The Patriot Post Digest 9-13-2017

________________________________________
The Patriot Post Digest 9-13-2017
From The Federalist Patriot
Free Email Subscription
________________________________________

The Patriot Post® · Mid-Day Digest

Sep. 13, 2017 · https://patriotpost.us/digests/51264

IN TODAY’S EDITION

While ESPN fired a conservative for political speech, a leftist gets a reprimand.
Hillary Clinton says women who didn’t vote for her are basically gender traitors.
Faith groups outperform the government when it comes to providing disaster relief.
Daily Features: Top Headlines, Cartoons, Columnists and Short Cuts.

THE FOUNDATION

“Nothing is more certain than that a general profligacy and corruption of manners make a people ripe for destruction.” —John Witherspoon (1776)

IN BRIEF

ESPN — The Entertainment Sports Political Network?1

By Mark Alexander

Over the last couple of years, the Entertainment Sports Programing Network (ESPN) has joined the NFL in a precipitous ratings slide, because some arrogant members of both teams have endeavored to inject politics into sports2. ESPN has fired more than 100 personnel to offset losses in advertising revenues, and it’s preparing to fire 100 more. In a recent example of ESPN’s politically correct absurdity, it removed a sports announcer named “Robert Lee” because he might offend racial sensitivities3 in the wake of the Charlottesville riot4. Lee is an American of Asian descent.

This week, on the anniversary of the 9/11 Islamist attack5 on our nation, another ESPN talkinghead, Jemele Hill, a co-host of SportsCenter, went on a social media Trump Derangement Syndrome rampage.

According to Jemele:

Donald Trump is a white supremacist who has largely surrounded himself w/ other white supremacists. The height of white privilege is being able to ignore his white supremacy, because it’s of no threat to you. Well, it’s a threat to me. Trump is the most ignorant, offensive president of my lifetime. His rise is a direct result of white supremacy. Period. He has surrounded himself with white supremacists — no they are not “alt right” — and you want me to believe he isn’t a white supremacist? No the media doesn’t make it a threat. It IS a threat. He has empowered white supremacists (see: Charlottesville). He is unqualified and unfit to be president. He is not a leader. And if he were not white, he never would have been elected. Donald Trump is a bigot. Glad you could live with voting for him. I couldn’t, because I cared about more than just myself.

Recall that former ESPN commentator and Hall of Fame pitcher Curt Schilling was fired for sharing a Patriot Post meme6 on social media. Well, ESPN issued Hill nothing more than a mild reprimand, noting: “The comments on Twitter from Jemele Hill regarding the President do not represent the position of ESPN. We have addressed this with Jemele and she recognizes her actions were inappropriate.” Sure, right. No wonder another ESPN anchor, Linda Cohn, admitted in April that infusing politics into sports is “definitely a percentage7” of ESPN’s problem. A high percentage.

The day before Hill’s outburst, we credited the Cleveland Browns8 for “seeing the ratings light,” as all team members stood for our national anthem, after some had been taking a knee in a pathetic anti-American protest. If the rest of the league, and its promoters at ESPN, see the same light in time, they may able to salvage their ratings slide — but it may be too little too late.

No Absolution for Women Who Didn’t Vote Democrat?9

Hillary Clinton seems bound and determined to remind everyone just how unlikable of a person she is. As she has recently been making the rounds touting her new book “What Happened,” Hillary is making sure that everyone knows that it was not her fault10 that she lost the election.

Among her long list of targets subjected to blame are, ironically, women — specifically women who failed to vote for her. This latest revelation comes from a cringe-worthy passage in her book.

On one occasion, an older woman dragged her adult daughter by the arm to come talk to me and ordered her to apologize for not voting — which she did, head bowed in contrition. I wanted to stare right in her eyes and say, “You didn’t vote? How could you not vote?! You abdicated your responsibility as a citizen at the worst possible time! And now you want me to make you feel better?” Of course, I didn’t say any of that.

These people were looking for absolution that I just couldn’t give. We all have to live with the consequences of our decisions.

Clinton is, of course, once again referencing that tired old Democrat playbook of identity politics, trotted out like it’s the gospel truth. Hillary’s message to women11 is simple: If you didn’t vote for me, then you are an idiot and your commitment to womanhood deserves to be questioned. Frankly, we’re amazed that this message resonates with so many women and minorities, but that’s why Democrats keep using it. Then again, a lot of women didn’t vote for her because of what a terrible candidate she really was. They weren’t idiots; they were smart.

