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The eclectic influences of the New York indie rockers. The post The musicians who inspire The Lemon Twigs first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

"Women's prisons‚ coke dealers' houses‚ insane asylums‚ men's prisons‚ private parties." The post Where is the mythic ‘House of the Rising Sun’? first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

The date was September 1‚ 2015‚ a Tuesday. It was an unusual day at the Rowan County courthouse in Kentucky. County Clerk Kim Davis arrived shortly before 7:00 a.m. Awaiting Davis were dozens of reporters and a few lawyers. The media was hoping for fireworks. It was about to get them. Curiously‚ the U.S. Constitution explicitly protects religious freedom … But this was the New America. As soon as the office opened‚ two women‚ April Miller and Karen Roberts‚ both friends of Davis who were in the process of suing Davis‚ led the way to the counter to ask for a marriage license. Also present were two men‚ David Moore and David Ermold‚ likewise seeking a marriage license. (READ MORE from Paul Kengor: The American Spectator’s Conservative Counterculture) The whole thing was surreal‚ really. Unimaginable even two decades earlier‚ when Senate Democrats sided with Republicans in passing the Defense of Marriage Act. But thanks to America’s intrepid progressives‚ we now lived in a surreal culture. A new thing was invented that theretofore never existed in the history of Western civilization‚ or any civilization: something called “same-sex marriage.” Obviously‚ it violated Biblical law‚ natural law‚ the Judeo-Christian tradition. For Christians like Kim Davis‚ it contravened the Scriptural teaching about marriage being between a man and a woman who leave their parents and become one flesh — the very words of Jesus Christ invoking the Book of Genesis (see Genesis 2:24 and Matthew 19:4-6). Unfortunately for Kim Davis‚ America’s progressives had jettisoned two millennia of religious teachings and imposed upon all 50 states a non-existent “constitutional right” to same-sex marriage. The federal government‚ via the U.S. Supreme Court’s 5-4 ruling in the Obergefell decision the previous June‚ declared null and void 50 state marriage laws. In one fell-swoop‚ the high court’s liberal justices‚ led by swing-vote justice Anthony Kennedy — the worst of President Ronald Reagan’s appointees — had taken the unprecedented step of the state redefining marriage. And now‚ Kim Davis‚ a state employee who issued marriage licenses‚ had to submit to Caesar. The same-sex couples that showed up that morning knew that. So did the liberals in Kentucky and the national media. It was time for a showdown. “No licenses today‚” figured April and Karen. The two Davids‚ however‚ were undeterred. “We’re going to ask‚” said David Moore. Looking in Davis’ direction‚ David Ermold scolded: “This is terrible. What she has done is unconscionable‚ it’s unforgivable‚ it’s absolutely‚ absolutely ludicrous.” Kim Davis recounts the moment in her memoirs. She approached the two men with a friendly smile‚ which they didn’t like. “Don’t smile at me‚” Ermold snapped. “Why shouldn’t I smile at you?” Davis asked gently. “I’m not being disrespectful to you.” “You absolutely have disrespected us‚” Ermold answered. His partner‚ David Moore‚ asked Davis: “Would you do this to an interracial couple?” “A man and a woman?” responded Davis. “No.” A good answer from Kim Davis. An obvious answer. Marriage‚ after all‚ is between a man and a woman. If an interracial couple is comprised of a man and a woman‚ it isn’t violating Biblical law. With that reply‚ the two Davids went silent‚ but the mob cut loose‚ shouting insults at Kim Davis about her marital status (she was divorced). The forces of “diversity” and “tolerance” spewed their hate at the besieged marriage clerk — all the while accusing Davis of hate. Of course‚ no one can hate like a liberal. And liberals especially hated what Kim Davis did next. That is‚ what and who she appealed to. Davis released this statement: I have worked in the Rowan County Clerk’s office for 27 years as a Deputy Clerk and was honored to be elected as the Clerk in November 2014‚ and took office in January 2015. I love my job and the people of Rowan County.… In addition to my desire to serve the people of Rowan County‚ I owe my life to Jesus Christ who loves me and gave His life for me…. I love my Lord and must be obedient to Him and to the Word of God. I never imagined a day like this would come‚ where I would be asked to violate a central teaching of Scripture and of Jesus Himself regarding marriage. To issue a marriage license which conflicts with God’s definition of marriage‚ with my name affixed to the certificate‚ would violate my conscience. It is not a light issue for me. It is a Heaven or Hell decision. For me it is a decision of obedience. Davis‚ an elected Democrat‚ noted that she was receiving death threats. Nonetheless‚ she affirmed‚ “I cannot violate my conscience.” The judge demanded otherwise. Curiously‚ the U.S. Constitution explicitly protects religious freedom in the first words of the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights. But