeport at Naval Base San Diego on May 24, 2020.
Thank you to Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Kevin Leitner for capturing this image.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.


thestream--2020-06-04--These States Reopened a Month Ago After COVID-19 Shutdowns. Here’s What Happened.

Among states that reopened their economies about a month ago , most logged about the same number of COVID-19 cases , though some had more cases and others saw a decline .
The closest thing to a discernible pattern is that Western and Midwestern states performed better than Southern states in terms of fewer new cases of the disease caused by the new coronavirus .
Even there , though , some Southern states saw a decline or remained steady in the number of COVID-19 cases , according to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation .
The increase in new diagnosed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each state is doing .
In 47 states , hospitalization for COVID-19 either has been flat or has decreased , said Dr. Lee Gross , president of Docs 4 Patient Care , a health care advocacy group .
As testing expands , the number of confirmed cases will increase , Gross said , and the most notable measurement is of serious cases .
“ The key is not to focus on just the number of cases , but how seriously ill people are , ” Gross , who practices family medicine in North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Signal .
“ There are many diseases that don ’ t shut down the economy for months.
” The only three states with increasing hospitalization rates for COVID-19 are Hawaii , Rhode Island , and Wisconsin , he said .
Wisconsin reopened its economy May 8 and Rhode Island reopened May 13 .
Hawaii didn ’ t do so until May 31 , so there may not be a clear pattern .
Wisconsin , which came back the earliest of the three , had the biggest increase , Gross said .
The states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a rate of 10 % or higher are Alabama , Nebraska , and Virginia , Gross said , adding that hospitalization rates are flat .
It is difficult to say why some states appear to be doing better than others , said Jennifer Tolbert , director of state health reform at the Kaiser Family Foundation .
“ We are definitely seeing different trends after reopening for about a month in different locations , ” Tolbert told The Daily Signal .
“ I ’ m not sure we know the why.
” A @ @ @ @ @ @ @ April , according to Stateline , a project of the Pew Research Center that monitors state governments .
Alaska , which has had 467 COVID-19 cases and 10 deaths , according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , led the way in reopening April 24 .
Montana , with 523 total cases and 17 deaths , followed the next day .
Then Colorado .
Mississippi was the first Southern state to reopen , on April 27 .
Three days later , it was followed by Alabama , Georgia , Idaho , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ West Virginia , according to Pew .
Kaiser Family Foundation measured new cases in states based on a seven-day rolling average on May 5 , by which time a significant number of states had reopened , and May 28 , close to the end of the month .
Colorado and Georgia , two of the most permissive states in their reopenings , were widely criticized for taking a far less cautious approach than many other state governments .
Noting again how every state has different dynamics , Kaiser ’ s Tolbert noted that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began at ski resorts that later were closed down .
On May 5 , Colorado had 436 new cases using the seven-day rolling average .
By May 28 , that number had declined to 274 new cases , according to Kaiser .
In all , Colorado has had about 26,000 cases and 1,458 deaths .
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
Georgia had a more nominal dip , with 710 new cases May 5 and 658 new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about 48,000 total cases and just over 2,000 total deaths , according to the CDC .
“ These governors who uncaged free people and enterprise were wisely acting to not endanger so many livelihoods while still working to protect the most vulnerable , ” George Allen , a former governor and U.S. senator of Virginia , told The Daily Signal .
Allen said 100,000 deaths from the new coronavirus were tragic .
However , the doomsday predictions for states that reopened didn ’ t come true indicates a problem with computer models on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There was so much hype , ” said Allen , who is also a member of The Heritage Foundation ’ s National Coronavirus Recovery Commission .
“ The fact that so many states opened and cases declined shows how wrong many of the forecasts and models were.
” Allen said he hopes to see more governors and state legislatures provide liability protections for businesses in reopening and work to recruit pharmaceutical manufacturers so that America is less reliant on China .
For the state of Texas , new cases of COVID-19 were about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ May–1,049–except for a spike in mid-May of 1,305 that was followed by a decline .
