DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Saturday, May 25, 2019
Electoral College Opponents Attempt to Have It Both Ways
Electoral College foes have been trying to get their way in Nevada for a decade. Have they finally succeeded?
Nevada’s state Senate approved National Popular Vote legislation on Tuesday. The measure is now awaiting approval from Gov. Steve Sisolak, a Democrat.
The governor’s signature will add Nevada to a growing movement to ditch the Electoral College. Worse, Maine and Oregon could be close behind: National Popular Vote’s plan has already been approved by both states’ senates.
After years of stagnating, National Popular Vote has obtained support from four states in just one short year—or five states, if you count Nevada.
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Nevada’s state Senate approved National Popular Vote legislation on Tuesday. The measure is now awaiting approval from Gov. Steve Sisolak, a Democrat.
The governor’s signature will add Nevada to a growing movement to ditch the Electoral College. Worse, Maine and Oregon could be close behind: National Popular Vote’s plan has already been approved by both states’ senates.
After years of stagnating, National Popular Vote has obtained support from four states in just one short year—or five states, if you count Nevada.
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FAA investigates religious discrimination complaints after two airports exclude Chick-fil-A
The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating Texas’ San Antonio International Airport and New York’s Buffalo Niagara International Airport over allegations of religious discrimination following the exclusion of fast-food chain Chick-fil-A from their premises, according to a new report.
"The Department of Transportation has received complaints alleging discrimination by two airport operators against a private company due to the expression of the owner’s religious beliefs," the agency’s statement to Fox News read.
Chick-fil-A has faced nationwide backlash and calls for boycott because of its continued charitable donations to faith-based groups such as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Salvation Army, which has outraged pro-LGBT groups. Chick-fil-A gave $1,653,416 to the fellowship and $150,000 to the Salvation Army in 2017, per tax filings released earlier this year.
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"The Department of Transportation has received complaints alleging discrimination by two airport operators against a private company due to the expression of the owner’s religious beliefs," the agency’s statement to Fox News read.
Chick-fil-A has faced nationwide backlash and calls for boycott because of its continued charitable donations to faith-based groups such as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Salvation Army, which has outraged pro-LGBT groups. Chick-fil-A gave $1,653,416 to the fellowship and $150,000 to the Salvation Army in 2017, per tax filings released earlier this year.
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The Passing of Maureen Beebe
From Wikipedia
Misty of Chincoteague begins with an account of the wreck of a Spanish galleon on the shores of Assateague Island off the coast of Virginia. The ponies in the hold of the galleon swim to Assateague and become feral as the years and eventually the centuries pass.
The book then tells the story of two orphan children, Paul and Maureen Beebe, who move in with their grandparents after their parents die. Paul and Maureen work to earn money to buy a Chincoteague pony mare named the Phantom, who has escaped the roundup men on Pony Penning Day for the past two years. Paul and Maureen save enough to buy Phantom, and Paul is able to capture her on the roundup because she is slowed down by her new foal, Misty.
Americans Are in Desperate Need of a Lesson on the History of Slavery
Democrat hopeful Pete Buttigieg recently advocated removing Thomas Jefferson's memory from the public square and ending the practice of naming public events in his honor. The legacy of Jefferson, he said, is "problematic." "There's a lot to admire in his thinking and his philosophy," he said, "but then again if you plunge into his writings, especially his notes on the state of Virginia, you know that he knew slavery was wrong."
It's a stunning display of his ignorance, certainly. But interestingly, Buttigieg has unknowingly pinpointed precisely why Thomas Jefferson should be eternally revered by our society, which believes that enslaving other human beings is wrong.
That is, that Jefferson knew that it was wrong at the time.
Thomas Sowell explains, brilliantly as ever:
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It's a stunning display of his ignorance, certainly. But interestingly, Buttigieg has unknowingly pinpointed precisely why Thomas Jefferson should be eternally revered by our society, which believes that enslaving other human beings is wrong.
That is, that Jefferson knew that it was wrong at the time.
Thomas Sowell explains, brilliantly as ever:
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Linda Hamilton Returns as Sarah Connor for 'Terminator: Dark Fate'
It hasn't been an easy couple of decades for fans of James Cameron's Terminatorfranchise, but the just-dropped trailer for Dark Fate looks like the magic might be back.
Released in 1984, writer-director Cameron's The Terminator didn't do much at the box office, but the sci-fi action flick became a sensation on pay cable. The low-budget special effects look dated, but still good enough to move the girl-power story along to its necessary conclusion. Then in 1991, Cameron came back with a huge budget, groundbreaking digital special effects, and a true cultural phenomenon with Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
How many lines can you recite from that movie? I think my wife and I mouth the whole script each time we watch it.
Then everything started going to hell.
The franchise went dark for a dozen years before Terminator 3: Rise of the Machinescame out in 2003. It wasn't a bad flick by any means, and even had a nice twist or two, and the action sequences were as creative and well-shot/edited as ever. The downbeat ending I thought was a particularly brave choice. But something was just not completely fulfilling about T3. I'm not sure Nick Stahl was quite right as twentysomething John Connor. Or maybe there was just no good way to cast Connor, who previously had either been a young boy or an unseen near-legend from the future.
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Neighbors Suing Spurs 'Right-to-Farm' Push
Agriculture interests this year have successfully lobbied for a host of new state laws to protect farms from litigation over foul smells, loud noises and declining water quality.
The push comes after years of nuisance lawsuits the agriculture industry blames for decimating some livestock producers. All 50 states already had a “right to farm” on their books, but the new laws will make it even more difficult to bring such lawsuits against farmers.