this was the New America. Previously non-existent “gay marriage rights” now took constitutional precedent. Liberals‚ of course‚ have long been champions of conscientious exemption … But with same-sex marriage‚ they suddenly tossed those beliefs to the rubbish bin. And so‚ two days later‚ Thursday‚ September 3‚ liberals do what they do best: state coercion. The 49-year-old Kim Davis was sent to jail. She was given an orange prison suit and handcuffed and shackled. A chain was wrapped around her waist that fell to her feet‚ which she dragged along. (READ MORE: It’s the Season of the Witch) Liberals loved it. LGBTQ advocates gathered outside the courthouse with shouts of “hypocrite” and “homophobe” and “Hitler.” One person held a sign that screamed: “Kim Davis‚ F— You!” The cross-examination of Davis was done by ACLU attorney Bill Sharp. The same ACLU that vows to protect civil liberties. Here’s an excerpt from the chilling exchange: Sharp: [You believe] God’s authority supersedes this Court’s authority? Davis: He supersedes everything‚ sir. Sharp: And that includes this Court’s authority? Davis: Yes‚ sir. Sharp: You interpret the Court’s preliminary injunction ruling as contrary to God’s will? Davis: I do. Sharp: As contrary to God’s law? Davis: I do. Sharp: As contrary to what you’ve described as natural law? Davis: I do. Sharp: But you chose to disobey the Court’s order because of your sincerely held religious beliefs? Davis: I have. Kim Davis cited not only God. She would also cite Martin Luther King‚ Jr. And liberals really hated that. While in prison‚ Davis took solace in King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail. She saw how King‚ like her‚ understood that not all laws are moral‚ or just — especially when they violate God’s laws‚ natural law‚ and one’s freedom of conscience. Davis stated in her memoirs: With the threat to natural marriage growing‚ Christians and people of faith and moral conviction had to consider if they would respond to the threat to their freedom as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.‚ had a generation earlier. When he was jailed for violating a law used to stop him from protesting injustice‚ Dr. King wrote his famous “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” In it‚ he gave his rationale for his action in which he made a distinction between just and unjust laws. Davis continued in her (proper) interpretation of King. She noted that King was not a lawbreaker. “I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws‚” King wrote. “One has not only a legal but moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely‚ one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that ‘an unjust law is no law at all.’” Davis directly invoked King and Augustine. The Rev. Dr. King had invoked not only Augustine‚ but Aquinas. With elegance‚ King wrote: You express a great deal of anxiety over our willingness to break laws. This is certainly a legitimate concern. Since we so diligently urge people to obey the Supreme Court’s decision of 1954 outlawing segregation in the public schools‚ it is rather strange and paradoxical to find us consciously breaking laws. One may well ask‚ “how can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?” The answer is found in the fact that there are two types of laws: There are just and there are unjust laws. I would agree with Saint Augustine that‚ “An unjust law is no law at all.” Now what is the difference between the two? How does one determine when a law is just or unjust? A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of Saint Thomas Aquinas‚ an unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law. King believed that a religious person has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. As Kim Davis interpreted‚ those being persecuted for resisting unjust marriage laws‚ or laws that violate their conscience regarding marriage laws‚ have a duty to resist those laws. Liberals‚ of course‚ have long been champions of conscientious exemption‚ such as when seeking to avoid being drafted into combat. But with same-sex marriage‚ they suddenly tossed those beliefs to the rubbish bin. Today‚ MLK-admiring progressives bully‚ harass‚ fine‚ sue‚ shut down‚ smear‚ demonize‚ and dehumanize Christian bakers or florists or clerks who don’t bow to their redefinition of the multi-millennial Judeo-Christian understanding of marriage. These people of conscience are forced to follow laws they consider unjust and immoral‚ that are not rooted in eternal law. In response? Liberals grant them no toleration; to the contrary‚ they ruin them. They jail them. They hate them. (READ MORE: The Dodgers of Perpetual Indulgence Strike Out) How could progressives reconcile such abusive behavior with the thinking of one of their icons‚ the Rev. Dr. King? The answer is that they ignore King’s words‚ assuming they have learned about them — even in an era when King’s Birmingham jail letter is required reading in public schools‚ especially during his annual holiday. In truth‚ they may be totally unaware of that section of King’s letter. I review the letter twice a year in two different courses at Grove City College. As students will attest‚ when I Google the letter on the classroom overhead screen‚ it often appears with an ellipsis in place of the natural law sections. They’re removed. A typical example of this sin of omission is a King piece posted at CNN.com. Titled‚ “Three ways MLK speaks to our time‚” the article praised King as a socialist environmentalist. Notably not mentioned was the Reverend King’s invocation of natural law‚ freedom of conscience‚ and just laws. Liberals at CNN.com don’t want that King‚ because liberals want to use the state to force religious believers to genuflect at the altar of the Left’s cultural revolution. That’s the MLK that liberals choose to ignore. That’s an MLK to censor. And for many liberals‚ including those who hate on Kim Davis‚ that’s a King to hate.     