Texas , the second most populous state , has had about 65,000 total cases and 1,678 deaths , according to the CDC .
In Alabama , however , new cases nearly doubled from 241 to 463 over that time period , according to Kaiser .
Alabama has had 18,438 cases and 648 deaths in all .
Mississippi also had a spike from 266 new cases to 307 new cases in the three weeks from May 5 to May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ than 16,000 cases and 768 deaths , according to the CDC .
Tennessee , however , saw a decrease from 520 new cases in early May to 388 new cases in late May , according to Kaiser .
In all , Tennessee has had 23,709 cases and 369 deaths .
West Virginia saw its already tiny number of new cases , 22 , more than double to 49 from early to late May .
West Virginia was the last state with zero cases early in the pandemic .
In all , it has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
On some level , an increase in new COVID-19 cases was expected whenever Americans came out of isolation , Kaiser ’ s Utah did a partial reopening May 1 , and Missouri followed May 3 .
Utah has had more than 10,000 total cases and 114 deaths .
Missouri has had 13,327 cases and 773 deaths .
The states of Florida , Indiana , and South Carolina began their phased reopenings May 4 .
On May 8 , Rhode Island , which has had about 15,000 cases and 720 deaths , became @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Wisconsin began opening May 13 .
Utah remained about the same , with 158 new cases May 5 , just a few days after its reopening , and 150 new cases May 28 , according to Kaiser .
Indiana had 635 new cases after a seven-day average May 5 , one day after reopening .
That dropped to 445 new cases May 28 .
Indiana has had a total of 34,830 cases and 2,142 deaths .
Florida , with the nation ’ s third-largest population , was almost flat with 656 new cases @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and 659 as of May 28 .
In all , Florida has had 55,415 cases and 2,460 deaths .
South Carolina had an increase in new cases from 158 on May 5 to 201 new cases May 28 .
South Carolina has had 12,148 total cases and about 500 deaths .
As an aside , neighboring North Carolina , which didn ’ t reopen until May 21 according to Stateline , saw a big spike before and after–going from 394 cases May 5 to 755 cases May 28 .
North Carolina has had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In Wisconsin , a week before the May 13 reopening , the number of new cases was 325 on May 5 .
That increased to 441 by May 28 , according to Kaiser .
Wisconsin has had about 18,500 cases and 600 deaths .
Seven other states didn ’ t force closure of their economies but issued strong guidelines to businesses and individuals .
These states were Arkansas , Iowa , Nebraska , North Dakota , Oklahoma , South Dakota , and Wyoming , according to Stateline .
For the most part @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these seven states over the period measured .
But Arkansas had an increase from 57 new cases in early May to 182 new cases by late May , according to Kaiser .
Arkansas has had 7,443 total cases and 133 deaths .
Nebraska saw a decline from 408 new cases May 5 to 260 new cases May 28 .
The state has had 14,345 total cases and 178 deaths .
Keeping with the Midwestern trend , Iowa saw a decline from 534 new cases in the seven-day average May 5 to 345 new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Iowa has had almost 20,000 cases and about 550 deaths .
Oklahoma was steady , with 102 new cases dipping to 100 over that same period .
The state has had about 6,300 total cases and 338 deaths .
For other states , it may be too early to measure the potential effect of reopening .
States that had phased reopenings in mid-May include Arizona , Connecticut , Louisiana , Maryland , Nevada , Minnesota , Massachusetts , Ohio , Vermont , and Virginia , according to Stateline .
Delaware , Hawaii , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ New Jersey , North Carolina , Washington , and the District of Columbia reopened in late May .
What ’ s next ?
Pennsylvania opens Thursday , June 4 , followed by Michigan on June 12 .
The state of New York , which has had the largest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the nation , will open June 13 .
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention measures New York state and New York City separately in logging coronavirus cases .
In all , New York City has had more @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The rest of New York state has had about 168,000 cases and 8,159 deaths .
Six states have not yet set a date to reopen .
They include the nation ’ s most populous state , California , which has had 113,000 total cases and about 4,250 deaths .
