PRAGER: Fiona Hill Should Be Condemned by Jewish Groups. She Won’t Be

The former senior director for European and Russian affairs for the Trump administration, Fiona Hill, testified last week in the House impeachment hearings.

At one point, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., asked her: “Would you say that these different theories, these conspiracy theories that have been targeting you, spun in part by folks like Mr. Stone as well as fueled by Rudy Giuliani and others, basically have a tinge of anti-Semitism to them at least?”

This was Ms. Hill’s response: “Well, certainly when they involve George Soros, they do. I’d just like to point out that in the early 1900s, the czarist secret police produced something called ‘The Protocols of the Elders of Zion,’ which, actually, you can still obtain on the internet. And you can buy it, actually, sometimes, at bookshops in Russia and elsewhere. This is the longest-running anti-Semitic trope that we have in history. And the trope against Mr. Soros, George Soros, was also created for political purposes, and this is the new ‘Protocols of the Elders of Zion.’ I actually intended to write something about this before I was actually invited to come into the administration. Because it’s an absolute outrage.”

What is really an “absolute outrage” is that anyone — especially someone testifying in Congress before a national audience — would compare criticism of George Soros with “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.” For those unfamiliar with “The Protocols,” they are the most infamous anti-Semitic forgery in history. Believed to have been written by Russian czarist officials in the 19th century, they purported to be a document written by Jews that outlined a Jewish plot to take over the world.

“The Protocols” are a lie, and their sole intent was to create anti-Semitism.

Criticism of Soros is rarely a lie, and its intent is rarely to create anti-Semitism.

George Soros is a billionaire whose Open Society Foundations, with offices in 70 countries, is the world’s major funder of left-wing causes.

If Soros were to come from a Lutheran or Catholic family, there would be no less criticism of him. While it is always possible that some people attack Soros solely because he was born into a Jewish family (he does not identify as a Jew), there are few such people.

Much of Israel’s Jewish population, for example, loathes Soros. Are they anti-Semites?

Moreover, Soros loathes Israel. As Joshua Muravchik reported in the Wall Street Journal, “(I)n a speech … to the Yivo Institute for Jewish Research, Mr. Soros likened the behavior of Israel to that of the Nazis …”

“George Soros,” the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement in July 2017, “continuously undermines Israel’s democratically elected governments by funding organizations that defame the Jewish state and seek to deny it the right to defend itself.”

Martin Peretz, former longtime editor-in-chief of The New Republic, wrote: “Soros is ostentatiously indifferent to his own Jewishness. He is not a believer. He has no Jewish communal ties. He certainly isn’t a Zionist. He told Connie Bruck in The New Yorker — testily, she recounted — that ‘I don’t deny the Jews their right to a national existence — but I don’t want to be part of it.’”

Hill’s charge that criticism of Soros is “the new ‘Protocols of the Elders of Zion’” is vile. It is what leftists like Hill — who was a member of the board of Soros’ Open Society Institute from 2000 to 2006 — always do when a fellow leftist (who is not a Christian white male) is criticized. Leftists constantly labeled criticism of former President Barack Obama “racist” and branded criticism of Hillary Clinton “sexist” and “misogynist.”

Their goal is to inoculate leftists from criticism.

In addition to being an illegitimate tactic to silence critics, what Hill said was immoral because it reduces the evil of real anti-Semitism. The left has already cheapened the terms “Nazi,” “racist” and “white supremacist.” You can now add “Protocols of the Elders of Zion” to the list. If “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion” is the same as attacking George Soros, then “The Protocols” were not all that bad.

Jewish groups like the Anti-Defamation League should have censured Hill. But they won’t because so many Jewish groups — once run by liberals and conservatives who cared deeply about Israel and the Jewish people — are today run by many Soros-admiring leftists, whose primary commitment is to further left-wing causes.

In fact, it is close to certain that the leaders of most American (not Israeli) Jewish organizations agree with Fiona Hill.

