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OCTOBER 16,  2021

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – OVERNIGHT: 

RECKLESS – OVERNIGHT – FROM DAILY MAIL:   Philadelphia became the first major city to ban police traffic stops of low-level motor vehicle offenses, a tactic which critics claim disproportionately affects black people.  The Philadelphia City Council passed two Driving Equity bills on Thursday that Mayor James Kenney is is expected to sign into law this week.   The law creates an open searchable database recording traffic stops and prohibits police officers from stopping drivers for minor offenses by reclassifying several offenses as secondary violations.  Secondary violations citations are issued to drivers by mail, eliminating the need for a low-level traffic stop, which is a tactic commonly used as a pretext to stop and search drivers. 'The way black men are often searched, specifically here in the City of Philadelphia, when pulled over by law enforcement, puts you in a position where you're very, very uncomfortable often,' said Councilmember Isaiah Thomas, who drafted the Driving Equality bills.  How many reckless drivers will get away with it because of these new laws?  The fear of being stopped probably leads to more people driving safely, and within the speed limit, than any other factor.  And I wonder how many minority citizens will agree with still one more law that seems to favor the criminal.

October 16, 2021       Permalink 

GARLAND PROPERLY ROASTED – OVERNIGHT:  The new, and extremely disappointing attorney general of the United States, draws criticism for his recent, reckless statements.  From Fox: 

Four out of the eight members of the U.S Commission on Civil Rights have penned a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, chastising him for his recent memo regarding parents who protest school boards.

"We write to express our concerns regarding a recent memorandum issued by your office," the four members wrote in the letter, questioning Garland's motive for issuing the memo which instructed the FBI to take the lead on a task force to address threats against school officials, including creating a centralized way to report such threats.

The members who signed onto the letter include Commissioners Peter Kirsanow, J. Christian Adams, Gail Heriot, and Stephen Gilchrist.

"Your memorandum did not cite any specific examples of ‘harassment, intimidation and threats of violence’ that would provide any basis for law enforcement action by the Department," the letter read. "We are concerned that much of what the NSBA calls threats and acts of intimidation—and compares to "domestic terrorism and hate crimes"—can be merely classified as political speech."

Providing examples of political speech, the members insisted that "a parent concerned with a local schoolboard’s policy may portend an electoral challenge against an incumbent schoolboard member," adding that a move like that "would be well within the parent’s First Amendment rights and well without the Department’s purview as a federal law enforcement agency."

"We have combed the internet for signs that parents petitioning school boards are anything approaching a national problem," the members continued in the letter. "Nearly all of what we have seen so far makes us proud to be Americans: Parents care about the education of their children, and they are not willing to allow them to be indoctrinated into a radical ideology."

The members also concluded that if "a few of these parents have gotten out of hand and made threats," then local law enforcement is "entirely appropriate" in handling the situation. The members also asked Garland whether he is surprised that "concerned parents across the country view [his] memorandum as an endorsement of the NSBA’s description of their protests as comparable to "domestic terrorism."

The members closed the letter by asking Garland to provide "specific examples" of "harassment, intimidation and threats of violence" which Garland claimed as evidence for the need for federal intervention.

Garland's memo came shortly after the National School Boards Association (NSBA) sent a letter to President Biden claiming some rhetorical clashes between school boards and parents may amount to "domestic terrorism." The NSBA letter invoked the Patriot Act, which Congress passed to deal with terrorism in the wake of the 9-11 attacks. 

COMMENT:  Wonderful letter, well written, to our increasingly political attorney general.  The parents revolt is becoming one of the biggest issues of our day, and long overdue.  It will probably grow into a major movement trying to achieve true school choice.  When the parents are labeled "domestic terrorists" by the radical left, those parents may actually resent it...and grow more militant.  I can't wait.

