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Title: The Patriot Post Digest 3-26-2018 Post by: nChrist on March 26, 2018, 04:39:53 PM ________________________________________ The Patriot Post Digest 3-26-2018 From The Federalist Patriot Free Email Subscription (http://patriotpost.us/subscription/new) ________________________________________ The Patriot Post® · Mid-Day Digest Mar. 26, 2018 · https://patriotpost.us/digests/54969-mid-day-digest IN TODAY’S EDITION The March for Our Lives put uninformed emotion above facts and reason. Trump’s transgender troop plan aims to strike a workable compromise. Are poor blacks poor because of racism? The New York Times says so. A tale of two shootings provides a window into the priorities of the anti-gun Left. Teachers unions oppose arming teachers; State Dept. adoption regulations, and more. Plus our Daily Features: Top Headlines, Memes, Cartoons, Columnists and Short Cuts. THE FOUNDATION “Liberty, the greatest of all earthly blessings — give us that precious jewel, and you may take every things else! Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect every one who approaches that jewel.” —Patrick Henry (1788.) IN BRIEF Political Pawns Ignorantly March Against Gun Rights1 By Thomas Gallatin Ignorance of the unknown can be easily manipulated into fearing the unknown. A display of this all-too-common scenario was on full display over the weekend in Washington, DC, where thousands of folks descended in an emotive and illiterate display of anti-firearms virtue-signaling. This protest of gun rights was ironically dubbed the “March for Our Lives.” Organizers touted the crowd as being upwards of 800,000, but in reality it was just over 200,0002. Note that DC is 95% Democrat and the surrounding suburbs share similar percentages. Consequently, any leftist confab can draw hundreds of thousands of Demo government-dependents, either because they or a member of their household is employed by a bureaucracy or because they are boondoggle contractors, all of whom live in or near the Swamp. So turnout for such rallies is not at all representative of the sentiments of our nation, though the optics certainly imply that, as portrayed by the Leftmedia. And what was the message? Well, to put it simply, the right to feel safe trumps an individual’s Second Amendment right to be safe. Democrats and the mainstream media touted3 the “courage” and “leadership” of these young Americans, using the backdrop of the Parkland, Florida, atrocity to suggest that students understand the “gun issue” better than the average adult. Though many of the marchers were highly emotive but well-intentioned4, their benign indifference to (and abject ignorance of) Liberty and its most foundational assurances is undermining their fundamental rights. But they won’t recognize that until those liberties are lost. The leftists at the helm of the Democrat Party have based the achievement of their statist objectives in such ignorance, which they have institutionalized in the government schools — the pool from whence came many of the march’s attendees. Why don’t students know what an “assault weapon” is5? Why don’t they know why the Constitution protects the God-given right to bear arms? Because they are not taught; they are indoctrinated. The truth is this march was part of an organized and orchestrated effort by wealthy leftists, who, by appealing to emotions over facts, press their statist agenda. These students are simply being used as pawns in a culture war that aims to convince Americans their Second Amendment rights are the root of the problem, causing violence and crime, rather than the palladium of Liberty6. Students are not being taught the true value of the right to bear arms. Instead, they are being taught to view the Second Amendment as a flawed ethic that the Founding Fathers got wrong and that needs to be eliminated. Clearly, as Mark Alexander notes, “Our nation has reached the pinnacle of privilege when some citizens have become so ignorant and complacent that they want rights taken away.” Trump Chooses Readiness for Real War Over Culture War7 By Harold Hutchison Lost in all the screaming, pearl-clutching and whining over the crap-sandwich omnibus8, which President Donald Trump told the American people was a crap sandwich before signing it, was the fact that Trump also made a big decision on military readiness. He issued a new directive9 in line with recommendations made by Secretary of Defense James Mattis. The gist of the policy is that those who have undergone gender-reassignment surgery are disqualified from serving, as are those who are transitioning. Some service members are being grandfathered in, but they have to meet deployability standards. Those diagnosed with gender dysphoria can serve, provided they show three years of medical stability. First of all, many Americans — including at least two of your Patriot Post team members — are what might be called “involuntary civilians” due to medical issues or history. There’s a whole list of disqualifying medical conditions available at