Los Angeles public schools training teachers that ‘merit,’ ‘individualism’ rooted in ‘whiteness’
Los Angeles teachers told ‘the idea of meritocracy’ must be challenged in schools

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) is training teachers and staff that “merit” and “individualism” are concepts rooted in “whiteness” that must be challenged in schools.

LAUSD required all employees to undergo “implicit/unconscious bias training” guided by Tyrone Howard, a critical race theory (CRT) advocate and professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, prior to the 2021-2022 school year.

The training materials, which were obtained by Fox News Digital through a California Public Records Act (PRA) request, instructed educators to work toward being “antiracist” by challenging whiteness at school, which Howard argued exists in the concepts of “merit” and “individualism.”

“This idea that white is the standard, white is the norm, white is our default has to be challenged,” Howard said in the training video.

Merit, or meritocracy, “assumes that each person operates and achieves based on his or her own personal capacity,” the training handout reads. “It incorporates the notion that the work put forth, the effort invested, explains why some groups and individuals do well and others do not. It does not consider historical factors or account for opportunities, advantages, and privileges to which some groups have access both historically and in the present.”

“The idea of meritocracy,” Howard said in the video, “I think we have to challenge that because we have to recognize that some groups have had much more opportunities, some groups have had far more advantages, and some groups have certain types of privileges that other groups have not had.”

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) required all employees to undergo "implicit/unconscious bias training" prior to the 2021-2022 school year.

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) required all employees to undergo “implicit/unconscious bias training” prior to the 2021-2022 school year. (Screenshot / Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD))

 

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The original version is still a very good bullet

Tipped Triple-Shock X Ammo:
TTSX Bullets Explained

See the source image

The Tipped Triple-Shock X is an updated variation on Barnes Bullets’ popular Triple-Shock X (TSX) that debuted in 2003, as a premium hunting bullet. TSX was – and still is – extremely popular with a relatively large following, but this tipped version aims to improve upon it with the polymer tip and redesigned nose cavity.

These features offer better rapid expansion and a mushroom effect that splits uniformly into four “petals.” These petals spread away from the center of the bullet on impact, creating a massive wound channel and extreme damage if the shot is in or near any vitals on the target. This effect is similar to a hollow point, but more predictable and consistent due to the features explained below.

Tipped Triple-Shock X Features

  • Lead-Free: Like the standard Triple-Shock line, the tipped version is 100% lead-free. The entire bullet is made of copper, which is very corrosion resistant. And though lighter than lead, it has some benefits that lead and hybrid bullets simply don’t have. One of these is almost complete weight retention, leading to more uniform performance in flight and upon impact.
  • Grooved: Like other bullets from Barnes, these feature grooved rings that help performance at lower pressures. The grooves expand as the bullet passes through the barrel, creating a better connection to the rifling in the barrel. Because of this, accuracy is greatly improved. This is especially appreciated by reloaders, as they have specific uses in mind when creating their perfect ammo for hunting, defense, and target shooting.
  • Polymer Tip: Anyone familiar with aerodynamics knows that a tipped bullet will fly faster and flatter than one with a hollow tip, round nose or other “non-tipped” style. Most shooters describe this as a ballistic coefficient. While this is true, another vital role of the the polymer tip is that it actually acts as a “trigger” of sorts to initiate expansion on impact. When the bullet hits its target, the tip is driven back into the bullet, forcing the bullet to expand. The tipped TSX bullets have a wider and deeper hollow cavity that the tip rests in, so you get an even larger wound cavity with the tipped version. This is great for hunters who want to take down the largest game.

Tipped Triple-Shock X Uses

While this particular bullet is used almost exclusively in big-game hunting ammo, you can also use it for smaller critters – as it has the accuracy to devastate most critters at extreme range, which is good for skittish varmints that won’t let you get anywhere near them.