Some of the laws prohibit all but the nearest neighbors from filing a claim. Others limit the awards that plaintiffs can win, or hold them financially liable for a defendant’s legal fees if their lawsuit is dismissed.
Nebraska, Oklahoma, Utah, West Virginia and Washington enacted laws this year. Lawmakers in Louisiana, Oregon and Vermont introduced legislation that is still under consideration. In Georgia, a House bill died in a Senate committee, but the Georgia Farm Bureau intends to keep lobbying for it ahead of next year’s session.
Much of the action has been spurred by legal activity in North Carolina, home to 9 million hogs and 2,400 swine operations — and the pig waste that goes with them. The state’s pork industry has long been criticized for harming the environment, but last year a jury awarded $473.5 million to neighbors of industrial-scale hog farms over “obnoxious, recurrent odors” and other nuisances.
In a column titled “Our Right to Farm,” the American Farm Bureau Federation rallied the troops.
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The push comes after years of nuisance lawsuits the agriculture industry blames for decimating some livestock producers. All 50 states already had a “right to farm” on their books, but the new laws will make it even more difficult to bring such lawsuits against farmers.
Some of the laws prohibit all but the nearest neighbors from filing a claim. Others limit the awards that plaintiffs can win, or hold them financially liable for a defendant’s legal fees if their lawsuit is dismissed.
Nebraska, Oklahoma, Utah, West Virginia and Washington enacted laws this year. Lawmakers in Louisiana, Oregon and Vermont introduced legislation that is still under consideration. In Georgia, a House bill died in a Senate committee, but the Georgia Farm Bureau intends to keep lobbying for it ahead of next year’s session.
Much of the action has been spurred by legal activity in North Carolina, home to 9 million hogs and 2,400 swine operations — and the pig waste that goes with them. The state’s pork industry has long been criticized for harming the environment, but last year a jury awarded $473.5 million to neighbors of industrial-scale hog farms over “obnoxious, recurrent odors” and other nuisances.
In a column titled “Our Right to Farm,” the American Farm Bureau Federation rallied the troops.
More
Brooklyn soldier slams Mykonos hotspot over $937 lunch bill
A US Army soldier from Brooklyn is warning tourists to avoid a hotspot in Greece, saying he and his friends were ripped off to the tune of $937 for a light beachside lunch in Mykonos.
The soldier, a member of New York’s 69th Infantry Regiment, detailed his trip to DK Oyster in a terse, blistering review on TripAdvisor after getting the staggering check earlier this month for six plates of calamari, three Caesar salads, six beers, two waters and a glass of tomato juice.
“This place is a rip off, look at the picture I posted,” read the review by the Brooklyn-based soldier whose profile identifies him as Ciscorock. “AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COST! No pun intended.”
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The soldier, a member of New York’s 69th Infantry Regiment, detailed his trip to DK Oyster in a terse, blistering review on TripAdvisor after getting the staggering check earlier this month for six plates of calamari, three Caesar salads, six beers, two waters and a glass of tomato juice.
“This place is a rip off, look at the picture I posted,” read the review by the Brooklyn-based soldier whose profile identifies him as Ciscorock. “AVOID THIS PLACE AT ALL COST! No pun intended.”
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Somerset County Memorial Day Underage Alcohol Checks
On Friday May 24th, 2019 during the beginning of the Memorial Day Weekend, Troopers from the Maryland State Police Princess Anne Barrack executed a covert underage alcohol buy operation in Somerset County. During the operation two underage individuals volunteered from the Wor-Wic Community College Criminal Justice Club to assist. Troopers deployed the underage volunteers into retail establishments who possess a Somerset County Liquor License to ensure they were denying sales of alcoholic beverages to persons under the age of 21 years old. Both assigned volunteers, entered these establishments and attempted to purchase alcohol. In the event they were requested to furnish identification they would display their vertical Maryland Driver’s License, which clearly stated below the age of 21.
A total of 19 retail establishments were checked. Most were found to be in compliance with underage alcohol sales however, two establishments were not. The “Goose Creek” of Westover, Maryland and “Goose Creek Marina” of Westover Maryland each failed to appropriately check identification and served alcohol to the underage intern. Each of the below retail establishments that were subject to an alcohol compliance check, complied with the provisions of the law and denied the sale of alcoholic beverage to minors:
- Eden Quick Stop, Eden Maryland
- Juniors Wine Stop and Shop, Princess Anne Maryland
- Dash Inn, Westover, Maryland
- Brew Thru, Crisfield, Maryland
- Shore Stop, Crisfield, Maryland
- Crisfield Oceanic, Crisfield, Maryland
- Kash and Karry, Princess Anne, Maryland
- Washington INN, Princess Anne, Maryland
- Spikes Pub & Subs, Princess Anne, Maryland
- Goose Creek, Princess Anne, Maryland
- Peacock’s, Princess Anne, Mayland
- Becky’s Market, Princess Anne, Maryland
- Kings Creek, Princess Anne, Maryland
- Linton’s Seafood, Crisfield, Maryland
- Crab Place, Crisfield, Maryland
- Cove Market, Crisfield, Maryland
- Big Willy’s, Crisfield, Maryland
The alcohol compliance checks were made possible by funding provided by an in partnership with the Somerset County Local Management Board.
Mayor Young resolute: City will not pay to unlock ransomware
BALTIMORE —Baltimore Mayor Jack Young said he's not paying ransomware attackers who have shut down city computers for 17 days.
The Baltimore City government is being held hostage by RobbinHood ransomware that has shut down computers. Whoever is responsible is demanding 13 Bitcoins worth about $100,000 to unlock the system. Experts said the code for the virus is impossible to break.