The others are Kentucky , Maine , New Jersey , New Mexico , and Oregon .
Fred Lucas is the White House correspondent for The Daily Signal and co-host of “ The Right Side of History ” podcast .
Lucas is also the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Secret Deals and Electoral Chaos of Disputed Presidential Elections.
” Send an email to Fred .

Among states that reopened their economies about a month ago, most logged about the same number of COVID-19 cases, though some had more cases and others saw a decline.
The closest thing to a discernible pattern is that Western and Midwestern states performed better than Southern states in terms of fewer new cases of the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
Even there, though, some Southern states saw a decline or remained steady in the number of COVID-19 cases, according to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
The increase in new diagnosed cases offers only a glimpse of how each state is doing.
In 47 states, hospitalization for COVID-19 either has been flat or has decreased, said Dr. Lee Gross, president of Docs 4 Patient Care, a health care advocacy group.
As testing expands, the number of confirmed cases will increase, Gross said, and the most notable measurement is of serious cases.
“The key is not to focus on just the number of cases, but how seriously ill people are,” Gross, who practices family medicine in North Port, Florida, told The Daily Signal. “There are many diseases that don’t shut down the economy for months.”
The only three states with increasing hospitalization rates for COVID-19 are Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin, he said.
Wisconsin reopened its economy May 8 and Rhode Island reopened May 13. Hawaii didn’t do so until May 31, so there may not be a clear pattern.
Wisconsin, which came back the earliest of the three, had the biggest increase, Gross said.
The states seeing patients test positive for the coronavirus at a rate of 10% or higher are Alabama, Nebraska, and Virginia, Gross said, adding that hospitalization rates are flat.
It is difficult to say why some states appear to be doing better than others, said Jennifer Tolbert, director of state health reform at the Kaiser Family Foundation.
“We are definitely seeing different trends after reopening for about a month in different locations,” Tolbert told The Daily Signal. “I’m not sure we know the why.”
A dozen states began phased reopenings in late April, according to Stateline, a project of the Pew Research Center that monitors state governments.
Alaska, which has had 467 COVID-19 cases and 10 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, led the way in reopening April 24.
Montana, with 523 total cases and 17 deaths, followed the next day. Then Colorado.
Mississippi was the first Southern state to reopen, on April 27. Three days later, it was followed by Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Tennessee, Texas, and West Virginia, according to Pew.
Kaiser Family Foundation measured new cases in states based on a seven-day rolling average on May 5, by which time a significant number of states had reopened, and May 28, close to the end of the month.
Colorado and Georgia, two of the most permissive states in their reopenings, were widely criticized for taking a far less cautious approach than many other state governments.
Noting again how every state has different dynamics, Kaiser’s Tolbert noted that many of the early cases in Colorado began at ski resorts that later were closed down.
On May 5, Colorado had 436 new cases using the seven-day rolling average. By May 28, that number had declined to 274 new cases, according to Kaiser. In all, Colorado has had about 26,000 cases and 1,458 deaths.
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Georgia had a more nominal dip, with 710 new cases May 5 and 658 new cases May 28. Georgia has had about 48,000 total cases and just over 2,000 total deaths, according to the CDC.
“These governors who uncaged free people and enterprise were wisely acting to not endanger so many livelihoods while still working to protect the most vulnerable,” George Allen, a former governor and U.S. senator of Virginia, told The Daily Signal.
Allen said 100,000 deaths from the new coronavirus were tragic. However, the doomsday predictions for states that reopened didn’t come true indicates a problem with computer models on the virus, he said.
“There was so much hype,” said Allen, who is also a member of The Heritage Foundation’s National Coronavirus Recovery Commission. “The fact that so many states opened and cases declined shows how wrong many of the forecasts and models were.”
Allen said he hopes to see more governors and state legislatures provide liability protections for businesses in reopening and work to recruit pharmaceutical manufacturers so that America is less reliant on China.
For the state of Texas, new cases of COVID-19 were about the same in early May–1,079–as in late May–1,049–except for a spike in mid-May of 1,305 that was followed by a decline. Texas, the second most populous state, has had about 65,000 total cases and 1,678 deaths, according to the CDC.