The post The Martin Luther King Jr. That Liberals Hate appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

In late 2022‚ when asked by reporters about the probability that former President Trump would run for a second term‚ President Biden pledged to make sure “he does not become president again.” This was largely ignored at the time because Trump had not yet been bombarded with the brazenly partisan prosecutions that he is now fending off. In hindsight‚ it is clear that Biden was referring to a carefully planned lawfare campaign coordinated by the White House. His administration’s fingerprints are all over every prosecution from the first indictment by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to the recent attempt to remove Trump from the Colorado primary ballot. Trump is no Cicero‚ but everyone should listen when he tells us‚ “They’re after you‚ I’m just in the way.” The Colorado ballot case provides the clearest White House connection. As The American Spectator noted last year‚ the initial lawsuit was filed by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) in September of last year. Noah Bookbinder‚ CREW’s President‚ was appointed to an advisory council in March of 2022 by DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas‚ and his name appears on White House visitor logs multiple times in 2023‚ according to a recent Daily Caller report. CREW convinced the Colorado Supreme Court to disqualify Trump from appearing on the Centennial State’s primary ballot‚ but the U.S. Supreme Court has now agreed to hear Trump’s appeal. Bookbinder responded as follows: Donald Trump is disqualified from holding office under the 14th Amendment after he incited the January 6th insurrection following his loss in the 2020 election. The Supreme Court of Colorado came to the right conclusion in favor of our clients‚ and the U.S. Supreme Court must now uphold it. In defending this decision‚ we are working to defend American democracy. We believe in the rule of law and have faith in the judicial system. The Supreme Court should take up this case quickly to ensure that Colorado Republican primary voters like our client—and all Americans—have confidence in the eligibility of the people on their ballots. Noah Bookbinder is by no means the only Trump antagonist who appears multiple times on the White House visitor logs. New York Attorney General Letitia James appears on the logs at least three times. This fact was mentioned by former President Trump‚ who suggested that there had been coordination between the Biden administration and the New York AG concerning the bizarre “fraud” charges for which she prosecuted Trump. The Associated Press dismissed any possibility of collaboration as “unsubstantiated‚” yet confirmed that James is indeed on the visitor logs for the following dates: 4/8/2022‚ 7/18/2023 and 8/31/2023. The AP uncritically accepted the White House assertion that the visits were ceremonial. (READ MORE from David Catron: The Democrats Can’t Disgorge Biden) They were likely as innocuous as meetings Nathan Wade‚ a prosecutor working for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis‚ had with White House Counsel before Willis filed RICO charges against Trump. One of the latter’s co-defendants‚ Michael Roman‚ has filed a Motion to Dismiss containing evidence that Wade invoiced Fulton County for a May 23‚ 2022 meeting described thus: “Travel to Athens; Conf with White House Counsel.” He also invoiced the county for a November 18‚ 2022 meeting with this description: “Interview with DC/White House.” This has drawn the attention of House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio)‚ who has demanded documents from Wade‚ including the following: All documents and communications in your possession between or among the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office‚ including yourself‚ and the U.S. Department of Justice and its components‚ including but not limited to Special Counsel Jack Smith‚ referring or relating to the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office’s investigation of President Trump. All documents and communications in your possession between or among the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office‚ including yourself‚ and the Executive Office of the President‚ including but not limited to the White House Counsel’s Office‚ referring or relating to the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office’s