The Patriot Post Digest 11-14-2017

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The Patriot Post Digest 11-14-2017
From The Federalist Patriot
Free Email Subscription
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The Patriot Post® · Mid-Day Digest

Nov. 14, 2017 · https://patriotpost.us/digests/52418

IN TODAY’S EDITION

FBI hate crime statistics are not exactly what the media wants you to believe.
GQ honors the wrong kneeler by giving “honor” to Colin Kaepernick.
Rising emissions provide more evidence the Paris climate deal is a farce.
The GOP’s real challenge isn’t retirements — it’s passing the agenda.
Plus our Daily Features: Top Headlines, Memes, Cartoons, Columnists and Short Cuts.

THE FOUNDATION

“It is the manners and spirit of a people which preserve a republic in vigor. A degeneracy in these is a canker which soon eats to the heart of its laws and constitution.” —Thomas Jefferson (1781)

IN BRIEF

Hate Crimes Data: Similar Numbers, Different Percentages1

With the mainstream media blaming Donald Trump for promoting hatred and all the talk of America being a society steeped in “white privilege” and racist nationalism, one might expect to see hate crime statistics support such claims. The FBI has released its “hate crimes2” data for the year 2016. Now, as we have argued in the past, the designation of “hate crime” injects a rather subjective standard into motivating factors for crime and it’s often used to artificially increase the level of guilt beyond the actual criminal act. Moreover, leftist social justice warriors love to implicate the criminal’s entire social, religious or racial group, so long as it’s white or Christian. But for the sake of argument, let’s accept the FBI’s designation and look at some things.

According to the data, over the past decade the total number of reported hate crimes has changed very little, with anti-black crimes remaining the highest reported percentage at 50.2%. However, over that same period there has been a significant shift in the percentage of white offenders. In 2007 — before the Age of Hope ‘n’ Change™ — nearly 63% of all known offenders were white; by 2016 and the rise of that big “hater” Donald Trump, that percentage had dropped to 46.3%. And while the percentage of white offenders has decreased, the percentage of anti-white crime saw an increase in 2016 to 20.5%, the highest level recorded since 2006.

It’s not surprising to see an uptick in the number of anti-white hate crimes, since those who have been widely demonized by politically motivated leftists will tend to see a greater backlash against them by other groups who feel newly justified in their anger.

Finally, one interesting stat not noted by the FBI were the number of crimes committed against politicians, particularly of the Republican variety. With all the rhetoric about Trump and Republicans supposedly fomenting hatred, it was Republicans who were violently attacked this past year, specifically when a Bernie Sanders-supporting leftist targeted and shot GOP House members3 practicing for a baseball game. And more recently there is Sen. Rand Paul, who is sporting six broken ribs after a blindside attack4 at the hands of his leftist neighbor. Are we the only ones detecting a pattern here?

GQ Honors the Wrong Kneeler5

GQ magazine named Colin Kaepernick its “citizen of the year” for his instigation6 last year of NFL kneeling protests. The magazine noted that Kaepernick refused to be interviewed for the cover article, explaining, “As his public identity has begun to shift from football star to embattled activist, he has grown wise to the power of his silence.” Seeking to suggest that Kaepernick is sacrificing himself for the cause, GQ quotes rapper J. Cole, who states, “Had [Kaepernick not taken a knee], this guy would be making millions of dollars right now. Period, point blank. And more important than the money, he was living his dream. He sacrificed his dream.” World’s smallest violin, please.

Ironic how little respect and honor Kaepernick was willing to show for those who literally sacrificed their very lives to ensure that pro football players and other celebrity athletes enjoy the freedom of being able to make millions of dollars doing what they love to do. If Kaepernick were truly concerned about sacrificing himself for the cause of others, he’d march down to the nearest military recruiter’s office and sign up to fight for Liberty.

In the meantime, Kaepernick may want to read up on famed abolitionist and escaped slave Frederick Douglass’ perspective on this nation Kaepernick so clearly despises. While Douglass was not shy about criticizing that “peculiar institution” of slavery, he encouraged black Americans to sign up with the Union to fight for freedom. He was also known to regularly play “The Star-Spangled Banner” on his violin, and in an 1871 speech at Arlington National Cemetery he said that “if the Star-Spangled Banner floats only over free American citizens in every quarter of the land, and our country has before it a long and glorious career of justice, liberty and civilization, we are indebted to the unselfish devotion of the noble army.”