This bullet shines in the wolf, boar, deer, goat, moose and bear area – and with calibers like .300 Win Mag and .30-06, you will have plenty of knockdown power. If you live in an area with limited tags each season, you want every shot to count and this bullet in most calibers is going to get the job done beautifully.

Whether you’re a reloader, buying various ammo from Barnes directly, or know someone who uses these bullets in their own stock, this is going to be a favorite hunting ammo for you and people you hunt with. There’s quite a following for the TSX and most have jumped over to the tipped style, simply because it outperforms the standard in many ways.

We’ll have the shooting at Highland Park – just to the north of Chicago- blared loud for who knows how long, but just to the south? Nah.

Chicago shootings: 71 shot, 8 killed in 4th of July weekend violence

CHICAGO — Seventy one people were shot , eight fatally, in 4th of July holiday weekend shootings across the city, Chicago police said.

Last year, 19 people were killed and more than 100 people were shot over the long Fourth of July weekend.

The toll was lower that last year, when 19 people were killed and more than 100 people were shot over the long Fourth of July weekend. In 2020, 79 people were shot, 15 of them fatally; in 2019, 68 people were shot, 5 of them fatally.

Nine of the wounded were shot in two attacks on the West and South sides: Four people in West Garfield Park Friday evening, and five men in Parkway Gardens on the South Side early Monday.

At least 16 people were shot, two fatally, in a violent eight-hour span late Saturday into early Sunday in the city, according to Chicago police.

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Private Purchasers Clean Up at Fort Worth Gun Buyback

A few days ago, this correspondent wrote about the upcoming gun turn in event scheduled for Fort Worth, Texas. Police were offering $100 gift cards to people who turned in working firearms. As predicted, the police quickly ran out of gift cards. The event, scheduled for four days, ended in three and a half hours.

The private buyers did not run out of cash. They got some pretty good deals. C.J. Grisham, who founded Open Carry Texas spoke to a reporter.

From cbsnews.com:

“So we wanted to come out here and get some good deals,” Open Carry Texas President and Founder, CJ Grisham said.

Right outside of the event there was a group of people who were able to offer cash and buy guns themselves.

“We offered them $100 in cash, instead of one hundred in gift cards,” Grisham said. “And if they were just going to take it in there we might increase it a little bit but I think the average price we paid was maybe $150 today.”

Grisham said majority of the people they approached accepted his offer. CBS 11 asked Fort Worth police about guns they hoped would be taken off the street, remaining in the community.

The police said the private buyers were within their rights to make offers and purchase guns themselves. The private buyers purchased about 30 guns, according to Grisham, at an average of about $150.

From the image shown on the video, the private buyers did well. The firearms purchased appear to include an SKS rifle, a double barreled shotgun, a Freedom Arms mini-revolver, a Remington semi-automatic centerfire rifle, an Explorer II .22 pistol,  a Smith & Wesson Scandium revolver, and many more.

The police showed an image of 107 firearms they accepted in exchange for gift cards. Included in the guns turned in was a classic model 12 Winchester shotgun, a Colt revolver, and numerous other rifles and shotguns. As expected, there was the usual assortment of inexpensive pistols, single shot shotguns, and .22 rifles. One of those appeared to be a Marlin lever action model 39 in good condition.

Most of the guns turned in were worth more than $100. The Model 12 Winchester usually goes for over $400. A model 39 Marlin would easily bring $400. There appeared to be an antique Smith & Wesson model 3 top-break revolver. It might have been worth over a thousand dollars.

There was at least one air rifle. Air guns and blank pistols may help account for a slight discrepancy in the reporting of the number of firearms turned in. Some reports state 112 guns were turned in to the police.

Guns turned in to Fort Worth Police (courtesy of Fort Worth Police Department)

From wfaa.com:

“Maybe was inherited, maybe just lying around. They had no use for and they didn’t want it to fall into the wrong hands or the hands of a child,” said Carabaja. “We respect everybody’s rights, everyone that
came in here voluntarily and they got something out of it.”