investigation of President Trump. All notes‚ memoranda‚ documents‚ or other material in your possession referring or relating to your meetings‚ conferences‚ phone calls‚ or other interactions with the U.S. Department of Justice‚ the Executive Office of the President‚ or the partisan January 6 Select Committee. This brings us back to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg‚ the first DA to indict a former president in U.S. History. Bragg‚ you will recall‚ initially decided not to pursue an indictment because the case was so weak he could very well lose. Then‚ after Matthew Colangelo from the Biden Justice Department took a position in the Manhattan DA’s office‚ Bragg had a sudden epiphany and decided to indict Trump. The primary charge involves a $130‚000 hush-money payment that then-Trump lawyer Michael Cohen made to an adult film star with his own money. As Harvard Law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz put it‚ “In 60 years of practicing criminal law‚ I have never seen a worse abuse of prosecutorial discretion.” (READ MORE: Trump Ballot Bans and the Specter of Bush v. Gore) Sadly‚ abuse of such discretion is the hallmark of the Biden administration‚ and it isn’t limited to Alvin Bragg‚ Fani Willis‚ Letitia James or Noah Bookbinder. Nor are its targets limited to Trump. Biden’s Attorney General‚ Merrick Garland‚ has used the Jan. 6‚ 2021 Capitol riot as a pretext for a three-year reign of terror that has ruined the lives of who knows how many ordinary Americans — some of whom never entered the “People’s House.” Meanwhile‚ the President’s son publicly flouts a subpoena issued by that same body. Who believes Hunter Biden will be prosecuted by Garland’s DOJ for contempt of Congress? Trump is no Cicero‚ but everyone should listen when he tells us‚ “They’re after you‚ I’m just in the way.” The post White House Coordinating Trump Prosecutions appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

The oldest mystery about the Left is how it continues to be a formidable force when everything it has ever tried has been a catastrophe‚ often a homicidal one. For 250 years‚ its Godless contra-nature philosophy has led to historic misery. The Soviet Union’s First Five Year Plan collectivizing agriculture starved eight-million men‚ women‚ and children to death. Undaunted‚ Mao quintupled that number less than three decades later in his Great Leap Forward. My native country‚ Cuba‚ went from thriving to desolate in five years under Fidel Castro. Yet he was the model Hugo Chavez emulated when destroying oil-rich Venezuela. Before Obama became president‚ a man pretending to be a woman and holding a high rank in the armed forces would have been a late-night comedy joke. You would think the people of the richest‚ strongest country in the world would count their blessings and embrace the system that thus far spared them such a fate. That they would revere the founding fathers who conceived it‚ themselves worshippers of a higher order. “We hold these truths to be self-evident‚” they immortally decreed. “That all men are created equal‚ that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights‚ that among these are Life‚ Liberty‚ and the pursuit of Happiness.” When a century later men defied these principles and defended the enslavement of others‚ they had to stop being Americans to do so. They had to be crushed at great cost to the Union‚ with more than 600‚000 dead. “As He died to make men holy‚ let us die to make men free‚” soldiers sang in The Battle Hymn of the Republic. (READ MORE from Lou Aguilar: The Boys in the Shaky Boat) For a long time afterward‚ Americans were grateful for their blessings. True‚ some put their prejudices above their better angels and slowed the path to greatness. Nonetheless‚ the vast majority of all races took pride in the nation and helped to unite it. They championed the same causes — family‚ faith‚ and freedom. No external enemy could weaken these building blocks. But the enemy was inside the gate. It took a hundred years to bring America to the edge of disaster where it is today. This history has been chronicled by greater scholars than I. How the Left took over academia‚ then the media‚ then one of the two major political parties. How it pit people against one another by group — blacks against whites‚ women against men‚ parents against their unborn babies. How it perverted reality itself‚ declaring that men can become women merely by mind over matter. At earlier points‚ conservatives could have stopped this‚ by appealing to normal people. But they let the madness spread believing common sense would prevail. In the real world‚ they knew‚ demanding that a city defund its police will result in an explosion of violent crime. Removing all border obstacles will permit the invasion of millions and cause an epidemic of drug deaths. Disdaining white Christian men in the military — the most likely group to volunteer — while promoting women‚ homosexuals‚ and “trans”-women will create a recruitment shortage. And a mammoth family entertainment company imposing anti-family content will be abandoned by the entire world audience. Before Obama became president‚ a man pretending