I began a 2007 column on George Soros this way: “What do Karl Marx, Leon Trotsky, Noam Chomsky and George Soros have in common? They were/are all radicals, born to Jewish parents, had no Jewish identity and hurt Jews (not to mention non-Jews).”

Criticizing George Soros is no more inherently anti-Semitic than attacking Marx, Trotsky or Chomsky.

As the left sees it, isolating Israel for rhetorical attack, even supporting its economic strangulation — e.g., through the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement — is not anti-Semitic. But attacking George Soros is.

Such is the broken state of the moral compass of the left and people like Fiona Hill.

Dennis Prager is a nationally syndicated radio talk-show host and columnist. His latest book, published by Regnery in May 2019, is “The Rational Bible,” a commentary on the book of Genesis. His film, “No Safe Spaces,” comes to theaters fall 2019. He is the founder of Prager University and may be contacted at dennisprager.com.

via The Daily Wire

Enjoy this article? Read the full version at the authors website: https://www.dailywire.com

‘You Didn’t Build That’ Deja Vu: Elizabeth Warren Latest Finger-Wagging Sounds Familiar

Bad when Obama did it, worse now, if she thinks we’ll fall for it now. It’s a point I’ve made since my very first campaign: Nobody in this country got rich on their own. They relied on infrastructure we all paid for, employees we all paid to educate. So if you’re successful, good for you—now […]

via Weasel Zippers

Enjoy this article? Read the full version at the authors website: https://www.weaselzippers.us

Boy Started with $5 Bill, Now Has Worked To Feed 9,000 Homeless People

Meet 12-year-old Symond Boschetto, a boy with a huge heart who is trying to change the world by helping people who are homeless.

Symond was just 8 years old when his heart first broke over the plight of a homeless man, holding up a sign asking for food money.

“I had like, $5 in my pocket, and I wanted to give it to him, but we had already passed him, and so I told my dad, ‘I want to help them,’” Symond told People.

“And he was like, ‘Well, I can turn around and we can go give him the $5.’ I said, ‘You don’t understand, I want to help them all.’”

TRENDING: Fake News Media Said Trump’s Golfing When He’s Actually in Afghanistan

While plenty of adults would have scoffed at the idea of a kid trying to change the world, Symond’s dad, Russell Boschetto, took his son seriously and decided to help him.

Boschetto, 42, helped Symond start his first non-profit, Share Hope USA, which hosts feeding events, clothing drives, haircuts and dog grooming, all benefiting the local homeless population.

So far, Symond’s non-profit has helped an estimated 9,000 homeless people, and the young boy wants to expand the program to help even more people.

“I started this because I knew there were people that I needed to help, and I wanted to see what I could do to help them,” Symond, now 12, told People.

Symond’s mother, Yesenia, and his 18-year-old sister Hillary are also involved with Share Hope USA, with Hillary serving as the pet outreach coordinator.

The entire family has recently relocated from Los Angeles to Portland, Oregon, and are eagerly anticipating their first Christmas outreach event in a new state.

“He’s always been very giving, and I just had to comprehend what that meant,” Boschetto said of his son’s initial idea to help the homeless. “And what it literally meant was, literally all of them, that’s exactly what he wanted to do.”

“We bring [food] out to wherever the homeless are, under the overpasses, behind the freeways,” Boschetto said. “We bring them hot meals.”

RELATED: 70-Year-Old Homeless Woman Living in SUV Surprised by ‘Angels’ with New Apartment

Symond, who is a 7th-grade student at Rosemond Ridge Middle School in West Linn, Oregon, has a global vision for the future of Share Hope USA.

“I really want to just be almost all over the world,” he said. “I want to be everywhere.”

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

via The Western Journal

Enjoy this article? Read the full version at the authors website: https://www.westernjournal.com

2 Brothers Open Hot Chocolate Stand To Raise Money for Officer Diagnosed with Cancer

After two young brothers near Cleveland, Ohio, heard about a local police officer battling cancer, they felt moved to help.

Josiah and Gideon Trank have always looked up to those who serve in uniform, according to their mother Machelle Trank.