In Alabama, however, new cases nearly doubled from 241 to 463 over that time period, according to Kaiser. Alabama has had 18,438 cases and 648 deaths in all.
Mississippi also had a spike from 266 new cases to 307 new cases in the three weeks from May 5 to May 28. The state has had more than 16,000 cases and 768 deaths, according to the CDC.
Tennessee, however, saw a decrease from 520 new cases in early May to 388 new cases in late May, according to Kaiser. In all, Tennessee has had 23,709 cases and 369 deaths.
West Virginia saw its already tiny number of new cases, 22, more than double to 49 from early to late May. West Virginia was the last state with zero cases early in the pandemic. In all, it has had about 2,000 cases and 76 deaths.
Other states remained steady after reopening.
On some level, an increase in new COVID-19 cases was expected whenever Americans came out of isolation, Kaiser’s
Tolbert said:
As states reopen, the hope is that while yes there will be an increase in cases, states will also increase the testing and contact tracing. The whole reason we went into lockdown was never eradication of the virus, but it was to flatten the curve to give the health care system time to respond and not be overwhelmed.
Utah did a partial reopening May 1, and Missouri followed May 3. Utah has had more than 10,000 total cases and 114 deaths. Missouri has had 13,327 cases and 773 deaths.
The states of Florida, Indiana, and South Carolina began their phased reopenings May 4.
On May 8, Rhode Island, which has had about 15,000 cases and 720 deaths, became the first Northeastern state to reopen. Wisconsin began opening May 13.
Utah remained about the same, with 158 new cases May 5, just a few days after its reopening, and 150 new cases May 28, according to Kaiser.
Indiana had 635 new cases after a seven-day average May 5, one day after reopening. That dropped to 445 new cases May 28. Indiana has had a total of 34,830 cases and 2,142 deaths.
Florida, with the nation’s third-largest population, was almost flat with 656 new cases the day after it reopened May 4 and 659 as of May 28. In all, Florida has had 55,415 cases and 2,460 deaths.
South Carolina had an increase in new cases from 158 on May 5 to 201 new cases May 28. South Carolina has had 12,148 total cases and about 500 deaths.
As an aside, neighboring North Carolina, which didn’t reopen until May 21 according to Stateline, saw a big spike before and after–going from 394 cases May 5 to 755 cases May 28. North Carolina has had 29,263 total cases and about 900 deaths.
In Wisconsin, a week before the May 13 reopening, the number of new cases was 325 on May 5. That increased to 441 by May 28, according to Kaiser. Wisconsin has had about 18,500 cases and 600 deaths.
Seven other states didn’t force closure of their economies but issued strong guidelines to businesses and individuals. These states were Arkansas, Iowa, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Wyoming, according to Stateline.
For the most part, there was no significant difference for these seven states over the period measured. But Arkansas had an increase from 57 new cases in early May to 182 new cases by late May, according to Kaiser. Arkansas has had 7,443 total cases and 133 deaths.
Nebraska saw a decline from 408 new cases May 5 to 260 new cases May 28. The state has had 14,345 total cases and 178 deaths.
Keeping with the Midwestern trend, Iowa saw a decline from 534 new cases in the seven-day average May 5 to 345 new cases May 28. In all, Iowa has had almost 20,000 cases and about 550 deaths.
Oklahoma was steady, with 102 new cases dipping to 100 over that same period. The state has had about 6,300 total cases and 338 deaths.
For other states, it may be too early to measure the potential effect of reopening.
States that had phased reopenings in mid-May include Arizona, Connecticut, Louisiana, Maryland, Nevada, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Ohio, Vermont, and Virginia, according to Stateline.
Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Washington, and the District of Columbia reopened in late May.
What’s next? Pennsylvania opens Thursday, June 4, followed by Michigan on June 12.
The state of New York, which has had the largest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the nation, will open June 13.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention measures New York state and New York City separately in logging coronavirus cases. In all, New York City has had more than 200,000 cases and almost 22,000 deaths. The rest of New York state has had about 168,000 cases and 8,159 deaths.