to be a woman and holding a high rank in the armed forces would have been a late-night comedy joke. But today U.S. Space Force Lieutenant Colonel Bree Fram is the actual spokesman for the service branch‚ naturally speaking total gibberish in awful English at the Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summit. “We fight today and we fight in the future using brain power‚” Fram said. “And if that brain‚ who’s going to revolutionize the way we fight in cyber‚ just happens to be in a trans body‚ you should want them all serving alongside me.” Good thing for the Chinese astronauts that in space‚ no one can hear you laugh. There is a clear solution to the mystery of leftist destruction. It’s their purpose not the unforeseen result. They hate the Right and men — especially white men — and the Western civilization they built more than any phantom white supremacy. They’ll lose wars before welcoming such men‚ and label each defeat a victory as they did in Afghanistan. (READ MORE: Heroes and Zeroes of 2023) As for art‚ they know they can create nothing anywhere near as fine as the men who made the movies and kept them vibrant for a century. They can only soil and pervert their legacy with inclusive parasitic imitations‚ where girls can outfight boys and have no interest in romancing them or nurturing them. This hatred is all they have left‚ and they will burn the industry that foolishly hired them before catering to primitive deplorables. Which brings us to the old reliable bomb factory‚ Woke Disney. Its once magical branch‚ Pixar‚ joined the studio’s progressive party shoving feminist and gay propaganda down children’s throats. Until kids stopped showing up. Last weekend’s Pixar release Soul opened at 1‚350 theaters and grossed just half a million dollars. Now comes word the company will cut 20 percent of its work force‚ about 300 jobs. In the real world‚ Disney executives would reverse course from their feminist agenda‚ beginning with their once boy-centric franchise Star Wars. They would think of Luke Skywalker‚ Han Solo‚ and Obi-Wan Kenobi in the same way George Lucas first thought of Buck Rogers when conceiving those icons. But that would mean letting white men be heroes again and inspire boys of all races. (READ MORE: Beauty’s Last Stand – TV Christmas Movies) Disney had a better idea — hire male-bashing feminist director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy — to helm the new Star Wars film. No doubt Obaid-Chinoi’s 2015 quote‚ “I like to make men uncomfortable. I enjoy making men uncomfortable‚” cemented Disney’s choice of her as director. Unfortunately for her and Disney‚ men and boys will be very comfortable in a galaxy far‚ far away from the theater. The post Reality Bites the Left appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

Republicans’ harrumphing at the temporary disappearance of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin are missing the point amidst the Biden administration’s clown show this week. That‚ coupled with the U.S. and U.K. strikes on the Houthis‚ Biden’s green-lighting a Chinese attack on Taiwan‚ and the Feds’ declaration of war against Texas’s defending its border with Mexico adds up to more than the usual Biden disasters. What we and the U.K. should have done is also to have sunk the Iranian intelligence ship. We’ve become accustomed to brilliant‚ strong men leading the Defense Department. Yes‚ there have been some fools in the job (former Sen. Chuck Hagel comes immediately to mind) but for the most part the Pentagon chiefs have been of the caliber of Dick Cheney‚ Bill Perry‚ Frank Carlucci‚ and Donald Rumsfeld. (READ MORE from Jed Babbin: Israel’s Implacable Court) If any of those guys went missing for more than a half hour‚ everyone from the president on down would have been asking where he was. Not so Lloyd Austin. As Central Command boss‚ Lloyd was barely adequate. As SECDEF‚ he’s a non-entity‚ a bystander to the decisions made by others. Which is proven by the fact that he was in the hospital for several days before anyone noticed he was missing. None of our so-called leaders — Biden‚ Sullivan‚ Blinken — want his advice on anything including military matters. Austin is less valuable to Biden than a house cat or a door stop. Biden said Austin showed a lack of judgment in not telling the White House he was hospitalized. If Austin were even a small part of the Biden team they would have noticed his absence‚ not needing to be told. Austin claims to have directed the U.S. and U.K. air strikes on the Houthis of Yemen from his hospital bed. That may be true but it’s nothing for him or Biden to brag about. The Houthis are a tribe that make up less than ten percent of Yemen’s 30 million population. They are Shiite Muslims‚ which makes them Iran’s co-religionists. Iran is financing and supplying them with the weapons they are using. The Houthis have been launching drones and missiles to attack Israel as well as U.S. navy ships and commercial shipping in the Red Sea. The Red Sea‚ of course‚ is the best route from Asia to the Mediterranean Sea‚ Europe‚ and the U.S. through the Suez Canal. The other route — for Middle Eastern oil and commercial container shipments — goes