Military.com10. Now compare the sex-transition process as described by Buzzfeed11 (not exactly a conservative bastion) or WebMD12 (generally non-political) to a couple of prescriptions for inflammatory bowel disease (a disqualifier for enlistment), having a hernia, or poor vision (which wiped out the military career of one Tom Clancy and kept Ronald Reagan stateside in World War II). WebMD describes some very major surgical procedures in the sex-transition process. These are only “necessary” because of a serious mental condition called gender dysphoria, and that’s not to mention a high likelihood of suffering post-surgery anxiety or depression, as well as physical complications arising from the reassignment surgery. After reading those sites, ask yourself this question: Would I consider someone going through that process as being able to deploy to Iraq or Afghanistan for a year? The top consideration for the United State military is to have personnel ready for combat. There are already other worrying signs that some standards are being loosened13, including a Marine Corps decision that completing the combat endurance test would not be a graduation requirement (one a few dozen women failed to complete) for the Infantry Officer’s Course. If someone is medically unable to deploy for a length of time, then another person must go in their place. Here’s a dirty little secret about the military: Its main purpose isn’t to “reflect America,” or to advance social acceptance of certain favored leftist traits; it’s to defend this country. That is accomplished by killing the bad guys, and breaking (or taking) their stuff, preferably in a manner that convinces other would-be bad actors on the international scene to not do anything to threaten America. Title: The Patriot Post Digest 3-26-2018 Post by: nChrist on March 26, 2018, 04:40:56 PM ________________________________________ The Patriot Post Digest 3-26-2018 From The Federalist Patriot Free Email Subscription (http://patriotpost.us/subscription/new) ________________________________________ Again, some on The Patriot Post team have felt the pain of being told we can’t serve our country. None of us, however, really understand what going through gender dysphoria is like. The new military guidelines, though, seem to strike a reasonable balance. Those with gender dysphoria should be able to serve, but if it reaches the point where the transition process must be started, then the best option is to grant them a medical discharge, and if they have served honorably, cover the costs of the process. After all, they did volunteer to lay down their lives for this country. What must not happen is for the military to become the vehicle to pay for the transitions of all comers. Top Headlines14 March for Our Lives: Gun control ideas sound good, but are deeply flawed and won’t save lives (Fox News15) Rapper who performed at March for Our Lives was arrested for gun-related crime last year (The Blaze16) Narrative fail: Tons of “good guys with guns” protecting March for Our Lives gun control rally (The Daily Wire17) Trump to expel dozens of Russians over UK poisoning (The Hill18.) Lawyers decline Trump legal team invite (AFP19) Trump threatens to veto, then signs, “ridiculous” spending bill8 (The Daily Signal20) U.S., China quietly seek trade solutions after days of loud threats (The Wall Street Journal21) Report: Governments increasingly use counterterrorism laws as means to curb human rights (The Washington Free Beacon22) Overhaul of U.S. telecoms database sparks fear of catastrophic failure (The Washington Free Beacon23) Humor: U.S. military announces plan to consolidate all wars into final, epic battle (The Onion24) Policy: Sons of divorce, school shooters (Institute for Family Studies25) Policy: Pruitt leads the way on regulatory rollback (Real Clear Policy26) For more of today’s news, visit Patriot Headline Report27. FEATURED ANALYSIS NYT Links Poverty to Racism28 By Robin Smith Headlines — be careful how you allow them to frame a piece of news. Last week, The New York Times published an analysis topped by the headline declaration, “Extensive Data Shows Punishing Reach of Racism for Black Boys29.” Based on this headline and the first few sentences of the piece, the March 19 article written by four contributors successfully posits that black males — even those raised in wealthy homes — are more likely to be poor as adults, largely because of racism. But if you were to read the actual study, “Race and Economic Opportunity in the United States: An Intergenerational Perspective30,” suddenly you see that, to serve its race narrative, the Times selectively plucked a few details from a very complex research document that made numerous observations. Before we break this down, let’s make sure we all use the actual definition of racism. Merriam-Webster defines the term as “a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race.” So, using this term but twisting the definition, the Times tells readers that the societal construct created by the oppression of a white majority is the cause of black