"The data is being encrypted by a strong encryption function called RSA, which we don't know how to break without the key," said Avi Rubin, a computer science professor at Johns Hopkins University.
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The Baltimore City government is being held hostage by RobbinHood ransomware that has shut down computers. Whoever is responsible is demanding 13 Bitcoins worth about $100,000 to unlock the system. Experts said the code for the virus is impossible to break.
"The data is being encrypted by a strong encryption function called RSA, which we don't know how to break without the key," said Avi Rubin, a computer science professor at Johns Hopkins University.
More
2 men killed after attempting to drive car over opening drawbridge
Two men died early Friday when a driver tried to jump a car over an opening created by a pontoon swing bridge in southwestern Louisiana, state police said on Facebook.
According to the post, shortly before 2 a.m. CT, Louisiana State Police responded to a single-vehicle crash in the water at the Black Bayou Bridge on Louisiana Highway 384 near Lake Charles.
A witness told police that the driver of a 2016 Chevrolet Cruze stopped at the bridge, which was closed to vehicular traffic as a boat passed on the Intracoastal Waterway. The 165-foot section of the bridge on pontoons had been moved to allow the ship to pass.
A passenger got out of the car and pushed up a gate arm to allow the driver to continue. The driver picked up the passenger and went up to a section of the bridge that is raised as boats pass.
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According to the post, shortly before 2 a.m. CT, Louisiana State Police responded to a single-vehicle crash in the water at the Black Bayou Bridge on Louisiana Highway 384 near Lake Charles.
A witness told police that the driver of a 2016 Chevrolet Cruze stopped at the bridge, which was closed to vehicular traffic as a boat passed on the Intracoastal Waterway. The 165-foot section of the bridge on pontoons had been moved to allow the ship to pass.
A passenger got out of the car and pushed up a gate arm to allow the driver to continue. The driver picked up the passenger and went up to a section of the bridge that is raised as boats pass.
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What's It Gonna Be...A Welfare State or Open Borders?
You can have open borders or a welfare state, but not both!
Listening to political pundits as much as I do can be frustrating. They are employed, I assume, because of their intelligence and savvy presentation. Lately I have been less and less impressed. They strap on a position and won’t take it off, even if it displays no common sense.
Geraldo Rivera of Fox News, on Friday, was arguing with fervor for open borders like we had in the early history of our country. He would be correct insofar as we had relatively open immigration until the late 1800s. But, he smoothly never mentioned that our early immigration policy never included bed, bath, and beyond..
Let this sink in deep…You Can Have Open Borders or a Welfare State, but Not Both! Financial collapse will surely result. Even Cher tweeted this realization last month, witnessing all the homeless living on the streets in Los Angeles.
After the Civil War, several states passed their own immigration laws. In 1875 the Supreme Court stepped in declaring immigration to be a federal responsibility. As a result, as immigration rose in the 1880s, with economic conditions worsening in some areas, Congress began passing immigration legislation.
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Listening to political pundits as much as I do can be frustrating. They are employed, I assume, because of their intelligence and savvy presentation. Lately I have been less and less impressed. They strap on a position and won’t take it off, even if it displays no common sense.
Geraldo Rivera of Fox News, on Friday, was arguing with fervor for open borders like we had in the early history of our country. He would be correct insofar as we had relatively open immigration until the late 1800s. But, he smoothly never mentioned that our early immigration policy never included bed, bath, and beyond..
Let this sink in deep…You Can Have Open Borders or a Welfare State, but Not Both! Financial collapse will surely result. Even Cher tweeted this realization last month, witnessing all the homeless living on the streets in Los Angeles.
After the Civil War, several states passed their own immigration laws. In 1875 the Supreme Court stepped in declaring immigration to be a federal responsibility. As a result, as immigration rose in the 1880s, with economic conditions worsening in some areas, Congress began passing immigration legislation.
More
Iran’s Secret Weapon Against America Is Our Own Sanctuary Laws
Believe it or not, there are other countries besides Russia that are a threat to the United States. Chief among them is Iran, long regarded by the U.S. government as the world’s foremost sponsor of terror.
Relations between the U.S. and Iran may now be at their lowest point since 1979, when revolutionaries took over the American embassy in Tehran and held Americans hostage for 444 days.
It can be argued that the situation today is far worse than 40 years ago. The hardline Iranian theocracy still regards America as “The Great Satan” while its aggressive navy acts as if it owns the Persian Gulf, a crucial part of energy markets and global economic stability. Iran has been transparent in its pursuit of nuclear weapons, and President Trump recently deployed an aircraft carrier strike force to the Gulf region to back up his strong rhetoric. If neither side blinks, this could end very badly.
Iran has become far more than just a regional irritant to the interests of the United States in the Gulf. They are now staging operations in our backyard. Iran’s primary terror client, Hezbollah, has a growing presence in Latin America. This year, Navy Admiral Craig Faller, commander of the U.S. Southern Command, warned Congress that “Iran has deepened its anti-U.S. Spanish language media coverage and has exported its state support for terrorism into our hemisphere.”
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently confirmed that Hezbollah also maintains “active cells” in Venezuela. Iran is clearly taking advantage of the political chaos in Venezuela to establish a terror operation within striking distance of the United States.
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Relations between the U.S. and Iran may now be at their lowest point since 1979, when revolutionaries took over the American embassy in Tehran and held Americans hostage for 444 days.