all the way around the southern tip of Africa. The Houthis have made over one hundred attacks against U.S. Navy ships and commercial shipping since October 17‚ blaming Israel for their attacks. Biden threatened the Houthis with reprisals‚ to no effect. On Thursday and Friday‚ U.S. and U.K. ships in the area launched cruise missiles and airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen‚ reportedly killing about five people. (READ MORE: Foreseeable Consequences) For weeks‚ an Iranian intelligence ship has operated in the Red Sea‚ feeding targeting information and‚ probably‚ actually guiding Houthi drones and missiles to their targets. Last week‚ an Iranian frigate came into the Red Sea possibly to protect their intelligence ship. Biden‚ as always‚ got it wrong. Why only punish the monkey for the organ grinder’s actions?  By attacking the Houthis‚ Biden has raised their credibility and given them a sort of legitimacy they don’t deserve. We have made them the enemy and allowed Iran to hide behind its proxy force. What we and the U.K. should have done is also to have sunk the Iranian intelligence ship. That could have been accomplished easily using fewer of our forces than what we used to blow up a few Houthi radars and trucks. That would have punished Iran as well as the Houthis. We can’t expect Biden to stand up against Iran because that would require courage and competence. Basic competence would suffice in dealing with the border crisis‚ but that’s also too much to ask. Texas Gov. Gregg Abbot has been‚ unsuccessfully‚ trying to stem the tide of illegal immigrants coming into his state. He has bused and flown illegals to other states and cities by the thousands. In his latest move‚ the Texas National Guard has seized control of a state park on the border and refused the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol access to the park. The Biden administration’s reaction is to petition the U.S. Supreme Court to declare Texas’s seizure of the park illegal as an attempt to regulate immigration. The Supreme Court has‚ several times‚ ruled that federal law preempts state law and that any state attempt to control immigration is unconstitutional. In its 2012 decision in Arizona v. United States‚ the court ruled against states’ “inherent power” to do so. But that was 2012. Since Biden became president‚ about eight million illegal immigrants have come into the U.S. over our open southern border. That number doesn’t include the “gotaways” — who probably number an additional 1.5 million — who evaded the Border Patrol when entering the U.S. (READ MORE: Biden Wants Hamas To Win) At present‚ about ten thousand illegals a day come across the border. Abbot and Texas are dealing with a tidal wave of illegals. They may be trying to regulate immigration as an ancillary matter but what they are doing is defending Texas against an invasion that burdens its schools‚ hospitals‚ and welfare rolls so greatly that it’s a matter of the state’s survival. As this column has often stated‚ the open border is an enormous national security problem. That may not be enough to get the Supremes to rule in Texas’s favor‚ but it should. Meanwhile‚ Senate Republicans — if they can still claim that status — appear ready to sign off on a “border security” deal with Biden that will allow five thousand illegals in each day and give them work permits. It would be a total cave-in to Biden who‚ of course‚ said on Saturday that he’s prepared to make “significant alterations” to his border policy. Republicans shouldn’t believe that for one nanosecond. It’s another Biden ploy to keep the border open. I keep wondering what else Biden will screw up and how Republicans can keep going along with him. And there’s always China to consider. The Taiwanese have just elected Lai Ching-te their new president. China considers him a troublemaker because he’s spoken in favor of keeping Taiwan an independent democracy. Biden‚ of course‚ said he doesn’t favor Taiwanese independence. That statement green-lights the coming Chinese attack on Taiwan‚ which I have forecast‚ will take place before Biden leaves office in 2025 or — if things go as they appear to be going — in 2029. READ MORE from Jed Babbin: The Colorado Supreme Court vs. Trump Zelensky’s Dismal Week             The post Hitting the Houthis and Other Biden Mistakes appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

In 1963‚ Martin Luther King delivered his “I Had a Dream” speech.  At the time‚ racist barriers substantially impacted the life chances of blacks‚ the parents and grandparents of today’s black youths. Structural racism in American society was clearly evidenced in arrest statistics‚ housing availability‚ educational funding‚ and hiring decisions. Most importantly‚ we must find ways to strengthen black families. But in the last few decades‚ many if not most of these structural barriers have been decisively reduced‚ not irradicated mind you‚ but significantly statistically reduced. Increased educational opportunity‚ improved educational training of supervisory personnel‚ the expansion of human resource departments‚ and evolving white attitudes have all had positive impacts on urban policing‚ the criminal justice system‚ public schools‚ universities‚ and private corporations. Despite these obvious‚ evident‚ and calculable changes over the last few decades‚ social justice advocates nevertheless often interweaved widespread discriminatory policies from the past with anecdotal examples of racist actions in the present in order to claim there is an unbending and unending reign of systemic racism. (READ MORE from Robert Cherry: Demands for Reparations Hide Liberal Failures) In the spirit of Martin Luther King‚ Barak Obama did briefly embrace color-blind‚ meritocratic reforms during the first years of his presidency.  