Officers planned to collect weapons for four days. But they run out of gift cards within hours, collecting 112 handguns and rifles of almost every make and model, according to police. 

None of the funds used to purchase the gift cards came from taxpayer money. The program uses confiscated monies for gun buyback events.

One of their goals is to keep weapons like these out of the wrong hands. 

The academic response to these sort of events is uniform. They do not work to reduce crime or suicides. The only plausible effect is propaganda, to send a message to the public: Guns bad. Turn them into the police. The private buyers countered that message with another: Guns are good. We pay Cash.

T.J. Grisham and the other private purchasers had a good day. The guns brought in were “taken off the streets” and into the hands of the police or into the hands of responsible private citizens.

Some AmmoLand readers were considering attending the Fort Worth event. Comments from those who attended would be a welcome addition to our information about what happened at the event.

Your; Hypocrisy O’ The Day

Crosby, Stills & Nash Back on Spotify After Failed Joe Rogan Boycott

Crosby, Stills and Nash have decided to return to Spotify, following their boycott of the streamer that began in February to protest podcaster Joe Rogan’s content. That boycott failed to oust Rogan from the streaming platform.

According to Billboard, the group’s music returned as of Saturday. CSN will reportedly donate proceeds from streams to Covid-19 charities for at least one month……………

Greenwood homeowner shoots, kills alleged burglar overnight
Seattle police said the homeowner reported the alleged burglar had climbed a fence in his backyard sometime before 2:30 a.m. Saturday and that he confronted him.

SEATTLE — A homeowner shot and killed an alleged burglar in Seattle’s Greenwood neighborhood early Saturday morning, according to the Seattle Police Department.

At around 2:30 a.m., a resident near the 900 block of North 101st Street called 911 and reported a disturbance at a neighbor’s house and that they heard someone say to call 911.

Arriving Seattle police officers found a man with a gunshot wound in a backyard and gave first aid. Seattle Fire Department medics also arrived and gave first aid but the man was eventually transported to Harborview Medical Center.

The man later died from his injuries, according to the Seattle Police Department.

Seattle police said the homeowner reported the man had climbed a fence in his backyard and that he confronted him. The alleged burglar refused to leave once confronted, according to the homeowner. The homeowner then shot the alleged burglar, Seattle police said.

Seattle police said homicide detectives will continue to investigate the shooting. Investigators were at the scene Saturday morning collecting evidence.

Seattle police did not say whether or not there will be charges related to the incident. No arrests have been made.

Intruder shot in chest after attempting to break into home in central Wichita

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) – Update: WPD confirmed that around 5:15 p.m. Saturday a man attempted to break into a house near east 12th street and north Broadway. The homeowner then shot the intruder leaving him critically injured.

The intruder was transported to a nearby hospital, but his current condition is unknown. The homeowner was uninjured.

The Wichita Police Department (WPD) confirms that one man was shot multiple times in the chest just after 5 p.m. near east 12th street and north broadway.

He is in critical condition but is expected to survive. He was transported to a nearby hospital for his injuries.

No, We Don’t Want Women to Have the Same Rights as Guns

Nearly every time the pro-life movement achieves a significant legislative or judicial victory, progressives create either memes or protest signs riffing on conservatives’ commitment to gun rights. These takes were out in full force after the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, both because of the magnitude of that ruling and because the previous day, in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen, the Court struck down a New York law that required individuals to demonstrate a need to carry guns outside the home.

Leftists on Twitter said they wished that “women in America had the same rights as a gun.” They must have tweeted these wishes in fits of passion without really thinking about them, because putting women on the same legal footing as guns would be pretty sexist. If Democrats had their way in Bruen, women would have to demonstrate to the government a need to leave their homes. Here’s what else would happen if we were to treat women like guns:

Men would need a permit to bring women outside the home. While Bruen made it unconstitutional for the government to require people to demonstrate a need to carry guns beyond their doorstep, most states in the union require gun-owners to possess concealed-carry permits. The requirements for these permits vary from state to state, but most require applicants to be a minimum age (usually 18 or 21) and take a class on firearm safety. Putting such regulations on women going beyond their doorstep would seem more fitting for a country like Afghanistan than for the United States.

