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Patriot Headlines | Grassroots Commentary Daily Digest
June 10, 2015
THE FOUNDATION"The danger is not, that the judges will be too firm in resisting public opinion, and in defense of private rights or public liberties; but, that they will be ready to yield themselves to the passions, and politics, and prejudices of the day." —Joseph Story, Commentaries on the Constitution, 1833TOP RIGHT HOOKSObama Unleashes Teleprompter to Defend ObamaCareIn a speech before the Catholic Health Association Tuesday, Barack Obama bent the narrative of history to fit his will. In the days leading up to when the Supreme Court will decide whether it's legal for the federal government to provide subsidies for health insurance not purchased on a state exchange, Obama is leveraging every rhetorical trick, trying to convince the Court to allow him to rewrite ObamaCare. On Monday, he told a group of reporters that SCOTUS shouldn't have taken up King v. Burwell. But since it has, he said, "This should be an easy case" because legal scholars side with his interpretation.The next day, Obama ramped up his attack on the impartiality of the Supreme Court when he used the Bully Pulpit to defend ObamaCare using religious and historical rhetoric, evoking the names of Teddy Roosevelt and Ted Kennedy. In his speech at the Catholic conference, Obama said, "The rugged individualism that defines America has always been bound by a shared set of values, an enduring sense that we're in this together, that America is not a place where we simply turn away from the sick, or turn our backs on the tired, the poor, the huddled masses. It is a place sustained by the idea: I am my brother's keeper. I am my sister's keeper — that we have an obligation to put ourselves in our neighbor's shoes and see each other's common humanity." What Obama left out: This law he says is couched in historical precedent was rammed through Congress with a midnight, party-line vote, and now he's rewriting it to suit his purposes. As for values, the freedom from coercion is a pretty strong American value, running through the nation since the rebellion against the Stamp Act. More... Comment | Share Russia Violates Treaty, State Dept. ShrugsIs this the Obama administration's "smart power" and "reset," not embarrassing Russia as it violates nuclear arms treaties? Every year, the State Department releases a report about how the U.S. and other countries are upholding or violating the various treaties governing arms control, nonproliferation and disarmament. In this year's report, State discloses, "In 2014, the Russian Federation continued to be in violation of its obligations under the INF Treaty not to possess, produce, or flight-test a ground-launched cruise missile (GLCM) with a range capability of 500 km to 5,500 km." Disturbing news, right? Not to State, which believes the violation is not a big deal. The report continues: "The Administration believes that it is in the mutual security interests of all the Parties to the INF Treaty that Russia and the other 11 successor states to the Soviet Union remain Parties to the Treaty and comply with their obligations." Obviously, if Russia believed it was in its best interest to stop development of intermediate-range missiles, it would stop. Furthermore, the government knew of the INF violations for three years before disclosing them publicly. U.S. officials lied about Russia and continue to obfuscate the extent of Russia's violations. Guess it's easier than, well, wielding power smartly.Comment | Share Eastwood 'Mocks' Jenner, Hollywood Uproar EnsuesIconic actor Clint Eastwood made the terrible mistake of stepping outside the bounds of political correctness during the taping of Spike TV's Guys Choice Awards. The self-described libertarian, who has been in Hollywood timeout ever since he eviscerated Barack Obama in his illustrious "empty chair" rendition at the 2012 Republican National Convention, was introducing Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson when he made an obscure — or what the Leftmedia is calling "insensitive" — reference toComment | Share FEATURED RIGHT ANALYSISCan't We All Just Get Along?By Nate Jackson
The latest story of cops versus minorities comes from McKinney, Texas, where Cpl. Eric Casebolt of the city's police department took down a black teenage female while being videoed. As the video went viral, the narrative was reinforced: Racist white cops target blacks. As usual, however, it's a bit more complicated. First, a quick rundown of the facts: Residents say a woman invited a group of teens to the neighborhood pool for a birthday party, but the homeowners' associations limits homeowners to two guests. When 130 unruly teens descended on the pool, hopping fences and engaging in fights, concerned residents called the police. Casebolt was among three officers (at least on film) who responded. A few of the teens bolted from the officers, who gave chase. Several teens ended up in handcuffs, with others trying to explain themselves and still others jawing at the cops. Most of them largely ignored police instructions, though otherwise presented no perceivable threat. But the real brouhaha centered on Casebolt's treatment of one bikini-clad girl, whom he pulled from a group and wrestled to the ground while cursing at her. Several teens rushed forward, prompting Casebolt to briefly draw his sidearm and chase off two large boys. He then held the girl down by kneeling on her back while continuing to curse at numerous other teens. Second, let it be acknowledged that all we see are seven minutes of footage; we don't know all the details that prompted the police call or their response. The police department issued a statement indicating they responded to a