“First responders, military … their eyes light up when they see their heroes,” she told The Western Journal.

They respect first responders so much so that they decided to hold a lemonade stand in the summer of 2018 and gave the proceeds to a fallen officer’s family.

But when they found out about Cleveland Officer David Muniz’s fight against cancer in early November, it was too cold outside for lemonade.

TRENDING: Fake News Media Said Trump’s Golfing When He’s Actually in Afghanistan

The boys were determined, however, and suggested a hot chocolate stand instead.

Officer Muniz was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma after getting shot while on duty, according to WKYC.

He’s been fighting against that devastating diagnosis since 2017, and when Josiah and Gideon heard about his fight in 2019, they knew they wanted to help.

So with the help of their mother, they set up a hot chocolate stand on Nov. 4 and pledged to put the proceeds toward Officer Muniz’s treatment costs.

“I want him to know he is not alone, we are here, and we can help,” Gideon told WJW.

The boys charged $1 for a cup of hot chocolate, but offered free drinks to police officers and military members. Free hugs were also offered.

While they were running their stand, a special visitor came to say hello: Officer Muniz.

RELATED: Boy Started with $5 Bill, Now Has Worked To Feed 9,000 Homeless People

The brothers’ hot chocolate stand wasn’t as busy as they had hoped, but Machelle said it was probably slow because it was a Monday.

“They had a goal of $500 but didn’t come close to reaching it,” she told The Western Journal.

“They were still very excited for what they raised and seeing the happiness on their faces as they put the money in an envelope and getting to meet Officer Muniz definitely made it successful for them!”

Since then, the boys have been able to keep in contact with Officer Muniz and even gave him a special Christmas gift.

While there are no specific fundraising plans in the future, Machelle said she wouldn’t be surprised if her sons decide to run a lemonade stand in the spring for Officer Muniz.

Right now, the family is focused on a police-themed Christmas tree in the yard, at Josiah and Gideon’s request.

“I made thin blue line ornaments with all of the officers names they’ve come to know and love,” Machelle said. “They asked to get blue lights and add the ornaments so the officers know they are in their thoughts this holiday season.”

Machelle said she’s proud of her sons’ hearts toward these hometown heroes and their drive to show their appreciation.

“I love their hearts,” she said. “I wish I could capture the love and excitement in their eyes when they want to do something.”

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

via The Western Journal

Enjoy this article? Read the full version at the authors website: https://www.westernjournal.com

Schiff’s Star Witness Gordon Sondland Hit with 3 Separate Sexual Misconduct Allegations

The USA Today headline from Nov. 21 says it all: “Jocular and unflappable, Sondland makes splash as star witness in impeachment inquiry.”

America’s ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland “exuded self-assurance” during his six hours in front of the House Intelligence Committee, saying that Rudy Giuliani orchestrated a quid pro quo whereby money for Ukrainian defense would only be released if the Ukrainians agreed to announce an investigation into Joe Biden. He also said he kept Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in the loop about the policy toward Kyiv, among other things.

He quickly became California Rep. Adam Schiff’s star witness, an unimpeachable lodestar pointing toward impeachment. Yes, there were sources that mentioned that until recently, he was pretty much a Trumpster through and through — and a rich hotelier at that. They also mentioned that he was a major Trump donor before he became an ambassador — because that’s never happened before and they all complained about it under the former administrations.

However, for those who believed in this line of thinking, the best way to rationalize it was the way that Samantha Bee did: “In order to catch a selfish, idiotic hotel business guy, you have to send a selfish, idiotic hotel business guy.”

Well, whether or not it has any impact, one part of the calculus just changed: Sondland isn’t unimpeachable anymore, and his behavior doesn’t necessarily seem so jocular or unflappable.

TRENDING: Fake News Media Said Trump’s Golfing When He’s Actually in Afghanistan

In a report from Pro Publica and Portland Monthly published Wednesday, three women accused Sondland of sexual misconduct.

The misconduct, it must be noted, took place well before Sondland’s role in the Trump administration; the three women detailed unwanted advances and indecent exposure, among other things, between 2003 and 2011.

