Trump's pardon of ex-Sheriff Joe Arpaio was the right (and courageous) thing to do

Fox News Opinion ^ | August 26,2017 | James J. Fotis 

President Trump stood up for justice and for enforcement of our immigration laws when he courageously granted a pardon Friday to Joe Arpaio, the former sheriff of Maricopa County, Arizona. Despite knowing he would face criticism, the president did what was right.
Arpaio was convicted by a federal judge in July of criminal contempt after being charged with violating a court order that attempted to prevent suspected illegal immigrants from being targeted by the sheriff’s traffic patrols. The sheriff acknowledged continuing the patrols, but said that targeting was not the focus.
Arpaio’s conviction arose out of a lawsuit wrongfully accusing the sheriff’s office of violating the rights of Hispanics, allegedly using racial profiling tactics to identify people for traffic stops, and detaining convicts based only on the suspicion that they were illegal immigrants. Arpaio denied all wrongdoing.
I sat in the courtroom through Arpaio’s trial and concluded that he was wrongfully convicted. As a former law enforcement officer myself and former executive director of the Law Enforcement Alliance of America, I know that Arpaio was dedicated to protecting the public he served and that his highest priority was keeping his community safe.
Hearing testimony during Arpaio’s trial, I realized that any reasonable person who was there to pass judgment on this honest law-abiding man – who gave his life to the rule of law – could never have found him guilty on the evidence presented.
However, the only one who could pass judgment on the former sheriff was U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton, because Arpaio was denied his right to a jury trial under the Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The judge’s verdict convicting Arpaio was a travesty of justice.

(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...

Trump Justice Deparment Stops Obama Era "Operation Choke Point" Abuse

Gun Watch ^ | 20 August, 2017 | Dean Weingarten 

Image from Zero Hedge

Operation Choke Point was an extra-legal attempt by the Obama administration to economically attack businesses that it disliked. It circumvented the rule of law by giving banks incentive to discriminate against a list of businesses. The list of busineseses were those it disagreed with on philosophical and political grounds. Those businesses included firearms and ammunition dealers. 

A small business could find its credit suddenly and inexplicit gone. It could find it no longer had the ability to process credit card payments. For many small businessess, this could be a death sentence. From foxnews.com: 

The Trump Justice Department is ending an Obama-era program that had attempted to cut off credit to shady businesses but came under fire from Republicans for unfairly targeting gun dealers and other legitimate operations. Just days after top House Republicans had pressed Attorney General Jeff Sessions to shutter Operation Choke Point, the department confirmed in a response letter that the program is dead.

 From reason.com:

The repudiation of Operation Choke Point is a welcome development, says Walter Olson, a senior fellow at the libertarian Cato Institute.

"It should serve as a warning that the government doesn't get to flag for banks—or businesses generally—which legal-but-suspect domestic customers it would like them to ostracize," Olson told Reason on Friday. "Those in power must refrain from signaling that they'd be pleased if certain categories of otherwise legal customer get cut off from their access to economic life." Operation Choke Point began as an extension of the Obama administration's Financial Fraud Task Force, but the dragnet investigation was never given proper statutory authority by either the administration or Congress. In fact, details about Operation Choke Point were deliberately withheld from Congress at first, a fact The Wall Street Journal uncovered in 2013.h

The process circumvented the entire check and balance system on government power designed into the Constitution.  It should have been grounds for serious action by the Republican Congress. It is gone now.


©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Link to Gun Watch 

Arpaio Pardoned, RINOs melt down

American Thinker ^ | August 27,2017 | By Patricia McCarthy 

What on earth has happened to the moral and political sensibilities of Paul Ryan, John McCain, Jeff Flake, Jeb Bush, etc.? All of those RINOs who are attacking President Trump for pardoning Joe Arpaio are simpering, whining traitors to the party they allegedly represent.

They should declare themselves Democrats and be done with the masquerade.

Perhaps they should remind themselves of all the criminals and thugs that President Obama pardoned, or that President Clinton pardoned. Trump made it clear at his rally in Phoenix that he was going to pardon the beleaguered sheriff. The audience there was thrilled, as were the millions of people watching on television, the citizens who want our immigration laws enforced. If there was ever anyone who deserved a pardon, along with Scooter Libby, it is Joe Arapio. This was a no-brainer! The man has enforced both federal and state laws for his entire career. Arpaio was found in contempt of court after a Clinton-appointed judge, Susan Bolton, ordered him to stop enforcing the law, detaining people he suspected (or knew) to be illegal immigrants. It was the judge who broke the law as so many of our activist judges have over the last decade. They do not want laws that protect our borders enforced. Such judges are traitors to the nation as well.