The problem for leftists like Kaepernick and GQ is that they no longer believe, and may have never believed, that the United States of America is a noble nation that has consistently espoused and defended the ideals of justice and Liberty. So on the heels of Veterans Day7, GQ honored the wrong kneeler.

Top Headlines8

Woman says Roy Moore sexually assaulted her when she was 16 (National Review9)

McConnell and Ryan say Roy Moore should step aside (Associated Press10)

An unforgivable sin? Roy Moore’s Democrat challenger recently ran an ad praising the Confederate Army (Slate11)

Wave of judicial appointments fulfills Trump promise to focus on courts (The Washington Free Beacon12)

Sessions considering second special counsel to investigate Republican concerns, letter shows (The Washington Post13)

Islamophobia? Jews represented 54% of ALL hate crime victims In 2016 (The Daily Wire14)

Sen. Rand Paul returns to Capitol Hill after brutal attack (Fox News15)

Supreme Court will review California law requiring pro-life groups to promote abortion (The Daily Signal16)

FBI seeks Senate documents, signaling possible probe into sale of fetal tissue (The Hill17)

Menendez jurors say they are deadlocked; will resume deliberations Tuesday (NJ.com18.)

Policy: Handicapping the AT&T/Time Warner merger (American Enterprise Institute19)

Policy: Lebanon’s fall would be Iran’s gain (Pittsburgh Tribune Review20)

For more of today’s news, visit Patriot Headline Report21.

Thank You

As a Patriot Post reader, we know you stand alongside us in the mission to arm Americans with the right information and analysis that is so lacking in the mainstream media.

You, our readers, make this work possible.

We will continue to work hard for you. The rights our Founders fought for were not made secure overnight; and in the same spirit, we are in this for the long haul.

But to continue this critical work, we need your help.

Because there isn’t a special interest or parent organization financially backing us, our team of editors and staff depend entirely on the voluntary financial support22 of Patriots like you for our operations budget.

We have only a few more weeks to raise the remaining half of our annual budget. Please support The Patriot Post22 today.

On behalf of The Patriot Post editors and staff, thank you for standing with us. —Christy Chesterton, Director of Advancement

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The Patriot Post Digest 11-14-2017
From The Federalist Patriot
Free Email Subscription
________________________________________

FEATURED ANALYSIS
GOP’s Real Challenge Isn’t Retirements23

By Todd Johnson

Following last week’s election defeats in Virginia and New Jersey24, many members of the Republican Party are wondering if the results are a one-time anomaly or potentially a harbinger of things to come in next year’s congressional contests. And while it’s tempting to write off the results as being due to the particular candidates not performing well or the locations leaning Democrat, the Republican Party must do its due diligence moving forward. Republicans must examine the facts, identify key lessons learned, and then push to all future candidates salient advice so that the same errors are not made for next year’s elections.

And while many prognosticators and political pundits are quick to say that the Republican Party is in dire trouble — whether it’s the on-going Roy Moore saga in Alabama25 or President Donald Trump’s low approval ratings26 — the media is conveniently forgetting the political maxim that one set of off-year elections doesn’t make a trend.

Take for example the media’s recent coverage of Republican House members and senators who have announced they won’t be running for re-election. The narrative by many outlets is that this movement portends disaster for the Party of Lincoln27 when nothing could be further from the truth.

As of Nov. 13, two GOP senators and 12 House members have announced their retirements, two have resigned from office, and another 10 are leaving to pursue other elected offices. While these numbers sound like a lot, they are actually right in line with the last couple of election cycle’s turnover data.

In 201428, 27 Republican representatives and senators choose not to run for re-election, while another eight decided to leave office early. In 201229, the number of GOP representatives and senators who decided to retire was 23, while one quit his office early.

More importantly, we must remember that the vast majority of the seats being vacated by Republican incumbents are in GOP strongholds. Recent analysis shows that only a handful of seats30 are currently identified as competitive races. This dynamic, of course, can change but Republicans currently hold the tactical advantage — especially given that Senate Democrats are defending 25 seats (including two “independents”) while the GOP must hold just eight that are nearly all in solidly red states.

