Thursday, August 17, 2017

African American Attorney on Removal of Confederate Statues: Only Way to Say ‘Never Again’ Is When You Remember

Breitbart

Marc Little came to Washington, D.C. recently in his capacity as the vice president of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education (CURE) think tank to talk to reporters and the public about supporting President Donald Trump’s agenda of helping inner cities through job creation, school choice, and public safety.
But the tragedy in Charlottesville, Virginia, changed his plans. Little — who is also a pastor, attorney, and author who lives in Los Angeles — joined his colleagues at the National Press Club on Monday to defend Trump against attacks by the left, who blamed the president for the violent protest and counter-protest on Saturday over the removal of a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee.

A protester and two law enforcement officers died on Saturday, the former after the woman was hit by a car driven deliberately into the crowd, and the police after the helicopter they were riding in crashed.

“This whole idea now of pulling down statues and changing the names of schools and cities as if we can bury the cemetery of our past,” Little told Breitbart News. “You can’t.”

In fact, Little said, the past is what makes America what she is today.

Read more...

More Opinion from House Members on Charlottesville

House Representative Vicky Hartzler (R-MO, 4th) made a heartfelt statement about the violence in Charlottesville, saying, “Over the past few days America has witnessed the disturbing events in Charlottesville and the racism and violence that continues to inflict harm on our nation. It breaks my heart that today's young generation is still having to witness this unAmerican way to settle disagreements. Racism is not acceptable in our society in any form and should not be tolerated. It is one thing to have disagreements on the validity of historical monuments but violence is not the answer. It cannot be tolerated. This is not representative of America or the values that we hold dear.”

I appreciate how she refused to name either side as sole culprit. Of course, not everyone had the same view. House Representative Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL, 20th) shot back, "Today’s comments by President Trump were completely appalling. What took place in in Charlottesville was an act of domestic terrorism, not a two-sided affair." I'd like to ask Mr. Hastings if he was there at the rally, or did he speak to anyone at the rally to make this assumption. Just because there where White Nationalists present did not mean that there weren't black bigots taunting and instigating them, throwing feces, urine and spraying pepper spray.

"The President has lost all moral authority to lead this nation," he continues. It takes a lot of morals to look at both sides of an issue before deciding which bandwagon to jump on. "By continuing to stand with white supremacists promoting the abhorrent, anti-democratic ideology of inequality, injustice, and fascism, President Trump is fueling the fires of hate." Nowhere did Trump say he stood with white supremacists. What he said was that the violence was the responsibility of BOTH sides, and BOTH sides need to be held accountable (not in those exact words). "This is completely outrageous, and every single elected representative to Congress, regardless of party, must hold him to account." Go ahead, and when you do, make sure you bring the unedited version of the Youtube video in which Trump speaks to the press about Charlottesville.

House Representative Brian Higgins (D-NY, 26th) made his viewss known by saying, “Over the past several months, a regular barrage of words and actions coming from those entrusted to lead have demonstrated disrespect for women, refugees, transgender service members and others based on race. We are witnessing a dangerous and dismissive attitude toward some people as less accepted and less valued than others. This display of intolerance is hurtful to individuals and the noble principles that genuinely make our nation great.

“I am proud to call Buffalo -- the ‘City of Good Neighbors’ -- my home. As a country and as humans we could all benefit from being more neighborly. Each of us face our own struggles but they are better overcome when we are united rather than divided. Each of us bring our own strengths as individuals but we are wise to recognize we are significantly stronger together.

“Genuine leadership doesn’t embolden hate; instead, it should promote kindness and understanding. These exhausting distractions tear us apart, preventing us from working together and making real progress. We need less confrontation and more collaboration, fewer outbursts and more outcomes, and less heat and more light.”

Promoting kindness and understanding does not mean shutting out the voices of those who are different from us. It means being willing to listen to what they have to say, even if you don't like them, and finding a way to accommodate that won't hurt either side of the issue, and may even help both. THAT, Mr. Higgins, is what TRUE leadership does. Demonizing someone who thinks differently than you do doesn't do anything to help the relationship. The next step after demonization is extermination, and if you would look at history and learn from it, you will see the truth in what I have just said. But, I digress, most of those who think like you are for getting rid of any reminders of that history.