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...

MSNBC Shocked Trump Hasn’t Screwed Up Hurricane Harvey Yet

Newsbusters.org ^ | August 26, 2017 | Scott Whitlock 

The "journalists" at MSNBC seem eager for Hurricane Harvey to be a political disaster for Donald Trump, preemptively reminding everyone what the stakes are. Deadline: White House anchor Nicolle Wallace on Friday was amazed that the President hasn’t screwed it up yet: “It seems to me that this is the first event of this presidency where, sort of, the dire nature of the event seems to have halted other instincts in this president.”
Wallace marveled, “He seems to be focused on the storm after some early morning venting and he seems to be putting forward the kind of folks that would reassure any citizen in the path of such a dangerous and frightening storm.”
MSNBC Shocked Trump Hasn’t Screwed Up Hurricane Yet
Earlier in the day, host Chris Jansing wondered, “The hurricane is going to be the President's first big test of this kind. Is he ready? Is his team ready?”
USA Today’s Heidi Przybyla reminded, “And so, if there is a major event here, let's hope that President Trump learned from some of the mistakes of President Bush during Hurricane Katrina.”
Jeremy Peters agreed, “It’s a huge test of his leadership, no doubt.”
Clearly, journalists are ready to pounce and make this yet another political hurricane.
Partial transcripts are below:

Deadline: White House 8/25/17 4:04pm ET
NICOLLE WALLACE: Phil Rucker, let me bring you in. Kelly O talking about the president's Homeland Security adviser Tom Bossert. One thing that struck he me said from the podium today, quote “Now is not the time to lose faith in your government institutions,” which of course is true, but that it even needed to be said was, of course, the incredibly, sort of strained tensions in our country. But Kelly also mentioned Brock Long. He’s the new FEMA administration. He was confirmed by a vote of 95-4 in the U.S. Senate. Not a divisive figure. He's the former director of Emergency Management for Alabama. It seems to me that this is the first event of this presidency where sort of the dire nature of the event seems to have halted other instincts in this president. He seems to be focused on the storm after some early morning venting and he seems to be putting forward the kind of folks that would reassure any citizen in the path of such a dangerous and frightening storm.
PHILIP RUCKER: I think that's exactly right, Nicolle. There's a third person I would mention who's General John Kelly, the new White House chief of staff. We say him in the photo tweeted out this morning in the Oval Office briefing the President at the Resolute desk with those photographs of the storm’s path with the graphics, if you will. And he's very involved in the White House response. They are trying to put forward a real sense of competence and strength and make people feel assured that they'll have this under control. I think it was telling that we didn't hear directly from the President today. He did not come out to the cameras and address the American people. And instead, they had Tom Bossert be the face of the administration. Bossert is somebody, obviously, as we saw today at the briefing with the extraordinary amount of knowledge and detail and can speak with real precision and accuracy about what the government doing and what citizens should be doing be doing who are in harm’s way.
Andrea Mitchell Reports 08/25/17 12:52 PM
CHRIS JANSING: At the top of the hour, the President took to Twitter to let us know he’s closely monitoring Hurricane Harvey and he tweeted this photo of a briefing inside the Oval Office. He says he’s been in contact very closely with FEMA, that he’s fully engaged. Let’s get the inside scoop from Heidi Przybyla, Senior Political Reporter for USA Today, also an MSNBC Political Analyst. Jeremy Peters is a reporter for The New York Times and an MSNBC Contributor. Good to see both of you. So, Heidi, the hurricane is going to be the President’s first big test of this kind. Is he ready? Is his team ready?