men being most likely, among the demographics studied, to become poor as adults. If the Times’ reporters had chosen to print all the findings of the 106-page study — a retrospective analysis covering 26 years conducted by Stanford University, Harvard and the U.S. Census Bureau — rather than isolate a few items in order to mislead, a bit more trust could exist in the dying profession of journalism. Let’s compare a few statements by the Gray Lady’s quartet to the actual data from the study. Both the NYT article and the research study record that the income mobility, or the ability of an individual to improve her economic status, is not very different between white females and black females. Simply, as adults, females of all races and ethnicity demonstrate the ability to increase their incomes and improve their economic status. But, as hypothesized by the Times, black men become poor because of racism when looking back from 2015 to 1989: “Even when children grow up next to each other with parents who earn similar incomes, black boys fare worse than white boys in 99 percent of America. And the gaps only worsen in the kind of neighborhoods that promise low poverty and good schools.” In several references within the actual research, the role or lack of a father figure is documented. For example, it states, “Less than 5% of black children currently grow up in areas with a poverty rate below 10% and more than half of black fathers present.” How does that compare to whites? The actual study reports, “In contrast, 63% of white children live in areas with poverty rates below 10% and more than half of white fathers present.” The study observes, “One mechanical explanation for black-white gaps in household income is that blacks marry at much lower rates than whites, leading to lower levels of household income simply because they tend to have one rather than two earners in their families.” It continues later in the introduction to note of the comparison between white and black males, “Among low-poverty neighborhoods (those with poverty rates below 10%), there are two factors that are strongly associated with better outcomes for black men and smaller black-white gaps: low levels of racial bias among whites and high rates of father presence among blacks.” The academic research with maps, charts, appendices and a hefty bibliography makes this statement: “We conclude that neighborhoods with low poverty rates, high rates of father presence among blacks, and low levels of racial bias among whites have better outcomes for black boys and smaller racial gaps. But very few black children currently grow up in such environments.” Does racism still exist? Sadly, yes. But does racism cause the low rate of marriage in the black community? Does racism create entire neighborhoods with few father figures? Just as racism has no causal impact on the number of marriages in the minority community, marriage is not a function of race. Racism didn’t make marriage unnecessary. “Great Society31” welfare did. In 2017, 77% of black children were born to mothers without a husband. Contrast that to 30% of births of white children to moms outside of marriage. And, no, it’s not just black children on welfare. But, regardless of race, a working father isn’t necessary when there’s SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program) or WIC (Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants & Children), just to name a few of the 80-plus income-redistribution programs. As Dr. Thomas Sowell, the economist and senior fellow at Stanford’s Hoover Institute, has written for decades, “A vastly expanded welfare state in the 1960s destroyed the black family, which had survived centuries of slavery and generations of racial oppression.” In his 2016 analysis, “‘Favors’ to Blacks32,” the black conservative wrote, “In 1960, before this expansion of the welfare state, 22 percent of black children were raised with only one parent. By 1985, 67 percent of black children were raised with either one parent or no parent.” Again, it’s far higher today. Title: The Patriot Post Digest 3-26-2018 Post by: nChrist on March 26, 2018, 04:42:00 PM ________________________________________ The Patriot Post Digest 3-26-2018 From The Federalist Patriot Free Email Subscription (http://patriotpost.us/subscription/new) ________________________________________ Yes, racism contributed to the perverted role of government that ensnares individuals and destroys families with the lure of services that create a permanent underclass and generations of dependency. But it was Democrat racism like that of Lyndon B. Johnson, who said of his “Great Society” programs, “I’ll have those n—ers voting Democratic for the next 200 years.” There are many factors that contribute to the state of poverty, one of which is the composition of the family unit. Until Americans restore the value of marriage and an intact family, don’t expect much progress on poverty, sexual abuse, “gun violence” or a whole host of other societal ills — regardless of your race and gender. MORE ANALYSIS FROM THE PATRIOT POST