“In one case, a potential business partner recalls that Sondland took her to tour a room in a hotel he owns, only to then grab her face and try to kiss her. After she rejected him, Sondland backtracked on investing in her business,” the ProPublica report states.

“Another woman, a work associate at the time, says Sondland exposed himself to her during a business interaction. She also recalls falling over the back of a couch trying to get away from him. After she made her lack of interest clear, she says Sondland called her, screaming about her job performance.

Does this make you re-evaluate Gordon Sondland’s testimony?

0% (0 Votes)

0% (0 Votes)

“A third woman, 27 years Sondland’s junior, met him to discuss a potential job. She says he pushed himself against her and kissed her. She shoved him away. She says his job help stopped.”

The three women were identified as Jana Solis, Natalie Sept and Nicole Vogel. Sondland and his legal team attacked the report because, in part, Vogel is the owner of Portland Monthly — the publication that assisted ProPublica in their investigation.

“It is distressing that this underhanded journalism was initiated by a source angry that I long ago declined to invest in her magazine, the same magazine now presenting its owner’s outlandish claims as if the reporting is somehow objective,” Sondland said in a statement.

The ambassador also said that the claims were politically motivated.

“In decades of my career in business and civic affairs, my conduct can be affirmed by hundreds of employees and colleagues with whom I have worked in countless circumstances. These untrue claims of unwanted touching and kissing are concocted and, I believe, coordinated for political purposes. They have no basis in fact, and I categorically deny them,” the statement read.

RELATED: Impeachment Witness Testifies Delaying Foreign Aid Is Common Tactic

According to The New York Times, Vogel had no part in either the decision to pursue the story or the editorial decisions made by Portland Monthly.

Sept, meanwhile, implied the response from Sondland was an insult.

“I never met either of the other two women, yet each of our stories contained corroborative elements, which were recounted in the ProPublica and Portland Monthly story,” she said.

“I’m coming forward now so other women can tell their stories, and be believed.”

She added that she was “haunted by this experience — especially since seeing Sondland’s confirmation as ambassador.”

The details aren’t pretty. In the case of Solis, she says she met him in 2008 after a colleague set up a meeting with Sondland since Solis had experience in the hotel industry.

“He was flirting through the lunch, and ends up just saying, ‘OK, I’ve heard enough,’” Solis said. “‘You’re hired. Congratulations. You’re my new hotel chick.’”

As they were leaving, Solis says that Sondland “slap[ped] me on the ass and said, ‘I look forward to working with you.’”

She was then asked to his home where she was supposed to do an art valuation even though she had no experience in the field.

“The two toured Sondland’s home in Portland’s exclusive West Hills, Solis making notes about the artwork as the hotelier showed off pictures of himself with then-President George W. Bush and Bush’s dog,” ProPublica reported. “And then, she recalls, he told her there was even more of his collection to see in the pool house. She’d meet him there, she said, excusing herself both to go to the bathroom and map out a potential exit strategy.”

“I get out to the pool house, and he is now naked from the waist down,” she said. “He said something about, ‘I thought we could chat.’ And I said something, trying to keep his ego intact — not that he needed that, not that it wouldn’t have been anyway — I said something like, ‘I can’t have that conversation.’”

Solis says that on another occasion, Sondland tried to force himself on her in his penthouse.

”The next thing I know, he’s all over me,” she said. “He’s on top of me. He’s kissing me, shoving his tongue down my throat. And I’m trying to wiggle out from under him, and the next thing you know, I’m sort of rising up to get away from him, and I fall over the back of the couch.”

The other women told similar stories of Sondland trying to force himself on them in professional situations — usually as they were at his mercy when it came to issues of investment or employment.

“There were a lot of indecent proposals when I was raising capital, but none as brazen as his,” Vogel said of Sondland trying to force himself on her. She confided in her sister and a friend at the time, both of whom confirmed her story.

“I think she was just exhausted,” Lorrie Vogel, Nicole’s sister, says. “All you’re trying to do is raise funding for something, and you’re appalled that people would use their power to try and take advantage of you.”