House Representative French Hill (R-AR, 2nd) condemned what happened by saying, ""During World War II, my father-in-law helped to liberate Buchenwald concentration camp. He bore witness to Nazi terror – a terror that started with an ideology of hate and superiority based upon race and creed. He and so many other Americans and Allies fought against that ideology, which was an affront to American values and continues to have no place in our civil society. I reject, in the strongest terms possible, the speech of hate and bigotry of white supremacists and others. It's repugnant and un-American. I condemn acts of domestic terror as the tools of cowards. Let's pray for civil discourse in our country, and my thoughts are with the community, those hurt, and those grieving over loss and injury."

My granddaddy was one of 300 soldiers who rode in a ship to Normandy. He fought for freedom so everyone, including his wife (who he encouraged to get her high school diploma, so she could better help with the war effort at home), could have the opportunity to better themselves and the world around them. When it came time to come home, there were only 73 men from the same ship who survived. He fought the war every day of his life since then. I would not be here today if he hadn't survived -- and I will not let his sacrifice be in vain by picking and choosing who has rights regardless of race, creed, religion, color or nationality, and that includes those who wish to preserve their heritage...even if I don't agree with their views. The First Amendment was not written for popular opinion holders.

House Representative Jim Himes (D-CT, 4th), who obviously has no idea what the President said, retorted, "White supremacy in any form has no place in our society, our politics or our civil discourse. It takes surpassing ignorance, total moral bankruptcy and a pathetic sense of entitlement to have marched with the KKK and neo-Nazis in Charlottesville. Period, full stop, and I am shocked I need to say so, much less to the President of the United States.

"I condemn the violence in Charlottesville and the hateful ideology behind the late night march and the daytime rally, and I stand aghast with the rest of the nation and leaders in both parties at the President's equivocation on this fundamental principle of decency. The President betrays the ideals and legacy of the country he leads - a country which paid with the lives of millions of its people to defeat white supremacy and Nazism."

While I agree with Himes about the characterization of those who marched with the KKK, I would like to extend that same characterization to the BLM group who decided that the KKK didn't have First Amendment rights and disrupting their Freedom of Assembly, which is also a First Amendment right. As far as what he said about the President, the President did not betray anything. He is not going to condemn one without condemning the other, and he is working to make those guilty of breaking the peace accountable on BOTH sides.






Policinski: It takes great effort, restraint to defend First Amendment

Greeley Tribune

History tells us of the rise at various times in our nation of groups preaching hate and bigotry and violence, using their rights of speech, press and assembly to inflame rather than inform, incite rather than inspire and indoctrinate rather than educate. Nativists, the Ku Klux Klan, neo-Nazis and others at various times have used fear, prejudice and ignorance to flourish and gain public accommodation or support — sometimes for decades — before crawling back under the social rocks from whence they came.

It's tempting to believe if only such domestic terrorists were silenced by government, their views would dissipate; that "out of sight" truly would mean "out of mind." But such censoring, suppressing and silencing is a betrayal of our core principles — along with being ineffective and often counterproductive.

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This guy is saying what I have been saying. He gets it.

Black Lives Matter Gets Free Pass in Grand Junction, Colorado

Grand Junction Sentinel

“We have Nazis on American soil,” said Samantha Harris. “That wall of presuppositions, we all need to dismantle them otherwise we are going to head into a serious internal conflict.”

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Why are they allowing gatherings of a racist group claiming to fight racism by being racist and not allowing anyone who is different to hold a peaceful rally, thereby stomping on others Constitutional Rights? Does the Constitution matter anymore? If BLM gets a free pass, then the KKK should too.

The Ponder does not condone what the KKK stands for, or BLM. We do, however wish to see our Constitutional Rights protected, and taking it from someone else opens the door to have it taken from us.

Terry McLaughlin: Voter fraud or not, well worth a look

Grass Valley Union

Rhode Island — the smallest state in The Union, and the setting for a beautiful July wedding on Narragansett Bay to which I was invited.

Everyone in Rhode Island seems to know everyone else, particularly within their own small communities. And with a population of just over one million citizens, which has barely increased since 2012, it's no wonder. A fellow guest expressed to me that after living in the same house for over 10 years, he was still considered an "outsider" by some of his neighbors.

The territory of the state of Rhode Island is a mere 1,214 square miles, and it is ranked the second-most densely populated state. As I glanced through some of the local newspapers, it occurred to me that Rhode Island could provide a microcosmic sample of issues that plague or bless our entire nation.