That’s why it’s critical for the Party of Reagan to pass significant legislation (like tax reform31) over the next year, as well as to keep putting conservative judges32 on the federal bench so that the members have some accomplishments to tout to their constituents. A look at the current33 and proposed 2018 House Calendar34 reveals that there are only 120 work days prior to next year’s election. That’s why it is imperative for Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to work closely with President Trump in 2018. Unfortunately, neither Ryan nor McConnell has shown the leadership conservatives are craving.

With 248 seats in the House of Representatives and 52 seats in the Senate, this Congress began with the largest Republican majority since the 71st Congress of 1929–1931. While there have been some very positive things have been accomplished in Trump’s first year35, there have been too many missed opportunities. 2018 must be the year that the national Republican leadership coalesces, steps up to the plate, and delivers for the American people.

They need to heed the advice of Thomas Jefferson, when he wrote back in 1811, “If we move in mass, be it ever so circuitously, we shall attain our object; but if we break into squads, everyone pursuing the path he thinks most direct, we become an easy conquest to those who can now barely hold us in check.”

MORE ANALYSIS FROM THE PATRIOT POST

More Evidence the Paris Climate Accord Is a Farce40 — “Global commitments made in Paris in 2015 to reduce emissions are still not being matched by actions.” Who woulda thunk it?

BEST OF RIGHT OPINION

Stephen Moore: Hey, Republican Big Spenders: Keep the Spending Caps41
Dennis Prager: Feminization of America Is Bad for the World42
Cal Thomas: The Corruption of Faith43
Todd Starnes: GQ Should’ve Named Colin Kaepernick Its ‘Coward of the Year’44
Vijay Jayaraj: Warming, Cooling, or Changing: Which Is It?45

For more of today’s columns, visit Right Opinion46.

OPINION IN BRIEF

Dennis Prager: “When women get married, they are often influenced by their husbands with regard to political and moral issues, just as married men are influenced by their wives on a whole host of micro issues. As a result, married women are more likely than single women to prefer to fight villains than to befriend them. Unfortunately, more and more American women are single. Meanwhile American boys are increasingly raised by single women and taught almost only by female teachers. In addition, they are often taught to be ashamed of their masculine natures and to reject traditional masculine virtues. As a result of the above two trends, the amount spent on national defense will continue to decline (while the amount spent on welfare will continue to increase), and America will confront the world’s evils less and less. The consequences will be disastrous for millions of people around the globe. When America retreats from killing bad guys, bad guys kill more innocent people. … The Left has done many destructive things to America. It is quite possible that none will prove to be more destructive than its attempt to obliterate gender distinctions.”

SHORT CUTS

For the record: “Three violent attacks on members of Congress in seven months is the sort of thing that would ordinarily generate long feature pieces in the media about the ‘culture of hate’ and ‘out-of-control partisan appetite for violence’ plaguing the country, with hard questions asked about whether the most incendiary voices are partially responsible for these sorts of attacks. … But I guess there’s no broader lesson or important theme that can be discerned from three violent attacks on Republican lawmakers in seven months, huh?” —Jim Geraghty

Race bait: “Donald Trump’s election has made it clear that I will teach my boys the lesson generations old, one that I for the most part nearly escaped. I will teach them to be cautious, I will teach them suspicion, and I will teach them distrust. Much sooner than I thought I would, I will have to discuss with my boys whether they can truly be friends with white people.” —professor Ekow N. Yankah in The New York Times

Dezinformatsiya: “African-Americans face a disproportionate risk of health problems from pollution caused by the oil and gas industry, and the situation could worsen as President Donald Trump dismantles environmental regulations.” —Reuters

Non Compos Mentis: “The kind of gun being carried [by Stephen Willeford] he shouldn’t be carrying. … I wrote the last serious gun control law that was written and was law for 10 years, and it outlawed assault weapons and it outlawed weapons with magazines that had a whole lot of bullets and so you can kill a whole lot of people a lot more quickly.” —Joe Biden (The AR-15 can also save a whole lot of people a lot more quickly.)

You’ve been warned: “No, I’m not closing the door [on a presidential run]. I’ve been around too long, and I’m a great respecter of fate, but who knows what the situation is going to be a year-and-a-half from now.” —Joe Biden

And last… “There is an unstated conceit among some evangelicals that God is only at work when a Republican is elected, even a Republican who does not share their view of Jesus, or practice what He taught. It is the ultimate compromise, which leads to the corruption and dilution of a message more powerful than what government and politics offer.” —Cal Thomas

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