HEIDI PRZYBYLA: Well, natural disasters, Chris, as you know, can be defining moments for presidencies, just ask George W. Bush. The risk for Trump is that we don’t know yet just how devastating this is going to be and he does have several vacancies at some of the main agencies that oversee these events, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, including a temporary director at the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA, and the Coast Guard.
And so, if there is a major event here, let’s hope that President Trump learned from some of the mistakes of President Bush during Hurricane Katrina. Number one, get those supplies in, and get them in quickly. If you remember, some of the most damaging images for President Bush were all of those people huddled into the Superdome, didn’t have the supplies that they need, people waving from rooftops. And two, if there is a major catastrophe, go there and go there quickly. If you remember, Bush’s mistake was that he hung back at his ranch on vacation for a couple of days and then was – had those pictures of him flying over Katrina at a distance. No, go there and get on the ground.
And I guess we’ll see how this plays out. Hopefully it will not be on a scale of Katrina, which as you know, killed hundreds of people.
JANSING: Well, yeah, absolutely. And Chuck Grassley, obviously, has the same concern that you just voiced. And he tweeted today, “Donald Trump #hurricane keep on top of Hurricane Harvey. Don't make the same mistake President Bush made with Katrina.” I mean, one would hope, Jeremy Peters, that a president or anybody who’s in a position to deal with a natural disaster like this, would not have to be reminded that it’s probably not a good idea to let people die. To let what happened after hurricane Katrina, during Hurricane Katrina, happen again. But what is your sense of how the White House feels? Do they feel that this is a test? How much nervousness is there on Capitol Hill among Republicans?
JEREMY PETERS: It’s a huge test of his leadership, no doubt. And Heidi is absolutely correct in pointing out that presidents need to be physically present as quickly as possible in situations like this. One thing, you know, President Trump does have going for him, despite the fact that his leadership is under serious questioning by members of his own party, is that he does grasp the importance of the ceremonial aspects of the job. And I think that this would not be an area in which the President would fall down on the job.
Interestingly enough, the FEMA director he has appointed won high praise across the board. Was confirmed, I believe, with 95 votes. He used to run Alabama’s emergency management division. So he’s in a good position.
JANSING: So, Heidi, what is gonna constitute that they have done their job? I mean, you do have this FEMA director who, you know, was not somebody who was highly controversial. Presumably a lot of the people who have dealt with this before in FEMA, the actual folks on the ground have dealt with this before. It’s not like there’s been a wholesale purging of FEMA. What’s gonna be – is it easy to say as long as everything gets dealt with, as long as all the localities, as long as all the governors say FEMA did for us what we needed them to do, he passes?
PRZYBYLA: It is going to be the images of whether people are able to be rescued, whether there is – in a timely fashion. It is going to be the scale of human suffering. And, frankly, whether there – how many deaths there may be as a result of this. And let’s hope that it is minimal. Of course, people on the ground, the local authorities, share a lot of the responsibility. But at the end of the day, those images will be spliced with Trump’s promises and Trump’s tweets that he’s sending out right now.
JANSING: Heidi, Jeremy, our thoughts and prayers again, we’ve said it many times, but they are with the people in the path of this storm. Thanks to both of you.