It can be argued that the situation today is far worse than 40 years ago. The hardline Iranian theocracy still regards America as “The Great Satan” while its aggressive navy acts as if it owns the Persian Gulf, a crucial part of energy markets and global economic stability. Iran has been transparent in its pursuit of nuclear weapons, and President Trump recently deployed an aircraft carrier strike force to the Gulf region to back up his strong rhetoric. If neither side blinks, this could end very badly.
Iran has become far more than just a regional irritant to the interests of the United States in the Gulf. They are now staging operations in our backyard. Iran’s primary terror client, Hezbollah, has a growing presence in Latin America. This year, Navy Admiral Craig Faller, commander of the U.S. Southern Command, warned Congress that “Iran has deepened its anti-U.S. Spanish language media coverage and has exported its state support for terrorism into our hemisphere.”
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently confirmed that Hezbollah also maintains “active cells” in Venezuela. Iran is clearly taking advantage of the political chaos in Venezuela to establish a terror operation within striking distance of the United States.
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Sowell: Twisted history
One of the reasons our children do not measure up academically to children in other countries is that so much time is spent in American classrooms twisting our history for ideological purposes.
"How would you feel if you were a Native American who saw the European invaders taking away your land?" is the kind of question our children are likely to be confronted with in our schools. It is a classic example of trying to look at the past with the assumptions -- and the ignorance -- of the present.
One of the things we take for granted today is that it is wrong to take other people's land by force. Neither American Indians nor the European invaders believed that.
Both took other people's land by force -- as did Asians, Africans and others. The Indians no doubt regretted losing so many battles. But that is wholly different from saying that they thought battles were the wrong way to settle ownership of land.
Today's child cannot possibly put himself or herself in the mindset of Indians centuries ago, without infinitely more knowledge of history than our schools have ever taught.
Nor is understanding history the purpose of such questions. The purpose is to score points against Western society. In short, propaganda has replaced education as the goal of too many "educators."
Schools are not the only institutions that twist history to score ideological points. "Never Forget That They Owned Lots of Slaves" is the huge headline across the front page of the New York Times' book review section in its December 14th issue. Inside is an indictment of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.
Of all the tragic facts about the history of slavery, the most astonishing to an American today is that, although slavery was a worldwide institution for thousands of years, nowhere in the world was slavery a controversial issue prior to the 18th century.
More from Dr. Sowell here
"How would you feel if you were a Native American who saw the European invaders taking away your land?" is the kind of question our children are likely to be confronted with in our schools. It is a classic example of trying to look at the past with the assumptions -- and the ignorance -- of the present.
One of the things we take for granted today is that it is wrong to take other people's land by force. Neither American Indians nor the European invaders believed that.
Both took other people's land by force -- as did Asians, Africans and others. The Indians no doubt regretted losing so many battles. But that is wholly different from saying that they thought battles were the wrong way to settle ownership of land.
Today's child cannot possibly put himself or herself in the mindset of Indians centuries ago, without infinitely more knowledge of history than our schools have ever taught.
Nor is understanding history the purpose of such questions. The purpose is to score points against Western society. In short, propaganda has replaced education as the goal of too many "educators."
Schools are not the only institutions that twist history to score ideological points. "Never Forget That They Owned Lots of Slaves" is the huge headline across the front page of the New York Times' book review section in its December 14th issue. Inside is an indictment of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.
Of all the tragic facts about the history of slavery, the most astonishing to an American today is that, although slavery was a worldwide institution for thousands of years, nowhere in the world was slavery a controversial issue prior to the 18th century.
More from Dr. Sowell here
US Probes Suspected Chlorine Attack
A suspected chlorine attack on Sunday by the Syrian government in northwest Syria is under investigation by the United States, State Department officials say.
Syrian Special Envoy Jim Jeffrey told the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday that the United States so far could not confirm the specific chemical agent used.
“We at this point do not have any confirmation that chlorine, which was the substance that was suggested or alleged has been used — but again, we haven’t finished our review of that,” Jeffrey said.
On Tuesday, State Department spokeswoman Moran Ortagus said that the United States “continues to see signs” that Syrian President Bashar al Assad’s government “may be renewing its use of chemical weapons, including an alleged chlorine attack in northwest Syria.” Ortagus said the Trump administration considers the use of such weapons unacceptable.
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Syrian Special Envoy Jim Jeffrey told the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday that the United States so far could not confirm the specific chemical agent used.
“We at this point do not have any confirmation that chlorine, which was the substance that was suggested or alleged has been used — but again, we haven’t finished our review of that,” Jeffrey said.
On Tuesday, State Department spokeswoman Moran Ortagus said that the United States “continues to see signs” that Syrian President Bashar al Assad’s government “may be renewing its use of chemical weapons, including an alleged chlorine attack in northwest Syria.” Ortagus said the Trump administration considers the use of such weapons unacceptable.
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Trump mends fences with Maryland crab houses
Selling crab meat has been the livelihood of Aubrey Vincent's family since at least the mid-1980s, when her father bought Lindy's Seafood on Maryland's Eastern Shore.
It's a business that relies on the federal H-2B visa program, through which migrant workers — chiefly from Mexico — are hired to pick meat out of the indigenous crustaceans from the start of the spring through the autumn.
“The program essentially has kept the Maryland crab meat industry alive,” Vincent, the sales manager at Lindy's, told the Washington Examiner. For roughly 24 years, Vincent said, Lindy's had little trouble securing the 105 visas it needs.
Then came 2018, when the Trump administration distributed visas through a lottery rather than according to the order of requests, and Lindy's and several of the crab plants on the Eastern Shore were unable to get their share of the 500 seasonal workers the industry typically requires.