So, what does this mean for Sondland and the impact of his testimony on the impeachment inquiry? I suppose it’s an open question — except that the question has barely been asked. The whole thing has been treated as a giant shrug emoji. Sure, it’s gotten coverage, but the reaction has mostly been, “Well, there it is.”

And let’s not forget the fact that Sondland’s attorney basically accused all three women of making the accusations for pecuniary reasons.

“Notably, what each of these three women share in common is that they pursued Ambassador Sondland for financial and personal gain — an investment, a job, and insurance brokerage work — and he declined their proposals,” Sondland lawyer Jim McDermott said in a statement to ProPublica.

“Given the timing of your intended story, a reasonable conclusion to be drawn is that you are attempting to affect Ambassador Sondland’s credibility as a fact witness in the pending impeachment inquiry,” he added.

“Given the politically charged climate in which current events are unfolding, some might consider this to be veiled witness tampering.”

Witness tampering? Well, there’s a new one. Never say lawyers aren’t involved in a creative field. However, consider this much: If any other political figure’s lawyer accused three separate women who have never met of getting revenge on Sondland because of money, both the attorney and his client would be dragged through the mud like nothing else.

I assure you, were this any other witness in any other impeachment inquiry (granted, there’s a small sample size, but) we’d be putting the brakes on everything.

Without Sondland — or rather, without Sondland as a spotless-ish truth-teller who came in from the cold — the impeachment case looks a lot like hearsay. I wouldn’t say it’s been made with Sondland, mind you, but without him, this is going to look a lot more difficult.

Is that part of the equation here? Or do we simply not care about these things when they don’t make a point?

We’ll see where this all goes, if anywhere. An associate of Sondland’s told Politico that he has no plans to resign his position. My guess is that this mostly disappears — which is unfair. This isn’t necessarily irrelevant to who Sondland is.

“I have nothing to say about what he did or didn’t do [involving Ukraine],” Vogel said. “But if people are asking what his moral character is, I have one more piece of evidence for them.”

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

via The Western Journal

Enjoy this article? Read the full version at the authors website: https://www.westernjournal.com

NYPD Officers Pay for Headstone for Cop Killed in Line of Duty 102 Years Ago

Over a century after an NYPD officer died while on duty, he’s finally receiving the tombstone he deserves thanks to his brothers and sisters in blue.

Patrolman John P. Flood, 37, responded to a report of domestic violence on July 3, 1917, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page.

A woman claimed a man inside her apartment was threatening to kill her.

Once Flood entered the woman’s apartment, the suspect attacked him, eventually took hold of the officer’s nightstick and beat him to death.

He was survived by his wife and three children.

TRENDING: Fake News Media Said Trump’s Golfing When He’s Actually in Afghanistan

In 2016, Officer Anthony Nucchio, of the 19th precinct of NYPD, renovated the station’s memorial wall, which pays tribute to the precinct’s seven officers killed in the line of duty including Officer Flood, according to the NY Daily News.

When the wall was rededicated, Officer Nucchio met Maureen O’Grady, Officer Flood’s granddaughter.

The following year, on the 100th anniversary of Flood’s untimely death, Nucchio and two other officers tried to go to the deceased patrolman’s grave to pay their respects, but it was difficult to find because there was no tombstone.

“We finally found the location, but there was just grass,” Nucchio said. “(Cemetery employees) told me there was no stone there. I called Maureen up and she told me that there was never a stone.”

Due to a family feud, Officer Flood’s widow was never able to purchase a tombstone for her late husband’s grave.

Even O’Grady had tried to place a tombstone on her grandfather’s tomb, but she was never able to save enough money to do so.

Nucchio knew he couldn’t stand by while a brother in blue was buried in an unmarked grave so, with O’Grady’s blessing, he began fundraising to purchase a new tombstone.

“We had to do something. Over 100 years had gone by and he’s been laying there with his family in an unmarked grave. It didn’t seem right,” Nucchio said. “It was a no brainer.”