Court Admits DNC and Debbie Wasserman Schulz Rigged Primaries Against Sanders

The New York Observer ^ | August 26, 2017 | Michael Sainato 

In June 2016, a class action lawsuit was filed against the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and former DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz for violating the DNC Charter by rigging the Democratic presidential primaries for Hillary Clinton against Bernie Sanders. Even former Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid admitted in July 2016, ““I knew—everybody knew—that this was not a fair deal.” He added adding that Debbie Wasserman Schultz should have resigned much sooner than she did. The lawsuit was filed to push the DNC to admit their wrongdoing and provide Bernie Sanders supporters, who supported him financially with millions of dollars in campaign contributions, with restitution for being cheated.
On August 25, 2017, Federal Judge William Zloch, dismissed the lawsuit after several months of litigation in which DNC attorneys argued that the DNC would be well within their rights to rig primaries and select their own candidate. “In evaluating Plaintiffs’ claims at this stage, the Court assumes their allegations are true—that the DNC and Wasserman Schultz held a palpable bias in favor Clinton and sought to propel her ahead of her Democratic opponent,” the court order dismissing the lawsuit stated.....

(Excerpt) Read more at observer.com ...

Swirling Down The Memory-Hole...what ever happened to...

Original Material | 8/26/2017 | By Laz A. Mataz 

In late 2011, when the Fast and Furious Obama-gunrunning scandal broke the news media logjam, I noticed something very odd: Almost immediately thereafter, two other major scandals broke open almost simultaneously. Soylandra, a 'green energy' startup, was shown to have misused and diverted millions of dollars, and there was a heavy political involvement by the Obama administration. Secondly, it emerged that the IRS was bending rules for liberal political advocacy groups and slow-walking the approval of conservative ones.
It seemed to me, at the time, to be an Alinksy-style tactic: Overwhelming the system. By introducing and nearly-admitting several scandals at once, the public could not truly focus on any one of them, and soon the uproar diminished. It blew over. Certainly, one or another of the scandals was mentioned, from time to time, but no true prosecution or investigation that resulted in indictments followed.
I remember marveling at the sheer genius of it, and wondering if this was the machination and intellectual brain-child of Valerie Jarrett, the snakelike advisor to Barack Obama that seemed to compare more to Gregor Rasputin of Czarist Russia, than any other advisor in history.
The ploy seemed to have worked, and since then, many scandals and bad-faith operations have emerged. All manner of leftist organizations and government officials have acted illegally or unethically, yet they are never held to account.
Because these actions have fallen into some sort of 'Memory Hole', it is important that we revisit them: Collect them in one place, and ask why no consequences have been meted out to the actors.

1. Whatever happened to the Fast and Furious gunrunning scandal, in which the Obama administration allowed many thousands of American firearms to end up in the hands of Mexican drug lords?
2. Whatever happened to the CNN brazen blackmail and extortion of a private citizen who created a CNN-disparaging animated picture, including an outright threat to expose that citizen at any point in the future if he did not kowtow to CNN's wishes?
3. Whatever happened to the investigative charges as regards Hillary Clinton's brazen circumventing of long-standing Federal rules about preserving emails for FOIA requests, by establishing an illegal mail server in her home?
4. Whatever happened to the charges, eventually admitted to, of illegal unmasking of Trump and his associates by Susan Rice?
5. Whatever happened to the inexplicable 'robbery' in which Seth Rich was killed, when Julian Assange of WikiLeaks directly implies that he was the DNC email leaker? Who really killed Seth Rich, and why?
6. Whatever happened to the crimes committed by Debbie Wasserman Shultz, with her highly-paid Pakastani hackers who send just under a million to people in Pakistan? One of them, Imran Awan, was arrested at the airport carrying 10's of thousands of dollars. Whatever happened to him?
7. Whatever happened to the lying claim that the attack on the Benghazi compound was precipitated by a video critical of Islam? Why is that falsely-accused video-creator still stained by prosecution?
8. Whatever happened to the EPA, after they ruined a river -- perhaps forever -- with heavy-metal pollution?
9. Whatever happened to the investigation of 'pay to play' to get Hillary's attention, with money funneled through the Clinton Foundation?
10. Whatever happened to the 500 billion dollars, missing from HUD that Ben Carson discovered? Why are there no follow-up investigations?
11. Whatever happened to the 400 million dollars that was not-so-secretly sent to Iran... in cash? Where did it come from? Why was it permitted? What use is it being put to? Who allowed it?
12. Whatever happened to the revelation that the NSA illegally kept the communication data of every American? What is being done to stop them from continuing? Why are there no prosecutions for those who allowed it?
13. Whatever happened to the news that the Obama administration wiretapped Trump Tower (and Donald Trump's associates), during an election, in a manner that reminds one of the old East German police state? Why have no heads rolled for this egregious behavior?
14. Whatever happened to the IRS illegally targeting Conservative political groups for special investigative treatment, and slow-walking the approval of those groups? Where is Lois Lerner, and why has she never faced consequences for her actions?

These are fourteen of the biggest scandals. There are hundreds more. Yet they have vanished from the public psyche, and the corrupt and complicit media has taken pains to ignore them. The scandal emerges, it gets a few days press treatment -- then it sunsets -- to be spoken of only occasionally, and in hushed tones.
Blame for this 'new normal' can be laid at two places: The purposed overwhelming of the nation by committing as many scandals as possible in as short a period as possible, and the corruption of a wholly partisan 'news media'. (I have often said that a Liberal can eat a live baby on the Capital steps, and the news media would tell us that the child had it coming and commend the Liberal's choice of barbeque sauce, whereas a Conservative could sit quietly in a church, and the news media would shriek for their impeachment for the crime of loitering.)
We cannot allow all these crimes and scandals to sunset. If we do, we risk America's entire rule-of-law.