The lottery compounded the problems from a decision by Congress two years earlier to let lapse a rule allowing workers from previous years return without counting toward a cap of 66,000 on new visas, which left the supply far short of demand from businesses.
As a result, Vincent's Dorchester County operation lost six months of work and 50% of its sales revenue. It wasn’t until October, as the season neared its end, that she was able to secure 75 H-2B visas after the government allotted additional ones.
If the crab house had lost the visas it needed this year, "I'm not sure we would've been able to stay in business," said Vincent, who's elated by the Trump administration's decision to allocate 30,000 more visas.
More here
Does the Constitution Mandate Universal Birthright Citizenship?
Who is a United States citizen by birth? This question has increasingly received national attention, in large part because of President Donald Trump’s promise to “end birthright citizenship.”
As I explain, however, in my recent Heritage Foundation legal memo titled “The Citizenship Clause’s Original Meaning and What It Means Today,” Congress definitively settled that question in 1866 when it passed the 14th Amendment. The problem is that Congress’ answer was far different from what Americans today often assume.
Even though the U.S. government has long abided by a policy of universal birthright citizenship—that is, of treating all persons born in the United States as citizens, regardless of the immigration status of their parents—the reality is that the Constitution doesn’t mandate this policy.
In fact, while the Citizenship Clause eliminated race-based barriers to birthright citizenship, Congress expressly intended to limit birthright citizenship based on the strength of a person’s relationship to the United States.
More importantly, the government today need not amend the Constitution in order to restrict citizenship for the U.S.-born children of illegal or non-immigrant aliens. It could simply stop abiding by a broad policy never required by the Constitution in the first place.
Context and Legislative History:
[Amy Swearer is a senior legal policy analyst at the Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at The Heritage Foundation.]
As I explain, however, in my recent Heritage Foundation legal memo titled “The Citizenship Clause’s Original Meaning and What It Means Today,” Congress definitively settled that question in 1866 when it passed the 14th Amendment. The problem is that Congress’ answer was far different from what Americans today often assume.
Even though the U.S. government has long abided by a policy of universal birthright citizenship—that is, of treating all persons born in the United States as citizens, regardless of the immigration status of their parents—the reality is that the Constitution doesn’t mandate this policy.
In fact, while the Citizenship Clause eliminated race-based barriers to birthright citizenship, Congress expressly intended to limit birthright citizenship based on the strength of a person’s relationship to the United States.
More importantly, the government today need not amend the Constitution in order to restrict citizenship for the U.S.-born children of illegal or non-immigrant aliens. It could simply stop abiding by a broad policy never required by the Constitution in the first place.
Context and Legislative History:
[Amy Swearer is a senior legal policy analyst at the Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies at The Heritage Foundation.]
Former Clinton Adviser and Feminist Author Realizes Giant Error In New Book While On-Air
Former Bill Clinton adviser and feminist author Naomi Wolf saw a central part of her upcoming book debunked during a BBC interview that aired Tuesday.
In her book Outrages: Sex, Censorship, and the Criminalization of Love, Wolf posits that a revolution in British law's approach to homosexuality took place in the 19th Century, eventually coming to America. One of her most dramatic claims was that many homosexuals were executed under sodomy laws in the U.K. after 1835, the consensus date of the last execution for sodomy in Britain.
"I found several dozen executions, but that was, again, only looking at the Old Bailey records and the crime tables," she said during an interview on "Arts and Ideas" with broadcaster Matthew Sweet. "This corrects a misapprehension that is in every website, that the last man was executed for sodomy in Britain in 1835."
However, this was based on a misunderstanding of the British legal term "death recorded," created in 1823, which meant the death penalty was not carried out. Sweet pointed this out, reading her the definition of "death recorded" with which she was unfamiliar.
"I don't think any of the executions you've identified here actually happened," Sweet said.
"Well, that's a really important thing to investigate. What is your understanding of what ‘death recorded' means?" Wolf asked...
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In her book Outrages: Sex, Censorship, and the Criminalization of Love, Wolf posits that a revolution in British law's approach to homosexuality took place in the 19th Century, eventually coming to America. One of her most dramatic claims was that many homosexuals were executed under sodomy laws in the U.K. after 1835, the consensus date of the last execution for sodomy in Britain.
"I found several dozen executions, but that was, again, only looking at the Old Bailey records and the crime tables," she said during an interview on "Arts and Ideas" with broadcaster Matthew Sweet. "This corrects a misapprehension that is in every website, that the last man was executed for sodomy in Britain in 1835."
However, this was based on a misunderstanding of the British legal term "death recorded," created in 1823, which meant the death penalty was not carried out. Sweet pointed this out, reading her the definition of "death recorded" with which she was unfamiliar.
"I don't think any of the executions you've identified here actually happened," Sweet said.
"Well, that's a really important thing to investigate. What is your understanding of what ‘death recorded' means?" Wolf asked...
More
I was forced out of my PhD program because of my open faith in Jesus Christ.
While as an undergrad at Salt Lake Community College in 1991, I gave a presentation in front of my humanities 101 class arguing Jesus Christ is the messiah, citing evidence for his resurrection.
My professor literally cut me off during my presentation and told me it was over, that I couldn’t proceed. He later informed me that I was no longer welcome in the course because of proselytizing.
Here’s the backstory. My professor had been teaching on myth for about six weeks, listing Jesus among them. So after he assigned a project in which students were free to present on virtually anything, I made my move with “when myth became fact, the fulfillment of Messianic Bible prophecy.”