disturbance "involving multiple juveniles at the location, who do not live in the area or have permission to be there, refusing to leave." Beyond that and the explanations of residents and teenagers, the story is hazy. One resident claimed the kids "assaulted" security guards near the pool, and well as accosted a mom and her kids. The teens in the video claim to merely be there for a birthday party. Now, the lessons. For all of us citizens, follow (reasonable) instructions and don't run from the police. Officers don't take kindly to having to chase down even innocent bystanders — who they don't know are innocent and must assume, based on the behavior of fleeing, may be guilty of a crime. Or, in the not-so-eloquent phrasing of Cpl. Casebolt, "Don't make me f—ing run around here with 30 pounds of G—d—ed gear on in the sun!" For officers, assume you're always on camera and that your actions will be evaluated based on the footage. Casebolt surely knows the rationale for his actions beyond what we see, but it's hard to come away from the video sympathizing with his severely agitated and bullying response. In fact, Casebolt resigned Tuesday evening. Announcing that at a press conference, McKinney Police Chief Greg Conley called Casebolt's actions "indefensible." A pseudonymous California officer pondered, "In watching the video, one can’t help but observe that Casebolt is alone among the officers in being exercised about what is happening. Was he aware of facts his colleagues were not? If so, and if these facts somehow warranted his actions, did he share his knowledge with the other officers? And what of the girl in the bikini? What was it that motivated Casebolt to choose her, among all the others, to be detained? "And as for Casebolt drawing his pistol, in this — and only this — there appears to be some justification. The two young men who rushed forward were both at least equal in size to the officer, and it isn’t unreasonable to suppose they might have been preparing to attack Casebolt had he not reacted as he did. The brandishing of the weapon had the desired effect of making the young men run away." It's easy to assume Casebolt acted with undue force given that no one (on video) was resisting arrest or behaving violently, and his takedown of a girl was preemptive at best. Then again, cops are facing unusually high tension across the nation, especially when dealing with blacks, and that is arguably due to overheated race-bait rhetoric from those who benefit politically from unrest. Clearly, we have a deep cultural problem: Many citizens feel entitled and aggrieved, and they have no guiding moral standards for encounters with the law. And many cops feel either under siege or overly powerful — or both. Until these variables shift in a better direction, every law enforcement encounter will be magnified. Comment | Share
TODAY AT PATRIOTPOST.US
BEST OF RIGHT OPINION
OPINION IN BRIEFWalter Williams: "Politicians who fight against school choice behave the way teachers do. Fifty-two percent of the members of the Congressional Black Caucus who have school-age children have them enrolled in private schools. Thirty-seven percent of members of the House of Representatives and 45 percent of senators who have school-age children have them enrolled in private schools. The education establishment says more money is needed, but more money does not produce higher quality. New York City spent $20,331 per student in fiscal 2013. Washington, D.C., spent $17,953, and Baltimore allocated $15,050. Despite being among the nation’s highest-spending school districts, their education quality is among the lowest. Parents, given vouchers and choice, could do a far superior job in the education of their children — and at a cheaper cost."Comment | Share SHORT CUTSInsight: "If we are ever in doubt about what to do, it is a good rule to ask ourselves what we shall wish on the morrow that we had done." —English statesman John Lubbock (1834-1913)Demo-gogues: “There’s something deeply cynical about constant efforts to roll back progress. I understand folks being worried before [ObamaCare] was passed and there wasn’t a reality there to examine. But once you see folks having health care, you’d think it’d be time to move on.” —Barack Obama, the ultimate cynic Race bait: "In 2015 America, African-American parents cannot possibly send their children out to play without genuine fear for their safety and lives, from the very authorities tasked with protecting them. ... Being a kid is (or should be) one of our society’s most privileged positions, and there are few privileges of childhood more meaningful than the opportunity to play without worries, to enjoy a summer day on its own relaxed terms. This childhood luxury is becoming painfully, unmistakably intertwined with white privilege." —Fitchburg State University professor Ben Railton Turning the narrative inside out: “We have a significant population gap among African-American males because so many of them have spent time in jail and, as such, we can’t hire them." —New York Police Commissioner Bill Bratton Friendly fire: "It strikes me that awarding the Arthur Ashe Award to Caitlyn Jenner is just a crass exploitation play — it’s a tabloid play. In the broad world of sports, I’m pretty sure they could’ve found someone ... who was much closer actively involved in sports, who would’ve been deserving of what that award represents." —sportscaster Bob Costas Late-night humor: "Over the weekend, Hillary Clinton supported raising the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour. She said every American should be able to afford to attend one of her speeches." —Conan O'Brien Comment | Share 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. |
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