RELATED: 2 Brothers Open Hot Chocolate Stand To Raise Money for Officer Diagnosed with Cancer

Ultimately $9,000 were raised to cover the costs to purchase, engrave and place the tombstone on Flood’s grave.

The long-awaited tombstone was placed on Flood’s grave last week.

O’Grady was able to visit her grandfather’s tomb and see the newly erected tombstone on Monday.

“It’s something I’ve been hoping to do for many years and to see it fulfilled is such a blessing,” she said. “This is not a monument just to him, but to everyone in the police department.”

Nucchio said it was a “genuine honor and privilege” to help get the tombstone on Flood’s grave.

“It’s our way of thanking Patrolman Flood for his service and thanking his family for giving him up to the city,” he said. “I feel like he was part of my family.”

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

via The Western Journal

Enjoy this article? Read the full version at the authors website: https://www.westernjournal.com

Media Mocked Trump for ‘Rocky’ Pic, Now It’s a Symbol of Freedom in Hong Kong

News

Media Mocked Trump for ‘Rocky’ Pic, Now It’s a Symbol of Freedom in Hong Kong

Pro-democracy protesters hold posters of President Donald Trump during a Thanksgiving Day rally at Edinburgh Place on Nov. 28, 2019, in Hong Kong, China.Chris McGrath / Getty ImagesPro-democracy protesters hold posters of President Donald Trump during a Thanksgiving Day rally at Edinburgh Place on Nov. 28, 2019, in Hong Kong. (Chris McGrath / Getty Images)

By Jack Davis
Published November 30, 2019 at 8:31am

In Hong Kong, the winner is Trump by a knockout.

An image of President Donald Trump’s face on the body of iconic movie hero Rocky Balboa appears to have become a symbol for pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong, and was part of massive Thanksgiving Day protests in the city, which has been roiled by demonstrations since June.

The story began on a Rocky-esque note Wednesday, as Trump tweeted a picture of his head superimposed on Balboa, played by actor Sylvester Stallone.

TRENDING: Fake News Media Said Trump’s Golfing When He’s Actually in Afghanistan

Although ESPN had previously noted the date as the 34th anniversary of the release of “Rocky IV,” no text accompanied Trump’s tweet, which was lampooned by some:

“Trump had the internet scratching its collective head,” Variety reported.

People, meanwhile, called the image “bizarre.”

RELATED: Obama Made Americans Buy Insurance, but Judge Stops Trump Rule That Immigrants Do the Same

But that was before Trump hit China with a one-two punch, as noted by the New York Post.

On Wednesday afternoon, Trump signed two bills aimed toward fighting abuses of human rights in Hong Kong. The laws would sanction Chinese and Hong Kong officials who violate human rights, put Hong Kong’s trade status under an annual review and ban the export of certain weapons to Hong Kong police.

Do the Hong Kong protesters understand more about freedom than the U.S. media?

0% (0 Votes)

0% (0 Votes)

The effect in Hong Kong was electric.

“Fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong,” thousands of protesters chanted Thursday.

Many of them were holding up copies of the Rocky image Trump had posted. Others were waving American flags.

They also sang “The Star-Spangled Banner,” according to The Washington Post.

Trump’s move spurred diplomatic sparring.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng called Trump’s punches a “serious interference in China’s internal affairs and a serious violation of international law,” a ministry statement said.

He accused Trump of a “nakedly hegemonic act.”

The U.S. Embassy said the Chinese government “must honor its promises to the Hong Kong people.”

Trump issued a statement when he signed the bills that read, “I signed these bills out of respect for President Xi, China, and the people of Hong Kong. They are being enacted in the hope that Leaders and Representatives of China and Hong Kong will be able to amicably settle their differences leading to long term peace and prosperity for all.”