Next I received an “F” for proselytizing. I called a lawyer, met with the college president to notify him that a legal letter was on its way, then waited to see who would flinch first. He persuaded the professor to let me back in the classroom so long as I would shut up.
I wish I could say things got better after that. But they got much worse.
Universities claim to prize diversity and inclusivity. But this means little more than a fixation with certain skin pigment and private parts. It doesn’t include viewpoint diversity—at least not if it is a conservative Christian perspective.
Fast forward several years. I was completing a time working in pastoral ministry with high school and college students. I was sick of seeing my students fall away from their faith whenever they’d attend the secular baptismal font: universities.
Then an idea struck.
My professor literally cut me off during my presentation and told me it was over, that I couldn’t proceed. He later informed me that I was no longer welcome in the course because of proselytizing.
Here’s the backstory. My professor had been teaching on myth for about six weeks, listing Jesus among them. So after he assigned a project in which students were free to present on virtually anything, I made my move with “when myth became fact, the fulfillment of Messianic Bible prophecy.”
Next I received an “F” for proselytizing. I called a lawyer, met with the college president to notify him that a legal letter was on its way, then waited to see who would flinch first. He persuaded the professor to let me back in the classroom so long as I would shut up.
I wish I could say things got better after that. But they got much worse.
Universities claim to prize diversity and inclusivity. But this means little more than a fixation with certain skin pigment and private parts. It doesn’t include viewpoint diversity—at least not if it is a conservative Christian perspective.
Fast forward several years. I was completing a time working in pastoral ministry with high school and college students. I was sick of seeing my students fall away from their faith whenever they’d attend the secular baptismal font: universities.
Then an idea struck.
Male student takes stand against ‘toxic masculinity’ narrative
Jermelle MacLeod is a man, and he’s not going to apologize for it.
The San Diego State University freshman and budding philosopher recently took to the pages of the campus newspaper The Daily Aztec and let the world know what he thinks of the term “toxic masculinity” and those who wield it.
“Toxic masculinity doesn’t exist,” he wrote in his op-ed. “Traits that one person considers toxic, may not be to another person; the entire phrase is based on a subjective scale with absolutely no objective ground and is used as a shaming tactic for ‘modern feminists’ and anybody else buying into their horrible rhetoric.”
“For example, one person may like the typical ‘alpha male,’” MacLeod wrote. “Confident, loud, powerful, buff, etc. But another person may find those traits unlikeable, and so they’ll brand that male as ‘toxic’ because ‘toxic masculinity’ is a catch-all term for any traits a man has that are considered unlikeable or ‘overly masculine.’”
“ … The problem is, by shaming men on a completely subjective scale, you intimidate, which is exactly what the left and most ‘feminists’ want, they want to intimidate the men that go against the grain and reject the weak and feminized version of men you see portrayed everywhere.
More here
The San Diego State University freshman and budding philosopher recently took to the pages of the campus newspaper The Daily Aztec and let the world know what he thinks of the term “toxic masculinity” and those who wield it.
“Toxic masculinity doesn’t exist,” he wrote in his op-ed. “Traits that one person considers toxic, may not be to another person; the entire phrase is based on a subjective scale with absolutely no objective ground and is used as a shaming tactic for ‘modern feminists’ and anybody else buying into their horrible rhetoric.”
“For example, one person may like the typical ‘alpha male,’” MacLeod wrote. “Confident, loud, powerful, buff, etc. But another person may find those traits unlikeable, and so they’ll brand that male as ‘toxic’ because ‘toxic masculinity’ is a catch-all term for any traits a man has that are considered unlikeable or ‘overly masculine.’”
“ … The problem is, by shaming men on a completely subjective scale, you intimidate, which is exactly what the left and most ‘feminists’ want, they want to intimidate the men that go against the grain and reject the weak and feminized version of men you see portrayed everywhere.
More here
What Is Mitt Romney Doing in the Senate?
Mitt Romney’s biggest accomplishment was moving into his office last month.
On Sunday, Willard Mitt Romney visited CNN to praise Rep. Justin Amash’s call for President Trump’s impeachment as “courageous”. He also claimed that it’s “way too early” to support Trump.
The Senator from Utah then claimed that, "the president has distanced himself from some of the best qualities of the human character.”
It’s never “way too early” for Mitt Romney to rise to the heights of moral condescension based on stunning accomplishments of character such as stabbing conservatives in the back.
Perhaps, Mitt could delight and entertain us with his own show of “the best qualities of the human character”, at the best dinner theater in the D.C. area followed by a juggling act.
Or, more relevantly, who cares what Romney thinks?
Romney is a 71-year-old freshman senator. He’s one of 9 Senate freshmen. None of whom, even the Democrats, get a fraction of the coverage, the platforms and the attention that the famous failure does.
Before this year, the last time Romney held elected office was in 2007. Twelve years ago.
Since then he lost two elections, one to McCain and one to Obama, burning through half-a-billion dollars, before heading to Utah and out-spending his opponent 5-1 on a Senate race he couldn’t lose.
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On Sunday, Willard Mitt Romney visited CNN to praise Rep. Justin Amash’s call for President Trump’s impeachment as “courageous”. He also claimed that it’s “way too early” to support Trump.
The Senator from Utah then claimed that, "the president has distanced himself from some of the best qualities of the human character.”
It’s never “way too early” for Mitt Romney to rise to the heights of moral condescension based on stunning accomplishments of character such as stabbing conservatives in the back.
Perhaps, Mitt could delight and entertain us with his own show of “the best qualities of the human character”, at the best dinner theater in the D.C. area followed by a juggling act.
Or, more relevantly, who cares what Romney thinks?