Six states have not yet set a date to reopen. They include the nation’s most populous state, California, which has had 113,000 total cases and about 4,250 deaths.
The others are Kentucky, Maine, New Jersey, New Mexico, and Oregon.
Fred Lucas is the White House correspondent for The Daily Signal and co-host of “The Right Side of History” podcast. Lucas is also the author of “Tainted by Suspicion: The Secret Deals and Electoral Chaos of Disputed Presidential Elections.” Send an email to Fred.
Copyright 2020 The Daily Signal


thestream--2020-06-03--Joy Break: Cop and Protester Pause to Pray Together

When we turn on our televisions or smart phones we are bombarded with news that brings us down .
Where are all the good stories ?
They ’ re still there .
Here ’ s one that we hope will bless you .
Police officer Garren Hoskins was holding the line Saturday during a peaceful protest in Nashville , Tennessee .
That ’ s when he noticed a guy holding a sign and preaching to the crowd about his Christian faith .
“ As he was talking , he was quoting Bible verses , ” said Hoskins .
“ I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what he was saying is the same things I was raised on and what I believe.
” The two men began talking .
“ There was a brief moment where he … stopped and was just kinda standing there .
And so , I felt an opportunity as a police officer and a person , a man myself , I just asked him , ‘ Would you like to pray ?
’ And he puts his sign down , looked at me , and said , ‘ Absolutely . '
” The protester @ @ @ @ @ @ @ men began to pray .
“ He had a great prayer of equal rights — all men treated equal under God , and it was very touching , ” Hoskins added .
The men didn ’ t know it , but someone captured the moment on film .
The Metro Nashville PD posted it on Twitter .
“ In the midst of Sat ’ s confrontation between protestors ( sic ) & officers at the Central Precinct , Officer Garren Hoskins and the protestor ( sic ) in front of him began talking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ asked the man to join him in prayer .
He put his sign down .
They prayed.
” Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political , Economic and Moral Issues of Our Day .
Nancy Flory is an associate editor at The Stream .
You can follow her @ NancyFlory3 , and follow The Stream @ Streamdotorg .

When we turn on our televisions or smart phones we are bombarded with news that brings us down. Where are all the good stories? They’re still there. Here’s one that we hope will bless you.
Police officer Garren Hoskins was holding the line Saturday during a peaceful protest in Nashville, Tennessee. That’s when he noticed a guy holding a sign and preaching to the crowd about his Christian faith. “As he was talking, he was quoting Bible verses,” said Hoskins. “I’m personally a Christian … and what he was saying is the same things I was raised on and what I believe.” The two men began talking.
“There was a brief moment where he … stopped and was just kinda standing there. And so, I felt an opportunity as a police officer and a person, a man myself, I just asked him, ‘Would you like to pray?’ And he puts his sign down, looked at me, and said, ‘Absolutely.'”
‘All Men Treated Equal Under God’
The protester put down his sign and the two men began to pray. “He had a great prayer of equal rights — all men treated equal under God, and it was very touching,” Hoskins added. The men didn’t know it, but someone captured the moment on film. The Metro Nashville PD posted it on Twitter.
“In the midst of Sat’s confrontation between protestors (sic) & officers at the Central Precinct, Officer Garren Hoskins and the protestor (sic) in front of him began talking about their shared Christian faith. Hoskins asked the man to join him in prayer. He put his sign down. They prayed.”
In the midst of Sat's confrontation between protestors & officers at the Central Precinct, Officer Garren Hoskins and the protestor in front of him began talking about their shared Christian faith. Hoskins asked the man to join him in prayer. He put his sign down. They prayed. pic.twitter.com/c1KasU9dNQ — Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) June 1, 2020
Watch Officer Hoskins explain what happened:
Please Support The Stream : Equipping Christians to Think Clearly About the Political, Economic, and Moral Issues of Our Day.
Nancy Flory is an associate editor at The Stream. You can follow her @NancyFlory3, and follow The Stream @Streamdotorg.