It’s natural to feel a degree of sympathy for those who, after having given their best effort, failed to obtain their desired goal, like athletes failing to win the championship game. But that sympathy quickly sours if the losers blame everyone else for their defeat. No one likes a sore loser. Clinton, already highly unlikable, is so blinded by her own attitude of entitlement that she has decided to double down and expand her blame game. It’s getting so bad that even members of her own party are turning on her. One wonders if she is such a sore loser that she’ll drag down her own party out of spite. How does that proverb go about a woman scorned…?

Top Headlines12

Congress backs measure condemning white nationalists. When will it address antifa or black supremacists? (Associated Press13)

Black Lives Matter targets Jefferson statue at University of Virginia (Richmond Times-Dispatch14)

DOJ won’t bring charges against Baltimore officers in Freddie Gray case (The Baltimore Sun15)

Clinton State Department silenced contractors on Benghazi security lapses (Fox News16)

Clinton lawyers to be investigated over possible destruction of evidence (Hot Air17)

Supreme Court says Texas need not draw new districts now (The Washington Post18.)

Supreme Court preserves Trump travel ban’s refugee limits (The Washington Times19)

Seattle’s homosexual Democrat mayor resigns after fifth sexual abuse allegation (CNS News20)

Texas prof resigns from law firm after tweeting he’d be “ok” with DeVos sexual assault (Fox News21)

33% of Americans can’t name any of the three branches of government (Townhall22)

Policy: How Congress should clarify and expand the ACA’s state innovation waivers (Manhattan Institute23)

Policy: When high schools shaped America’s destiny (City Journal24)

For more, visit Patriot Headline Report25.

FEATURED ANALYSIS
Faith Groups Outperform FEMA in Disaster Relief26

By Louis DeBroux

After a dozen years without a major hurricane, the U.S. has been hit hard in recent weeks, getting rocked first by Hurricane Harvey in Texas, and then Hurricane Irma hitting Florida. In both cases, the storms destroyed thousands of homes and impacted millions of lives. And in both cases, ordinary Christians beat government to the scene to aid victims.

What the average American news consumer may not know is that faith-based relief groups have provided roughly 80% of the aid. Methodists, Presbyterians and other denominations sent out relief crews to help with cleanup after Harvey. Samaritan’s Purse, the Christian non-profit founded by the Reverend Franklin Graham, brought a convoy of trucks loaded with food, chainsaws and other goods. Seventh Day Adventists began dispersing bottled water, diapers, clothing and other supplies. Mormons have also gotten in on the act27, providing truckloads of water, hygiene kits and other relief supplies for the victims of Hurricane Harvey, as well as opening up their church buildings as command centers for coordination of relief efforts. They will also be sending in thousands of volunteers to help with the cleanup and recovery from these storms.

________________________________________
The Patriot Post Digest 9-13-2017
From The Federalist Patriot
Free Email Subscription
________________________________________

Beyond the U.S., Baptist volunteers28 are already on the ground in the Caribbean, assessing needs there.

That’s just scratching the surface.

It’s amazing to see churches and their volunteers already on site giving assistance before FEMA shows up. Many of these Christians are veterans of previous disaster relief efforts, able to assess needs and get to work without waiting on government bureaucrats for direction. Often times, FEMA plays a supporting role29 in the work the churches have begun. This is the essence of the American spirit, and of the Christian spirit — self-reliance and charity working hand in hand.

While the victims of these disasters rejoice at the sight of these Earth-bound angels come to provide assistance, not everyone is pleased at non-government-authorized charity. Some have sought to prohibit churches from receiving federal funds to aid in their disaster relief efforts.

As of now, FEMA guidelines prohibit federal aid from going to any institution that allocates more than half of its space to “religious programming,” which would obviously include virtually every church. This despite the fact that many of the same churches being denied federal funds have already opened up their facilities to victims of these disasters and as coordination centers for relief efforts. Several churches are suing30.

Last Friday, President Donald Trump tweeted the following message on the subject: “Churches in Texas should be entitled to reimbursement from FEMA Relief Funds for helping victims of Hurricane Harvey (just like others).”

(We’ll offer the caveat that churches should do and are doing what they can whether backed by the feds or not.)

Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) also highlighted the unfairness of targeting for discrimination31 the very religious organizations that are doing the most to alleviate suffering. “This policy discriminates against people of faith. It sends the message that communities of worship aren’t welcome to participate fully in public life,” he said. “It reduces the facilities and volunteers time, talent, and effort available to support the broader community. And it is inconsistent with the Supreme Court’s recent 7-2 ruling in Trinity Lutheran32. … In other words, it is unconstitutional. It is unreasonable. And it is impeding ongoing recovery efforts.”

Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, a militant secularist organization seeking to eradicate every last vestige of religion, and specifically Christianity, from American public life, has actually condemned allowing faith-based charities the same access to government resources that non-religious groups enjoy.