Fashion with a BANG: How to carry your gun with style at the world's first concealed carry fashion

U.K. Daily Mail ^ | 8/25/2017 | Abigail Miller 

In perhaps the most American form of haute couture - the National Rifle Association put on a concealed carry fashion show.
From purses to gun holsters, attendees of the gun ownership and self-defense convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin were treated to what the NRA said was the first-ever show of its kind.
Models displayed offerings from roughly 30 companies on Friday night, such as Femme Fatale and Man-Pack, whose products include corset holders and shoulder bags designed for quick gun access.
'We couldn't find an event that's been done like this before,' NRA spokesman Jason Brown said ahead of the event.
'It's going to be really, really interesting to see all of these different products up on stage and modeled by people.'
And at the end of the show, gun-toting attendees voted for their three favorite products.
The organization has been promoting the event for months, and last week posted a press release on their blog that said: 'The Fashion Show will showcase the Expo’s top concealed carry products and demonstrate the features and benefits to an audience of firearm enthusiasts and industry media.
'Both male and female models will walk the runway, showcasing products ranging from conventional pistol holsters and accessories to concealed carry purses, bags, and much more.'
The release also warned that only 'approved' members of media organizations would receive credentials to cover the expo, suggesting that certain news groups would not be let in.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...

The Left Will Blame Trump for Hurricane Harvey

American Thinker.com ^ | August 26, 2017 | Daniel John Sobieski 

Before Hurricane Harvey even made landfall on the Texas coast, what Sean Hannity calls the “Destroy Trump Media” was already condemning President Trump’s handling of this natural disaster. No doubt Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accords will soon be blamed for this and every other natural disaster. As Salon shrieked:

Hurricane Harvey is predicted to be the first major storm in a decade -- and Trump just tweeted a useless promotional ad in preparation.
According to the White House, Trump was briefed on the government’s hurricane preparation efforts earlier this month, but his campaign-style commercial -- fitted with a dramatic soundtrack -- failed to convey any of that information to worried residents in the storm’s path. His tweet did not include basic information, like who is in danger, how to be prepared or what the government is doing to prepare.

Trump will undoubtedly be blamed for everything in Harvey’s aftermath and for ignoring climate change’s alleged causation of Hurricane Harvey. The media coverage and liberal commentary will no doubt parallel the media hysteria which blamed President George W. Bush for Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, ignoring that a Democratic Louisiana governor and Democratic New Orleans mayor had both the responsibility and the blame for how the state and city responded. Investor’s Business Daily editorialized about a “Media Bias of Hurricane Proportions”:

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...

BLM Co-Founder: No, We Wouldn’t Meet With Trump; He’s The Epitome of Evil

townhall.com ^ | 8/25/2017 | Matt Vespa 

Every time the nation appear divided, there’s always someone from Washington, whether it be a president, a senator, or a member of Congress that calls for bridging divides. We saw that with the assassination attempts on Rep. Gabby Giffords (D-AZ) and Steve Scalise (R-LA) in 2011 and 2017 respectively, though everyone returned to their partisan corners within days or weeks. It’s the nature of politics these days.

When it comes to Black Lives Matter and the Trump administration, it’s no shocker that the two sides vociferously disagree on everything. Should they meet? Well, according to the co-founder of Black Lives Matter, Patrisse Cullors, that’s not happening. Cullors said that Trump is “the epitome of evil,” who represents all the evils that are interwoven into this country, with capitalism being one of those evils. In short, she said that we wouldn’t have sat down with Adolf Hitler as a reason to reject any possibility of meeting with the president or his administration. Cullors said this in an interview with the Los Angeles Times [emphasis mine]:

(Excerpt) Read more at townhall.com ...

Low Level White House Staffer Inflates Credentials to Lie About Gorka’s Resignation to Press

Breitbart News ^ | 8-25-17 | Matthew Boyle 

Kelly Sadler, a low-level staffer in the White House, lied about her credentials to push inaccurate leaked information to the press about the resignation of Dr. Sebastian Gorka from the administration. In an email to a number of people in the media, Sadler opens up by saying the email is for “BACKGROUND PURPOSES ONLY.” That text is written in bright red, and bolded. The headline of the email is “Background on Sebastian Gorka.”
In the body of the email, Sadler then writes to media figures covering the resignation of Dr. Gorka: “From a White House Official: ‘Sebastian Gorka did not resign, but I can confirm he no longer works at the White House.’”
She rounds out the email to media elites by pleading: “No attribution to me, please. Senior White House official only.”
Sadler’s claim that she is a “Senior White House official” is not true. She is not a “Senior White House official.” She is a low-level press staffer, and a commissioned officer as a special assistant to the president.
In addition, her claim that Gorka “did not resign” is also untrue. Gorka sent the president a detailed resignation letter, as multiple media outlets have reported.

(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...

Kick Her Ass Out!