He signaled his approach in his 2004 Democratic Convention speech: Tonight‚ we gather to affirm the greatness of our nation … Now even as we speak‚ there are those who are preparing to divide us‚ the spin masters and negative ad peddlers who embrace the politics of anything goes. Well‚ I say to them tonight‚ there’s not a liberal America and a conservative America; there’s the United States of America. There’s not a black America and a white America and Latino America and Asian America; there’s the United States of America. Like King‚ Obama sought to use government initiatives to strengthen black individual efforts to become successful.  However‚ his policies to improve fatherhood‚ increase occupational successes‚ and to distinguish between violent and nonviolent crimes were never supported by the left wing of the Democratic Party and were ultimately abandoned.  There was a return to the race-centric policies that stressed black victimization due to continued structural racism.  As a result‚ the focus on “bias‚” with its narrative of racial victimization‚ continues today to reign supreme among social justice advocates rather than efforts to strengthen individual agency. Two generations ago‚ this emphasis made sense. Today‚ however‚ investments in human development of black Americans must be given at least equal weight. Indeed‚ it becomes increasingly clear that the real lives of millions of black people hang in the balance. To tell black people that all their woes stem from a failure of whites to treat them equally while avoiding helping black people become more effective‚ productive‚ and virtuous members of society‚ is to take the easy path. While comforting‚ it is nonetheless tragically misleading. For young black men‚ it is hard not to be demoralized by what seem to be incessant stories of black victimization‚ most notably the specter of unarmed black men being killed by police. While these examples are increasingly atypical‚ they serve to deflect attention away from the personal deficits that have a much more profound impact on black wellbeing. (READ MORE: Declining Black Voter Turnout: Apathy‚ Not Voter Suppression) Here we are‚ more than a half century past the heyday of the civil rights movement‚ and the self-appointed guardians of the interests of black America have no realistic programs to move more poor blacks to the stable middle class. Instead‚ they decry “white supremacy” and offer a snarl‚ a scold‚ or a bill of indictments.  No meaningful policies to improve the educational skills or behaviors of ten-year-old black children.  No meaningful policies to stem the gun culture among disconnected urban black youth. In contrast‚ black immigrant communities have been more successful with incomes substantially higher than the black community that descended from slavery.  Many of the groups‚ particularly Nigerian immigrants‚ have family incomes comparable if not superior to white Americans.  Though only 10 percent of the black population‚ immigrant youth comprise 40 percent of Ivy League blacks.  These outcomes strongly suggest that factors other than contemporary racism explain the weak performance on a host of measures of black descendants of American slavery. Most importantly‚ we must find ways to strengthen black families.  This includes stressing the success sequence among young blacks: first finishing school‚ then gaining fulltime employment‚ then marrying‚ and only then having children. (READ MORE: Contrary to Kanye West’s Claims‚ Jewish Organizations Actively Helped Black Artists) We must also bring resources into the black family.  Visiting nursing programs offer support and guidance to new mothers; and subsequent in-house programs help develop school readiness among their toddlers.  Once in school‚ house visits can help reduce the excessive absenteeism that has become a major problem in urban schools.  In addition‚ President Obama’s training initiatives should be a centerpiece of educational offerings rather than the disastrous four-year college-for-all strategy promoted by liberals.  Stackable certificate programs may be the best alternative for many high school students by providing them educational successes that they can build upon.  These are the necessary approaches if we are to fulfill King’s aspirations for black communities. Robert Cherry is an American Enterprise Institute affiliate and author of The State of the Black Family: Sixty Years of Tragedy and Failures – And New Initiatives Offering Hope. The post How Best To Fulfill King’s Aspirations appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.