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

via The Western Journal

Enjoy this article? Read the full version at the authors website: https://www.westernjournal.com

Alabama City Now Owes $25K After Failed Attempt To Hide Confederate Memorial

News

Alabama City Now Owes $25K After Failed Attempt To Hide Confederate Memorial

A Confederate monument in Linn Park is seen on Aug. 18, 2017, in Birmingham, Alabama.Hal Yeager / Getty ImagesA Confederate monument in Linn Park is seen on Aug. 18, 2017, in Birmingham, Alabama. (Hal Yeager / Getty Images)

The city of Birmingham, Alabama, has been slapped with a $25,000 fine after the state’s supreme court ruled its attempt to cover a Confederate monument violated a state law.

The high court ruled Wednesday that the city’s move to erect a plywood structure in front of the obelisk memorial ran afoul of a 2017 law, ABC News reported.

A circuit judge had struck down the Alabama Memorial Preservation Act as a violation of free speech of local communities.

The conflict over Birmingham’s treatment of the memorial began in 2017, when city officials set up wooden panels around the 52-foot-tall obelisk that hid from view the names of Confederate soldiers.

Later that year, the state sued the city.

TRENDING: Fake News Media Said Trump’s Golfing When He’s Actually in Afghanistan

In January 2019, Jefferson County Circuit Judge Michael Graffeo ruled in favor of the city.

The state appealed, and the state’s supreme court reversed the ruling.

The court unanimously ruled that Birmingham’s creation of a wooden structure around the monument constituted an attempt to “alter” or “disturb” it.

The Memorial Preservation Act states: “No … monument which is located on public property and has been so situated for 40 or more years may be relocated, removed, altered, renamed, or otherwise disturbed.”

Do you support laws preserving historical monuments?

0% (0 Votes)

0% (0 Votes)

Associate Justice Tommy Bryan wrote in his decision that “inherent in the definition of a ‘monument’ — indeed inherent in the very purpose of a monument — is that a monument must memorialize something.”

“However, the monument in its current form — covered by a 12-foot plywood screen around the base — memorializes nothing.”

“Accordingly, although the plywood screen does not physically touch the monument, we must agree with the State that the plywood screen changes the appearance of the monument and so modifies and interferes with the monument that it must be construed as ‘alter[ing]’ or ‘disturb[ing]’ the monument within the plain meaning of those terms as used in [the Memorial Preservation Act.]”

The high court also ruled the act did not violate a city’s “right” to free speech.

“To the extent the City defendants argue that the City has an independent right to free speech protected by the Alabama Constitution, we disagree,” Bryan wrote.

RELATED: NYPD Officers Pay for Headstone for Cop Killed in Line of Duty 102 Years Ago

“As we noted above, the City is merely a ‘political subdivision of the state,’ and having been created ‘by sovereign power in accordance with sovereign will’ as expressed by the legislature, the City may exercise ‘such power, and only such power, as is conferred upon it by law.’”

Rick Journey, Birmingham’s director of communications in the office of public information, said in a statement that the ruling was “less about the rule of law and more about politics.”

“We are carefully reviewing the opinion to determine our next step, but clearly the citizens of Birmingham should have the final decision about what happens with monuments on Birmingham city grounds,” Journey said.

Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall also issued a statement on the court’s decision.

“The Alabama Supreme Court reached the correct conclusion today in reversing the Jefferson County Circuit Court decision striking down Alabama’s Memorial Preservation Act,” Marshall said.

“The Supreme Court’s ruling is a victory for the Alabama law which seeks to protect historical monuments.”

We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

via The Western Journal

Enjoy this article? Read the full version at the authors website: https://www.westernjournal.com

EXCLUSIVE: THEY FOUND SOMETHING! After US Attorney Durham Visited Rome Obama’s Former CIA Director Brennan’s Security Clearance Was Once AgainQuestioned

After AG Barr and US Attorney John Durham reportedly expanded their investigation into the beginnings of Russia collusion after their trips to Rome in August and September.  At the same time, complaints of John Brennan holding a security clearance were back in the news.

Jeff Carlson at TheMarketsWork reported –

John Durham, the U.S. attorney tasked with investigating the origins of the FBI’s counterintelligence investigation into the Trump campaign in 2016, is expected to seek an interview with former CIA Director John Brennan and former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper following an expansion of his investigation.