By Jerry Picket

Missouri Lt. Gov. Mike Parson informed a state Democratic lawmaker who threatened President Trump’s life to resign by September 13 or the state Senate will move to expel her.
Parson, a former sheriff who also serves as the president of Missouri’s State Senate, pointed to a section of the Missouri Constitution that relates to penalties for lawmakers guilty of “contempt and disorderly conduct.”



Missouri Democratic State Senator Maria Chappelle-Nadal called for the assassination President Donald Trump last week in a Facebook post that stated: “I hope Trump is assassinated!” during an exchange with a left-wing activist who claimed a family relative was a Secret Service agent.
According to The Springfield News Leader, Parson stipulated that Chappelle-Nadal must resign by September, the date of the upcoming veto session, or deal with expulsion from the Senate.

Trump Halts Pentagon Payments for Transgender Surgery! (collect from your QUEER friends)

NBC ^ | 25 Aug 2017 | ALI VITALI 

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Friday officially stopped funding for sex-reassignment treatment for transgender people currently in the military and barred the Pentagon from accepting any more transgender people into the services.
The president signed a memo giving new guidance to his previously-tweeted ban on transgender individuals serving in the U.S. military, according to a senior White House official who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity.
Trump signed the memo, the details of which were first reported by The Wall Street Journal, on Friday and directed the departments of Defense and Homeland Security to stop funding of sex-reassignment procedures and deny entry of transgender individuals into the military.
But the Trump administration official was unable to answer questions about whether the estimated thousands of transgender service members currently serving would be allowed to remain in the military.
The administration's guidance gives Defense Secretary James Mattis some leeway when considering whether individual transgender service members would be allowed to continue to serve. The defense secretary would be able to military effectiveness, unit cohesion, budget restraints and other factors, the administration official said.
The Pentagon and Department of Defense have six months to develop an implementation plan.
Asked if at the end of the six month implementation period it was possible that transgender people already serving will continue, the official said the administration didn't have "anything to say beyond the policy enunciated in the memo."

(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...

Elites to Trump: Stand Still While We Punch You!

American Spectator ^ | August 25, 2017 | George Neumayr 

They still can’t understand why a Republican would be “crazy” enough to fight back.

One of the media’s favorite shams is to trot out some grave-looking, slow-talking Washington mandarin like Jim Clapper to question the moral and mental “fitness” of Donald Trump to lead the country. It is impossible to watch these oh-so-pained interviews without laughing. Clapper, after all, is a confirmed perjurer whose deliberate lie to Congress about collecting personal data on Americans went unprosecuted because of the crookedness of Obama’s Justice Department. Yet CNN’s histrionic man-child Don Lemon treated Clapper like a moral colossus, listening with bated breath as he slowly unburdened himself of his deep anxieties about the president.
“I really question his… fitness to be in this office. And I also am beginning to wonder about his motivation for it. Maybe he is looking for a way out, “said Clapper. The stupidity of this remark, not to mention the staleness of it (he is simply repeating the hysterical punditry from the 2016 primaries, when the prattle was that Trump entered the race not to win but to feed “his ego,” “expand his brand,” and so on, and that he “very well might drop out before November”), serves only to illuminate Clapper’s lack of fitness for intelligence work. What an arrogant and dishonest dummy. No wonder Obama’s shadow government sent him out to lie about the political espionage of Susan Rice and John Brennan against the Trump campaign (as “far as he knew,” no spying on the Trump campaign happened, Clapper told NBC before the “unmaskings” came out).

(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.org ...