One of those issues often debated by citizens and media alike is that of voter integrity. The Providence Journal recently reported that Rhode Island's Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea conducted an audit of the state's voter registry. Gorbea found at least 150,000 nonresidents registered to vote in the state. Of the 781,770 registered voters in Rhode Island in 2016, the nonresidents identified by the Secretary of State's audit represents an astounding 19 percent of all registered voters.

Read more...


Confederate monuments removed overnight in Baltimore

Gadsden Times

Confederate monuments in Baltimore were quietly removed and hauled away on trucks in darkness early Wednesday, days after a violent white nationalist rally in Virginia that was sparked by plans to take down a similar statue there.

Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh told The Baltimore Sun that crews began removing the city’s four Confederate monuments late Tuesday and finished around 5:30 a.m. Wednesday.

“It’s done,” Pugh told the newspaper. “They needed to come down. My concern is for the safety and security of our people. We moved as quickly as we could.”

Read more...



Who gave the Mayor permission to remove what belonged to the citizens of Baltimore? Someone needs to sue him for vandalism.

Committee on Homeland Security to Hold Hearing on Domestic Terrorism in Wake of Charlottesville

Washington, D.C. - August 17, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) released a letter in response to Ranking Member Bennie Thompson (D-MS) and the Democrat Members’ call for a hearing on the threat of domestic terrorism on the heels of the tragedy in Charlottesville, Virginia. McCaul announced that the Committee will hold a hearing on September 12th and has invited witnesses of the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, and the National Counterterrorism Center.

You can read the letter by clicking here

Virginia Governor Calls for Removal of Confederate Monuments,

The Virginia Governor, Terry McAuliffe has called for the removal of all Confederate Monuments in the State of Virginia.

In a statement released on Wednesday, he said, “The discussion regarding whether to relocate Confederate statues is an important and legitimate conversation that should take place in each community that contains one. Monuments should serve as unifiers, to inspire us collectively and to venerate our greatest citizens. Unfortunately, the recent events in Charlottesville demonstrate that monuments celebrating the leadership of the Confederacy have become flashpoints for hatred, division and violence.

“As we attempt to heal and learn from the tragic events in Charlottesville, I encourage Virginia's localities and the General Assembly – which are vested with the legal authority – to take down these monuments and relocate them to museums or more appropriate settings. I hope we can all now agree that these symbols are a barrier to progress, inclusion and equality in Virginia and, while the decision may not be mine to make, I believe the path forward is clear.”

Next, we may see the removal of the Washington Monument, since Washington owned slaves.

Many other cities have decided to also remove their monuments that commemorate the Civil War.


Patriot Prayer Discriminated Against

Patriot Prayer, who has disavowed any association with White Supremacists is supposed to hold a rally in San Francisco on August 6, 2017. However, Dianne Feinstein has called for a denial of their permit, saying they "attract White Nationalists". In a statement earlier, Feinstein said, “According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, Patriot Prayer attracts white nationalists and other hate groups to its rallies with the intent to provoke unrest between those groups and counter-protesters,” Senator Feinstein wrote. “I am alarmed at the prospect that Crissy Field will be used as a venue for Patriot Prayer’s incitement, hate, and intimidation.”

She has written a letter to the National Park Service asking them to deny the permit.

The Southern Poverty Law Center is a bigotted Organization that has been known to call any organization or association "White Nationalist" or affiliate them with the KKK even if they have nothing to do with the KKK and have denounced such just because they don't think like Democrats.

Now that Donald Trump refuses to acknowledge that ONLY the KKK were responsible for Charlottesville, the SPLC and the Democrats will lump any organization that isn't leftist into the White Nationalist description. This is effective suppression of freedom of speech and it needs to be stopped and stood up to.

Groups like Patriot Prayer should send out a press release to announce their intentions and what they stand for to every media in the United States, Patriot and otherwise. It's the opinion of The Ponder News that it's time that Patriots, once again, create a media alliance to counter the lies of the leftist media. We did it before and it worked. It's time to do it again. The Ponder News is willing to help in any way possible.

If you are interested in such an alliance, we would like to hear from you from our Facebook Page at The Ponder

You can learn more about Patriot Prayer for yourself by clicking HERE