It was reportedly the meetings Durham and Attorney General William Barr recently had in Rome—where they obtained new evidence—that were the impetus for the broadening of the scope of the probe.

According to Fox News’ Catherine Herridge, her sources told her that Durham is now “very interested to question” Brennan and Clapper.

According to Herridge, the meetings “took place on Aug. 15 and Sept. 27, 2019, in Rome,” and that it was during one or both of these trips, that Barr and Durham “gathered new evidence.”

The news comes following months of speculation about whether the former top Obama officials would be questioned over their involvement in the investigation and spying on the Trump campaign.

It was recently revealed in a court motion by the lawyer for former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, that the Justice Department (DOJ) had obtained two cell phones belonging to Joseph Mifsud, a Maltese Professor who has been cited as playing a key role in the FBI’s determination to open its probe into the Trump campaign.

Ironically, at the exact same time calls were made to remove former Obama CIA Director John Brennan’s security clearance.

The news of Brennan’s security clearance not being revoked came out at the exact same time as Barr and Durham’s first visit to Rome.

This leads us to believe that whatever they found is connected to Obama and Brennan’s CIA. 

For some time, George Papadopoulos has said that those who approached him in London were most likely CIA –

Is Rome the key to the undoing of Spygate?

Hat tip D. Manny

The post EXCLUSIVE: THEY FOUND SOMETHING! After US Attorney Durham Visited Rome Obama’s Former CIA Director Brennan’s Security Clearance Was Once AgainQuestioned appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

via The Gateway Pundit

Enjoy this article? Read the full version at the authors website: https://www.thegatewaypundit.com

Trump Signs National POW-MIA Flag Act – Law Requires POW-MIA Flag Displayed Whenever US Flag Is Displayed on Prominent Federal Buildings

In March several Democrats replaced the POW-MIA flag outside their Washington DC offices with the transgender flag.

Of course, veterans and military families took this as an insult and the latest attempt by Democrats to tear apart this great nation.

But President Trump righted this wrong earlier this month.
President Trump signed the the National POW/MIA Flag Act into law earlier this month.

The POW-MIA flag will now be displayed whenever the American flag is displayed on prominent federal properties, including the White House, U.S. Capitol, World War II Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, every national cemetery, and more!

The VFW reported:

Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) stood in solidarity with fellow members of the Veterans Service Organization (VSO) community as President Donald Trump signed the National POW/MIA Flag Act into law today.

“This is a historic victory for every man and woman who courageously defended this nation and remain unaccounted for,” said VFW National Commander William “Doc” Schmitz. “Today’s presidential signing and the daily display of the POW/MIA flag at all prominent federal properties now serves as a daily reminder that these heroes, and their families, are forever etched in our DNA.”

Law now requires the POW/MIA flag to be displayed whenever the American flag is displayed on prominent federal properties, including the White House, U.S. Capitol, World War II Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, every national cemetery, the buildings containing the official offices of the Secretaries of State, Defense, and Veterans Affairs, office of the Director of the Selective Service System, each major military installation, each Department of Veterans Affairs medical center, and each U.S. Postal Service post office.

The National POW/MIA Flag Act was initially introduced by U.S. Rep. and Marine Corps Lt. Gen. (ret.) Jack Bergman and U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas March 7, 2019. The bipartisan bill received endorsement from the VFW, the National League of POW/MIA Families, and other veterans service organizations.

“Over 82,000 men and women who’ve served our nation in uniform are unaccounted for or listed as POW/MIA, including many Michiganders,” said Congressman Bergman. “Flying this flag at federal properties 365 days a year is just a small way that we can ensure their sacrifice and devotion to our nation is never forgotten.”

Via Dan Scavino.

The post Trump Signs National POW-MIA Flag Act – Law Requires POW-MIA Flag Displayed Whenever US Flag Is Displayed on Prominent Federal Buildings appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

via The Gateway Pundit

Enjoy this article? Read the full version at the authors website: https://www.thegatewaypundit.com