Race and Parenting: Why Raising 'Colorblind' Kids Is Actually a Terrible Idea

Today ^ | Terri Peters 

Author and speaker Doyin Richards — a black dad raising two daughters — says he often sees well-meaning parents refer to themselves as "colorblind" parents, who teach their children there is "only one race — the human race."
Richards is quick to set those parents straight.
"I'm not going to mince words — raising your kids to be colorblind is just straight dumb," Richards told TODAY Parents. "And, not only is it dumb — it's dangerous. By doing the whole, 'We're the same,' thing, you're dismissing what a black kid or any person of color deals with."
Richards, who will release a children's book this September titled, "What's the Difference? Being Different is Amazing," says kids cannot grow or learn as people if they believe that everyone is the same. And, especially in the wake of the recent white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, the California dad says the responsibility to educate kids about differences falls on today's parents, even when they are unsure of what to say.
Doyin Richards Doyin Richards with his two daughters, ages 6 and 4. "Teach kids to be conscious of race," said Richards. "Teach them to be like, 'This black kid or this Mexican kid has had a different life experience than I have as a white kid, and that's what makes it great. I see their differences and I embrace those differences and want to learn to be a better and more productive citizen going forward.'"
Eirene Heidelberger is the founder of GITMom, a parenting coaching and advice service, and says while parents may feel nervous about discussing race with their kids, it's a necessity.
"No one wants to talk about it because they are completely uncomfortable with it and don't know what to say," said Heidelberger. "Parents stay silent because they don't feel comfortable, but it is up to parents to get educated and find the right words to teach about color, culture and religion."
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Lori Riddick, a managing partner at Raising Race Conscious Children, an organization that provides practical tools to start conversations with kids about race, agrees, saying an honest, ongoing dialogue between parents and kids about race is essential.
"Research tells us that when we're silent about race, kids pick up their own definitions," said Riddick, who lives in New York and has two children of her own. "When we don't talk to our kids about race, we maintain a culture of white supremacy, where white is what's normal and we notice race only in terms of negative attributes."
So how can parents steer their children away from "colorblindness" and begin to have open conversations with their kids about race — and racism?
Heidelberger says, depending on a child's age, there are simple steps parents can take to begin the conversation.
Ages 0-5 "Here, it's really as simple as saying, 'Our family does not tolerate racism,'" said Heidelberger.
The Illinois mom-of-three recommends parents of young children take a proactive angle, refusing to be afraid or silent about race and pointing out different skin colors on television or in books. Parents can also point out different cultural outfits, starting a discussion about what life may be like in other countries or cultures. And, Heidelberger recommends pointing out different skin tones in books during story time, and speaking openly about friends and their different races.
"It's about pointing out to this little toddler, 'This is why our world is so special,'" said Heidelberger. "And the general idea is that we are all equal, and we all deserve to be treated with respect."
Ages 6-11 During the elementary years, Heidelberger says it's OK to talk about more serious topics, making them easier for kids to understand by comparing racism to things kids easily understand, such as a game of baseball where a team captain is picking players based only on skin colors or cultural clothing he does or does not like.
Eirene Heidelberger Eirene Heidelberger with her husband and three sons, ages 13, 9, and 5. MORE MOMENTS THAT MATTER VIDEOS
100 police escort son of slain officer to first day of kindergarten0:36Play 100 police escort son of slain officer to first day of kindergarten Vote for your favorite summer moment on TODAY.com0:29Play Vote for your favorite summer moment on TODAY.com Vote for your favorite summer moment on TODAY.com0:34Play Vote for your favorite summer moment on TODAY.com What did George W. Bush say to put Jenna Bush Hager in tears?1:17Play What did George W. Bush say to put Jenna Bush Hager in tears? "I highly suggest that, at this age, parents introduce to their kids the idea that some people get treated unfairly because of their skin color, culture or religion," said Heidelberger. "Parents also need to teach their child that racism is neither nice or fair, and they need to say how important it is to be inclusive of all people, no matter how different they may be."
Teens Heidelberger says that because of social media, teens these days get exposed to more than their parents were at the same age. They may hear, and even use, derogatory words they don't fully understand.
"As a mom, I immediately address comments like, 'You're so gay,' or 'That's gay,' for example, by saying, 'That is a bigoted remark and it's not accurate and it's hurtful. Please don't say that.'"
Heidelberger says parents should remember that kids — even teenagers — can only take in a certain amount of information at a time. Get to the point, she advises, and put the teen in the hot seat.
"All you have to say is that their words are not acceptable," said Heidelberger. "Then, ask them where they heard it or what they think it means. It's OK to let them squirm a little."
Since teens often judge others by their appearance or physical characteristics, Heidelberger says it's important to teach them when certain words are disrespectful and when they are OK.
"We need to teach teens it's OK for them to use correct names — like African American or Asian — when they are talking about others respectfully," said Heidelberg. "We are the adults, and if we're going to change this next group of children, it's up to us to find our words, have confidence, and have difficult conversations."