Romney is a 71-year-old freshman senator. He’s one of 9 Senate freshmen. None of whom, even the Democrats, get a fraction of the coverage, the platforms and the attention that the famous failure does.
Before this year, the last time Romney held elected office was in 2007. Twelve years ago.
Since then he lost two elections, one to McCain and one to Obama, burning through half-a-billion dollars, before heading to Utah and out-spending his opponent 5-1 on a Senate race he couldn’t lose.
More
Comey Was a Commie?
In college, I was left of center,” explained James Comey in an interview with New York magazine, “and through a gradual process I found myself more comfortable with a lot of the ideas and approaches the Republicans were using.” Comey voted for Jimmy Carter in 1980, but says that four years later, in 1984, “I voted for Reagan — I’d moved from Communist to whatever I am now. I’m not even sure how to characterize myself politically. Maybe at some point, I’ll have to figure it out.”
Comey was once a communist. And look deeper at his statement: “I’d moved from Communist to whatever I am now. I’m not even sure how to characterize myself politically. Maybe at some point, I’ll have to figure it out.”
Which leaves us wondering if James Comey has yet figured it out.
Kudos to Tyler Durden of Zero Hedge for unearthing this gem from an interview Comey gave to New York magazine back in 2003 when he first arrived in Washington.
This odd blast from Comey’s past explains some things. While somewhat surprising, it actually makes sense, because James Comey is politically puzzling. You can’t quite figure him out, and apparently neither can he. He’s hard to pin down politically, to take seriously. He’s sort of a political-ideological enigma, a jester (clown seems too harsh). This weird communist statement is kind of instructive.
Granted, James Comey did full penance in 1984 by swinging all the way to the other side and voting for Reagan. He was far from alone. I could rattle off names of individuals who were once communists but by 1984 joined the rest of respectable America in voting for Reagan. Sources as diverse of David Horowitz, Marvin Olasky, Ron Radosh, Joseph Farah, even Father Robert Sirico, among others, were far left but eventually became Reagan conservatives.
And yet, as Tyler Durden notes, the same can’t be said of John Brennan, the Obama CIA director who around this same time voted for the Communist Party presidential ticket of Gus Hall and Angela Davis and has remained on the left ever since. Brennan admitted publicly, in September 2016, that when he took his polygraph test for the CIA in 1980, he had already cast a ballot for Gus Hall as president of the United States. Hall was a stooge of the Kremlin, a shameless lackey for Moscow, and he was John Brennan’s choice. Remarkably, Brennan even suggested he had been a member of the Communist Party. He recalled telling the polygrapher: “I said, ‘I’m not a member of the Communist Party,’ so the polygrapher looked at me and said, ‘OK,’ and when I was finished with the polygraph and I left and said, ‘Well, I’m screwed.’”
Busted, right? Apparently not.
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Comey was once a communist. And look deeper at his statement: “I’d moved from Communist to whatever I am now. I’m not even sure how to characterize myself politically. Maybe at some point, I’ll have to figure it out.”
Which leaves us wondering if James Comey has yet figured it out.
Kudos to Tyler Durden of Zero Hedge for unearthing this gem from an interview Comey gave to New York magazine back in 2003 when he first arrived in Washington.
This odd blast from Comey’s past explains some things. While somewhat surprising, it actually makes sense, because James Comey is politically puzzling. You can’t quite figure him out, and apparently neither can he. He’s hard to pin down politically, to take seriously. He’s sort of a political-ideological enigma, a jester (clown seems too harsh). This weird communist statement is kind of instructive.
Granted, James Comey did full penance in 1984 by swinging all the way to the other side and voting for Reagan. He was far from alone. I could rattle off names of individuals who were once communists but by 1984 joined the rest of respectable America in voting for Reagan. Sources as diverse of David Horowitz, Marvin Olasky, Ron Radosh, Joseph Farah, even Father Robert Sirico, among others, were far left but eventually became Reagan conservatives.
And yet, as Tyler Durden notes, the same can’t be said of John Brennan, the Obama CIA director who around this same time voted for the Communist Party presidential ticket of Gus Hall and Angela Davis and has remained on the left ever since. Brennan admitted publicly, in September 2016, that when he took his polygraph test for the CIA in 1980, he had already cast a ballot for Gus Hall as president of the United States. Hall was a stooge of the Kremlin, a shameless lackey for Moscow, and he was John Brennan’s choice. Remarkably, Brennan even suggested he had been a member of the Communist Party. He recalled telling the polygrapher: “I said, ‘I’m not a member of the Communist Party,’ so the polygrapher looked at me and said, ‘OK,’ and when I was finished with the polygraph and I left and said, ‘Well, I’m screwed.’”
Busted, right? Apparently not.
More
The frontline effects of the open border don’t stay at the border. They’re all around DC
What happens at the border doesn’t stay at the border. Elite East Coast politicians might not care about Arizona ranchers, but 95 percent of illegal immigrants traipsing through the ranchers’ land don’t stay in Arizona. Most of them go to the East Coast. The hardest-hit areas? Right around the nation’s capital.
Fredrick, Maryland, used to be a quiet town that was shielded from the crime problems plaguing the Baltimore-Washington metro area for years. Sitting at the foothills in the mountainous western part of the state, it was a sort of asylum for those who wanted to escape the Baltimore-area problems when I was growing up in central Maryland. Now, it is a hotbed for MS-13 activity, thanks to our open border.