Connecticut is just the latest state to provide a more accessible criminal record expungement system designed to “eliminate employment‚ education‚ and housing barriers for those convicted of low-level crimes‚ who have finished their sentences and remained crime free for a specific timeframe.” Maintaining that it is in “society’s best interest” the Clean Slate Law‚ which was signed by the Governor in 2021‚ has removed the criminal records of 80‚000 individuals as of January 1‚ 2024.Expungement should not be viewed as a liberal “soft on crime” approach. Additional states are considering similar laws now — and Churches and NGOs are helping. In California‚ more than 900 people attended the Archdiocese of San Francisco’s annual Restorative Justice event last fall for the victims of crime‚ as well as for formerly incarcerated individuals and their families.  For more than a decade now‚ the San Francisco Archdiocese has aimed to help crime victims as well as those released from prison or jail. Sponsored by the Archdiocesan Restorative Justice Ministry‚ this year’s conference was the largest ever and included a jobs fair with 50 employers hoping to find workers‚ and as many as 100 attendees were expected to find jobs as a result of their participation in the conference. (READ MORE from Anne Hendershott: Pope Francis Falls Silent on the Persecution of Jimmy Lai) This year’s conference included a criminal record expungement clinic staffed by the San Francisco Public Defender’s offices.  And although some might believe that helping to expunge the criminal records of those who have served their sentences is a “soft-on-crime” approach‚ the truth is that research indicates that expungement can in fact make society safer. Indeed‚ through a data-sharing agreement with the state of Michigan and the Cato Institute‚ a libertarian think tank that is dedicated to free‚ open and civil societies‚ research on expungement in Michigan has indicated that people who receive expungements have very low rates of recidivism — even lower by some measures than the average crime rates for all Michigan adults.  Just 4 percent of all expungement recipients in Michigan are reconvicted within five years‚ and most of these reconvictions are for nonviolent misdemeanors.  Expungement recipients have very low rates of recidivism and exhibit much better employment outcomes. Importantly — and perhaps the most important reason for the low rates of recidivism for Michigan’s expungement recipients — expungement recipients quickly exhibit better employment outcomes.  The data indicate that “average quarterly wages rise by about 23 percent within a year of expungement‚ an increase driven mainly by unemployed or marginally employed people finding work. “  And although we must acknowledge that those who have expunged records are likely to be qualitatively different from those who have not pursued the expungement route even with the same criminal history‚ we have to also acknowledge that at least some of the gain in wages is caused by expungement itself. The Michigan data are valuable because the state’s expungement law has been on the books for more than 50 years yielding valuable data.  And there is a growing awareness — even among conservatives — that expungement‚ in fact‚ can reduce crime.  We know — and the Michigan data validate — that the correlates of crime such as “unemployment‚ low wages‚ poverty‚ homelessness‚ poor education‚ stigma‚ and social exclusion are all associated with higher recidivism risk.”  If expungement alleviates even some of these conditions‚ it seems likely to reduce recidivism among those who petition for expungement of their criminal records. (READ MORE: All Politics Are Local — And So Is the Cheating)  Expungement has the potential to be an issue that can unite both Democrats and Republicans in their efforts to reduce crime.  Wisconsin is providing a good model for a bipartisan effort to help offenders clear their criminal records through their co-sponsorship of LRB 0955/1. In a statement published in the Wisconsin media‚ the co-sponsors complained that the state’s  earlier expungement procedures were published in the 1970s and were unnecessarily cumbersome. Their new bill — which is supported by the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin and the Koch family’s Americans for Prosperity — creates a new more effective and efficient process. It would seem that anything we can do to enable people to access employment‚ apply for a professional license‚ and find a safe place to live should be encouraged.  Yet there continue to be many states which refuse to even consider expunging the records of those who have paid their debt to society and have remained crime-free for several years. It is also very difficult to go through the process of petitioning for expungement.  The Cato/Michigan study found that only 6.5 percent of individuals eligible for expungement actually receive expungement during their first five years of eligibility.  Part of the reason for that is due to the fact that expungement is an arduous process — one that most individuals cannot handle without legal assistance. In 2019‚ a new reform campaign supported by the Center for American Progress‚ the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative‚ and Koch Foundation groups‚ the Clean Slate campaign argues that “automated data-driven processes are the key to effective record sealing.”  Toward that goal‚ a few states provide for the “automatic expungement” of some criminal convictions.  According to Cato‚ Pennsylvania and Utah passed these policies — with the near-unanimous support of Republican dominated legislatures.  Cato points out that‚ “Chambers of Commerce have joined with civil rights and civil liberties groups to endorse many recent reform proposals … many employers and landlords want to give opportunities to qualified applicants with records but cannot do so because of legal restrictions and fear of tort liabilities‚ which expungement laws curtail.” Still‚ even with an increased availability of access to expungement assistance‚ there are still a long list of Internet websites that offer “cheap and easy criminal background checks” open to the public for a fee‚  and there are also a number of state and local news blotters that post booking photos. These sites would not necessarily be updated with the expungement information. Forcing a website to take down public records would violate the First Amendment. But these websites could be encouraged — through legislation — to update their data if expungement has occurred. (READ MORE: Assisted Suicide Surges in California) Expungement should not be viewed as a liberal “soft on crime” approach.  Rather‚ we all should recognize that the dignity of human persons applies to both victim and the offender who has actually paid the price for his or her offenses.  This approach can offer society another way to understand and respond to crime‚ its victims‚ and its perpetrators.  It does not give up on those who violate the laws.  An effective and accessible expungement system that rewards those who have paid their debt to society would be a start. The post Should Conservatives Support Criminal Record Expungement? appeared first on The American Spectator | USA News and Politics.