Mother’s Scathing Takedown of Son for Taking Her to a Vegan Restaurant Goes Viral

The Telegraph ^ | 22 AUGUST 2017 | Mike Wright 

A mother’s brutal Facebook post about her vegetarian son after he took her to a vegan restaurant has been shared thousands of times.
Dan Nicholson’s mum was far from impressed with his choice of venue to celebrate getting his A-Level results last week.
The teenager chose The Egg Cafe in Liverpool, which describes itself as the city’s “premier vegetarian/vegan restaurant”.
Following the meal Dan’s mum took to Facebook to express her displeasure complaining: “Why can't I have a normal teenage son who enjoys burgers, pizzas n God forbid chicken kebab hey ho, vegetarian restaurant n spicey [sic] lentils it is ho yum, going to hug tree next.
Her son clearly saw the amusing side as he tweeted a screenshot of her status adding: “Took my mum to a veggie cafe yesterday to celebrate results and she was clearly thrilled.”
The tweet was soon picked up by others and has been retweeted over 2,000 times. It also provoked a stout defence of the restaurant from its fans on the social media platform.

(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...

Dems slam Trump for pardoning Arpaio during hurricane

The Hill ^ 

Dems slam Trump for pardoning Arpaio during hurricane
By Taylor Lorenz - 08/25/17 10:11 PM EDT

Democrats lashed out at President Trump on Friday evening over his decision to pardon Joe Arpaio, the controversial former sheriff of Maricopa County, Ariz., as a huge storm barreled toward Texas.
Trump faced intense criticism for issuing the pardon hours before Hurricane Harvey was set to hit the Gulf Coast, potentially causing devastating damage as it brought massive wind and rain.
"Donald Trump just gave a free pass to his buddy Joe Arpaio, the nation’s most notorious agent of racism and bigotry, during a natural disaster that could hurt millions. That's not presidential, that's a coward,” Tom Perez, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said in a statement.
“Sheriff Arpaio used racial profiling to tear apart immigrant families and devastate Latino communities. At the same time, he failed to investigate hundreds of crimes, including dozens of reported child molestations," he added.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) charged that Trump was "using the cover of the storm" to issue the pardon of Arpaio, a controversial sheriff convicted of criminal contempt after violating a court order and racially profiling Latinos.
"As millions of people in TX and LA are prepping for the hurricane, the President is using the cover of the storm to pardon a man who violated a court's order to stop discriminating against Latinos and ban courageous transgender men and women from serving our nation's Armed Forces. Then he ran to Camp David,” Schumer wrote in a series of tweets.

(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...

Feel good story of the day: The ‘Pepper Balls’ guy has been arrested (hell of a prison nickname)

twitchy ^ | August 25, 2017 | Greg P 

Remember the guy protesting Donald Trump in Phoenix who take a police gas canister to his groin? ICYMI, here’s the video again:
Well, he’s been arrested:
To be honest, maybe cops should give him a pass because it is the best video we’ve seen this year.
From CBS 5:
Police go on to say in the documents that he later picked up a second smoking canister and threw that one at police as well, hence the three charges of aggravated assault.
And it will be really hard for this genius to say he didn’t pick up a gas grenade as he had to go to the hospital for treatment from the said grenade:
The sales and support representative at Go Daddy spent Tuesday night in the emergency room. He said he got treatment for inhaling pepper spray and for second-degree burns on his right hand from picking up a hot can of tear gas.
Oh, and he’s admitted the crime online, too:
“He has posted images and admissions to his crime on social and local media outlets,” wrote Phoenix police spokesman Sgt. Jonathan Howard in an email announcing the arrest.

Senate Armed Services Chairman John McCain decries Trump's order banning transgender (QUEER) troops

The Washington Examiner ^ | August 25, 2017 | Anna Giaritelli 

Senate Armed Services Chairman John McCain decried President Trump's Friday order for the Pentagon to ban transgender people from entering the military.

"It would be a step in the wrong direction to force currently serving transgender individuals to leave the military solely on the basis of their gender identity rather than medical and readiness standards that should always be at the heart of Department of Defense personnel policy," McCain, R-Ariz., said in a statement late Friday.
"The Pentagon's ongoing study on this issue should be completed before any decisions are made with regard to accession. The Senate Armed Services Committee will continue to conduct oversight on this important issue," McCain added.
Earlier Friday evening, Trump issued a directive for the Pentagon to suspend plans to recruit transgender troops, including stopping medical treatment and deciding over the next six months if current troops can remain in the military.
"In President Trump's judgment, the previous administration failed to identify a sufficient basis to conclude that terminating the DOD and DHS long-standing policy and practice would not hinder military effectiveness or lethality, disrupt unit cohesion, tax military resources, etc.," an official told reporters about Trump's memo.
Trump first announced the decision in a tweet a few weeks ago.
Five transgender service members have sued the Trump administration over the new policy.

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