October 16, 2021       Permalink 

OCTOBER 15,  2021

SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – OVERNIGHT: 

HORRIBLE – A MEMBER OF THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT IS MURDERED – FROM TIMES OF ISRAEL:   British police on Friday night declared the killing of MP David Amess earlier in the day a terrorist incident.“Senior National Coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dean Haydon formally declared the incident as terrorism,” police said in a statement.  “The early investigation has revealed a potential motivation linked to Islamist extremism.”  The Times reported that the suspected killer was a Muslim man aged 25, believed to be of Somali descent. Multiple UK media outlets reported that the man is believed to be a British national.  Police said officers were “currently carrying out searches at two addresses in the London area and these are ongoing.” But “it is believed that [the suspect] acted alone, and we are not seeking anyone else in connection with the incident at this time.”  The long-serving member of Parliament was stabbed to death Friday during a meeting with constituents at a church in England, an attack that united Britain’s fractious politicians in shock and sorrow.  The leftist British press tried mightily in the hours after the assassination to avoid using "terrorist," or even suggesting it.  But even the BBC had to finally admit the truth.  There is legitimate worry both in Britain and the United States that this event could presage other attacks on public officials.  I'm not so sure the entire story of this latest outrage will ever be known.  Those who probe for all the facts will no doubt be accused of Islamophobia.

October 15, 2021       Permalink 

NOW,  IS THIS A GENUINE INSURRECTION, OR SOME WEAK IMPOSTOR? – OVERNIGHT:  There has been a bit of bother in Washington.  Some people were deeply upset about the impending end of the world – Thursday I believe – and got a bit out of hand.  From Fox:  

Dozens of activists protesting fossil fuel projects were arrested Thursday after they staged a sit-in at the Interior Department, a move which led to "multiple injuries" and one officer being transported to a hospital.

Demanding that President Biden declare climate change an emergency, People vs. Fossil Fuels, the group responsible for the protest, organized a week-long series of demonstrations against the president as he approves different fossil fuel projects.

Following the protest, Interior Department spokesperson Melissa Schwartz released a statement through a series of tweets.

"Early this afternoon, a group of protestors entered the Stewart Lee Udall Main Interior Building," Schwartz said. "Federal Protective Service personnel responded to the area to mitigate the situation. Multiple injuries were sustained by security personnel, and one officer has been transported to a nearby hospital. Medics representing both the Department and the protesters were present."

Schwartz also noted that Interior Sec. Deb Haaland was not in Washington during the protest and insisted that leadership at the department "believes strongly in respecting and upholding the right to free speech and peaceful protest."

According to video footage from the Washington Post's Ellie Silverman, activists could be seen climbing up doors and pushing officers back as they tried to force their way into the Interior Department.

Andy Ngô, a conservative journalist who often covers events related to Antifa, shared one of Silverman's videos. He described the scene at the federal building as "reminiscent of Jan. 6," noting that officers were forced to draw their tasers as "extreme environmentalist protesters" attempted to make their way inside.

Event organizers allege that "police tased and hit multiple people with batons" and "55 people were arrested and taken away to DC Metro police stations."

"Police acted aggressively with the water protectors and indigenous leaders, tasing at least two people and hitting others with batons," the group claimed. "An independent indigenous media person was assaulted by the police and had his equipment broken."

Fox News reached out to the Federal Protective Service (FPS) and received the following statement:
"Yesterday, officers from the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Protective Service (FPS) responded to a demonstration at the Stewart L. Udall Building. FPS is committed to the safety of demonstrators participating in lawful protests and fully supports the peaceful expression of all people. FPS will continue to pursue our mission of ensuring the safety and security of federal employees and facilities, consistent with the law."

In the statement, FPS also offered appreciation for U.S. Park Police and Washington Metropolitan Police Department who assisted in efforts "to detain, prosecute or take action against anyone who caused harm and attempted to disrupt the business of the federal government yesterday."

COMMENT:  Watch this story disappear.  There'll be no hearings, no use of "insurrection," although some crackpot might try to blame the mob scene on Trump, who, of course, always gives secret orders.  If it gets out beyond Fox News that some of the peaceful demonstrates weren't peaceful, the backup crew of the Washington press will run interviews with the peacemakers in which they'll claim they were attacked by the police, who should be defunded and their children taken away from them.  Dr. Fauci will be made available for comment.

October 15, 2021       Permalink