Two School Shootings, One Media Narrative35 — A tale of two school shootings, one in Florida and the other in Maryland, is highly instructive. Teachers Reject Real-World Solutions, Favor the Impractical36 — Polls say a majority of Americans believe gun ownership makes them safer, while a majority of teachers disagree. State Dept. Regulations Make International Adoption Harder37 — Children will not otherwise simply grow up happily ever after in their home countries. Video: Protesters Can’t Define ‘Assault Rifle’5 — These kids know they want to ban guns, but they have no idea what those guns are. Video: Get Serious About School Safety38 — School safety is too complex an issue to be solved by these two little words: “ban guns.” Video: The ‘Overheated’ Costs of Climate Change39 — Oren Cass joins John Stossel to discuss the Paris Climate Agreement and climate “catastrophists.” BEST OF RIGHT OPINION Ken Blackwell: Citizenship Matters40 Burt Prelutsky: The Wit and Wisdom of Winston41 Gary Bauer: National Security First42 Tony Perkins: Omnibusiness as Usual43 Peggy Noonan: Deliverance From Hillary Clinton44 For more of today’s columns, visit Right Opinion45. OPINION IN BRIEF Ken Blackwell: “Becoming a U.S. citizen is an honor, something people all over the world desire. And citizenship is important precisely because it brings full participation in U.S. society. Once you become a citizen — but only then — can you help decide what America is and will become. So, naturally, only citizens should vote. But, sadly, today that idea offends many Democrats, who see themselves as citizens of the world. To them it’s not a problem if you come to America illegally. And not a problem if you vote illegally. … Even small numbers of improper votes can have significant impacts. President Donald Trump carried the states of Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin by especially narrow margins — just .3 percent and 12,000 votes in the first. In Virginia, one (yes, one) vote determined the outcome of a delegate contest last November, which in turn determined control of the entire legislative body. The obvious solution is to require proof of citizenship to register to vote. Naturally, the Left calls such a requirement ‘onerous.’ … Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty, Thomas Jefferson told us. It also is the only defense for free elections.” SHORT CUTS The Gipper: “A government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth.” Say what? “I would say we have majority support [on college campuses]. I think [leftist support among students is] highly overblown.” —Donald Trump Anti-capitalist screed: “I wasn’t joking about having a maximum wage. Why shouldn’t there be a maximum wage? … If we say your incalculable greed is not acceptable, we get called communists. Why not call them what they are, which is avaricious and greedy?” —DNC Deputy Chairman Keith Ellison Missing the forest for the trees: “It is clear we have a problem with the gun laws in this country. They are not squarely focused on keeping all of us safe — especially our children. … This issue transcends our company’s bottom line.” —Dick’s Sporting Goods Chief Executive Edward W. Stack Irony alert: “It’s unnecessary, it’s embarrassing for a lot of the students … [that] they’re having essentially their First Amendment rights infringed upon because they can’t freely wear whatever backpack they want regardless of what it is. It has to be a clear backpack.” —anti-gun grandstander David Hogg, who wants Americans’ Second Amendment rights infringed upon Braying Jackass: “‘Lack of candor.’ That’s one of the reasons that Attorney General Jeff Sessions used to justify his decision to fire former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe last week, just two days before Mr. McCabe was set to retire from a distinguished 21-year career with the Bureau. Ironic, because, as you may recall, Jeff Sessions has repeatedly demonstrated a lack of candor — under oath — about his own interactions with Russians.” —former Sen. Al Franken Non Compos Mentis: “The unwritten rule that women are emotional creatures is not natural; it is a carefully constructed social performance. As such, women’s subjectivities are constructed through the repetition of performing emotional labor. … Given the additional work that is expected of us from students, colleagues, and administrators, we must make arguments for compensation.” —University of San Francisco professor Brandi Lawless And last… “Most people are going to find Stormy Daniels credible, but the effort to make it into a big campaign finance/criminal story will be a fizzle.” —Rich Lowry Join us in daily prayer for our Patriots in uniform — Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen — standing in harm’s way in defense of Liberty, and for their families. We also humbly ask prayer for your Patriot team, that our mission would seed and encourage the spirit of Liberty in the hearts and minds of our countrymen. Semper Vigilans Fortis Paratus et Fidelis Nate Jackson, Managing Editor Mark Alexander, Publisher |