Late last week, the Washington, D.C., medical examiner confirmed the identity of the mutilated body found near the Potomac River inside the nation’s capital. It was that of Eberson Guerra-Sanchez, a 16-year-old student at Tuscarora High School in Frederick. Police suspect this was an MS-13 killing because the area was marked with the gang’s colors, but the search for the killers is still ongoing. This coincides with last week’s gang-style butchering of a 14-year-old girl with a bat and a machete in Prince George’s County, a suburb on the other side of D.C., allegedly by illegal aliens who were recipients of catch-and-release and shielded by a sanctuary government.
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Fredrick, Maryland, used to be a quiet town that was shielded from the crime problems plaguing the Baltimore-Washington metro area for years. Sitting at the foothills in the mountainous western part of the state, it was a sort of asylum for those who wanted to escape the Baltimore-area problems when I was growing up in central Maryland. Now, it is a hotbed for MS-13 activity, thanks to our open border.
Late last week, the Washington, D.C., medical examiner confirmed the identity of the mutilated body found near the Potomac River inside the nation’s capital. It was that of Eberson Guerra-Sanchez, a 16-year-old student at Tuscarora High School in Frederick. Police suspect this was an MS-13 killing because the area was marked with the gang’s colors, but the search for the killers is still ongoing. This coincides with last week’s gang-style butchering of a 14-year-old girl with a bat and a machete in Prince George’s County, a suburb on the other side of D.C., allegedly by illegal aliens who were recipients of catch-and-release and shielded by a sanctuary government.
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Rich people problems
The man in the video has since made a facebook page in case you want to visit it.
Now Joyce has lots of people visiting her and "her" water https://www.facebook.com/fishjoycesdock/
DHS Releases 7.9K Illegal Aliens into U.S. in 8 Days; 185K Released in 5 Months
President Trump’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released about 7,900 border crossers and illegal aliens into the United States in the past eight days, federal data confirms.
Catch and Release totals obtained by Breitbart News reveal that between May 14 and May 21, DHS has released about 7,900 border crossers and illegal aliens into the interior of the U.S. This indicates that about 1,000 border crossers and illegal aliens were released every day over the past week by federal officials.
The catch and release process often entails federal immigration officials busing border crossers into nearby border cities and dropping them off with the hope that they show up for their immigration and asylum hearings. The overwhelming majority of border crossers and illegal aliens are never deported from the country once they are released into the U.S.
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Catch and Release totals obtained by Breitbart News reveal that between May 14 and May 21, DHS has released about 7,900 border crossers and illegal aliens into the interior of the U.S. This indicates that about 1,000 border crossers and illegal aliens were released every day over the past week by federal officials.
The catch and release process often entails federal immigration officials busing border crossers into nearby border cities and dropping them off with the hope that they show up for their immigration and asylum hearings. The overwhelming majority of border crossers and illegal aliens are never deported from the country once they are released into the U.S.
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Report: Missing Maryland woman who went on hike several weeks ago in Hawaii found alive
MAUI, Hawaii (FOX 5 DC) - A 35-year-old Maryland woman who went missing after going on a hike in Hawaii several weeks ago has reportedly been found alive.
According to the Findamanda Facebook page and a family friend, Amanda Eller was found injured in the forest Friday. Her family says she was found by their own search team captains who were in a helicopter searching the general area when she spotted them and waved them down.
Eller's family says she was "deep in a creek bed between two waterfalls." She is now "doing great" and even talked to her dad from the evacuation helicopter.
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According to the Findamanda Facebook page and a family friend, Amanda Eller was found injured in the forest Friday. Her family says she was found by their own search team captains who were in a helicopter searching the general area when she spotted them and waved them down.
Eller's family says she was "deep in a creek bed between two waterfalls." She is now "doing great" and even talked to her dad from the evacuation helicopter.
More
Attorney General Frosh Joins Coalition Calling for Automatic Discharges of Student Loans for Totally and Permanently Disabled Veterans
BALTIMORE, MD – Maryland Attorney General Brian E. Frosh today joined a total of 52 attorneys general in urging the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) to automatically forgive the student loans of veterans who became totally and permanently disabled due to their military service. The bipartisan coalition issued its letter as the country prepares to honor fallen troops on Memorial Day.
Last year DOE identified more than 42,000 veterans as eligible for student loan relief due to a service-related total and permanent disability, the attorneys general note in their letter to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. Fewer than 9,000 of those veterans had applied to have their loans discharged by April 2018, however, and more than 25,000 had student loans in default.
The letter calls on DOE to develop a process to automatically discharge the student loans of veterans determined by the Department of Veterans Affairs to be eligible for such relief. While the automatic discharge process is in development, the letter proposes, DOE should halt debt collection efforts targeting disabled veterans, and clear their credit reports of any negative reporting related to their student loans.
Last year DOE identified more than 42,000 veterans as eligible for student loan relief due to a service-related total and permanent disability, the attorneys general note in their letter to Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos. Fewer than 9,000 of those veterans had applied to have their loans discharged by April 2018, however, and more than 25,000 had student loans in default.
The letter calls on DOE to develop a process to automatically discharge the student loans of veterans determined by the Department of Veterans Affairs to be eligible for such relief. While the automatic discharge process is in development, the letter proposes, DOE should halt debt collection efforts targeting disabled veterans, and clear their credit reports of any negative reporting related to their student loans.
Flag Status Alert: United States Flag and Maryland Flag Are at Half-Staff
President Donald Trump has ordered the United States Flag be flown at half-staff from sunrise until NOON on Memorial Day, Monday, May 27, 2019. This is in honor and memory of the patriots who have laid down their lives in defense of our country. As a matter of protocol, the Maryland flag is lowered to half-staff. No flag may fly higher than the United States flag.
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