Barry Lynn, founder of the anti-religious group, made the following statement, stunning in its abject contempt for religion and its heartlessness toward the victims these Christian groups assist: “We know a lot of people in Texas are suffering, and we are sympathetic. But the fact that something bad has happened does not justify a second wrong. Taxpayers should not be forced to protect religious institutions that they don’t subscribe to.”

Not discriminating against religious groups providing critical aid to disaster victims is a “wrong”? Lynn’s is an outrageous statement worthy of condemnation.

The irony of the anti-religious secularists’ position is that they are not themselves willing to provide the same relief they seek to prevent churches from providing. As Arthur Brooks, respected social scientist and president of the American Enterprise Institute, points out regarding charitable giving in America, “Religious people are far more charitable than nonreligious people. In years of research, I have never found a measurable way in which secularists are more charitable than religious people.”

When seeing those in need, Christians act upon a moral imperative required by their religious beliefs, without thought of earthly reward. In the Christian faith, when we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, or give drink to the thirsty, we are serving Christ, for it was Christ himself who declared, “Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

MORE ANALYSIS FROM THE PATRIOT POST

Interpreting the DREAM33 — While Trump recognized the unconstitutionality of DACA, his plan isn’t as clear cut as first believed.
From ObamaCare to BailoutCare?34 — Congress can either pursue exchange bailouts or a state-managed ObamaCare structure.
Equifax — The Inherent Liability of Data Aggregation35 — The company was breached, exposing 143 million Americans, and they waited over a month to tell us.

BEST OF RIGHT OPINION

Joe Bastardi: The Absurdity of It All36
Byron York: Crime and Immigration: What’s in the Dream Act37
Walter Williams: We’re All to Blame38
Michelle Malkin: Never Forget: Muslim Hate Crime Hoaxes39

For more, visit Right Opinion40.

OPINION IN BRIEF

Walter Williams: “We cannot blame politicians for the spending that places our nation in peril. Politicians are doing precisely what the American people elect them to office to do — namely, use the power of their office to take the rightful property of other Americans and deliver it to them. It would be political suicide for a president or a congressman to argue as Madison did that Congress has no right to expend ‘on objects of benevolence’ the money of its constituents and that ‘charity is no part of the legislative duty of the government.’ It’s unreasonable of us to expect any politician to sabotage his career by living up to his oath of office to uphold and defend our Constitution. That means that if we are to save our nation from the economic and social chaos that awaits us, we the people must have a moral reawakening and eschew what is no less than legalized theft, the taking from one American for the benefit of another.”

SHORT CUTS

Insight: “The struggle is always between the individual and his sacred right to express himself and … the power structure that seeks conformity, suppression and obedience.” —Justice William O. Douglas (1898-1980)

For the record: “Hillary complained … that Trump stoked racial grievances and that ‘millions of white people’ were responsible for her loss. I’m not sure how choosing between two white candidates makes any voter a racist, but I should add that ‘millions of white people’ were also responsible for the presidency of Barack Obama!” —Gary Bauer

Political futures: “Imagine being so bitter about losing an election that you launch a publicity tour less than a year later to blame your loss on everyone but yourself. Imagine losing a winnable election to a massively unpopular candidate, and still refusing to concede that you made some glaringly obvious mistakes in the race. That dream is becoming a reality with Hillary Clinton’s newest campaign.” —Becket Adams

Delusions of grandeur: “If I had won, you know, I would have been seen as a genius; my campaign would have been seen as perfect.” —Hillary Clinton

Ouch: “[Clinton] might be the only Democrat who’s excited in Washington about [her new] book right now.” —Politico’s Rachael Bade

Alpha Jackass: “The 9/11 attacks were a horrific event in US history, but the election of Donald Trump will be seen as equally disastrous, if not more so.” —Little Green Footballs founder Charles Johnson

Non Compos Mentis, part I: “Anyone who believes that there’s no such thing as global warming must be blind or unintelligent.” —Stevie Wonder hijacking last night’s hurricane relief telethon

Non Compos Mentis, part II: “During a time when it’s impossible to watch the news without seeing violence or racism in this country, just when you think it couldn’t possibly be worse, natural disasters take precious life, do massive damage, and forever change lives. … The effects of climate change are playing out around the world every day.” —Beyoncé continuing the climate alarmism dogma

And last… “Much of the sales pitch for single payer relies upon amnesia about the grandiose promises of the ACA in 2009-2010.” —Jim Geraghty

Semper Vigilans Fortis Paratus et Fidelis
Managing Editor Nate Jackson

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.