Women would not be allowed to attend school. We often hear about gun-free zones after school shootings. The Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 criminalizes the possession or discharge of a firearm in a school zone. If we were to treat women like guns, K–12 schools would become “woman-free zones.” Similarly there are many college campuses that do not allow students to carry on campus. There were times in our country’s history when men and women were not allowed to attend school together, and those were not good times. Progressives describe the decision in Dobbs as “going backwards,” but that would be more apt if we treated women the same as guns.

Women could be bought and sold. If we are worried about objectifying women, calling to give them the same rights as literal objects is not helpful.

In short, this idea that “women should have the same rights as guns” would be more like The Handmaid’s Tale than any pro-abortion caricature of pro-life legislation ever imagined. Our political slogans are not meant to be the height of discourse, but we should expect them to be minimally coherent.

Biden advisor on Thursday:
Americans Need To Pay More for Gas To Defend ‘Liberal World Order.’

Today, from the senile clabberhead

Fatal shooting near Cave Junction investigated as self-defense

CAVE JUNCTION, Ore. — One man is dead after a shooting near Cave Junction Thursday morning.

According to State Police, Josephine County Sheriff’s deputies responded to shooting around 3:30 Thursday morning at a home on Browntown Road near Cave Junction. When deputies arrived, they found 42-year-old Jacob Benson dead. Investigators say 47-year-old William Illingworth had shot Benson when Benson entered Illingworth’s home after a verbal argument.

The OSP Major Crimes Team was called in who are investigating the incident as a self-defense shooting.

OSP was assisted by the Josephine County Sheriff’s Office, Josephine County District Attorney’s Office and the OSP Forensic Lab.

 

Hmmmm. Didn’t know they had one. Oops! I been a baaaad boy.

The Second Amendment Isn’t Only Guns: Virginia’s Switch Blade Ban Died Today.

Knife Rights’ Virginia Switchblade Ban Repeal Bill, SB 758, is effective today (July 1). The possession, carry, sale, purchase and manufacture of automatic (switchblade) knives will be legal in the state.

NOTE: The concealed carry knife bans in Virginia, including of switchblade (automatic) knives, will still remain in effect: “If any person carries about his person, hidden from common observation, (i) any dirk, bowie knife, switchblade knife, ballistic knife, machete, razor, … or (v) any weapon of like kind as those enumerated in this subsection…”

Holding a Virginia Concealed Handgun Permit doesn’t allow concealed carry of an automatic (switchblade) knife.

Knife Rights will never stop until all archaic knife restrictions in Virginia are repealed.

With the repeal in Virginia, only five states remain with a complete ban on civilian possession of switchblade (automatic) knives. Knife Rights has led the effort to repeal switchblade bans or restrictions in 19 states, starting with New Hampshire in 2010. Repeals have since been enacted in Alaska, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

Altogether, Knife Rights’ efforts have resulted in 39 bills repealing knife bans in 25 states and over 150 cities and towns since 2010.

Poll finds opposition to SCOTUS’ Second Amendment ruling

The reason the Supreme Court is appointed for a lifetime term is so they won’t have to consider public sentiment on controversial issues like, say, guns. Once they’re confirmed, they can’t be removed simply because their findings aren’t popular.

Yet that won’t stop some from looking to see how people feel about rulings made by the Court.

In a recent poll, there appear to be some interesting takes regarding guns.

The Monmouth poll shows just what restrictions people favor, including 60 percent saying they support a national gun registry, as one example.

It also found 83 percent support, to some degree, universal background checks.

Now, in the past, I’ve been critical of how these questions are asked, but Monmouth phrased it as, “Do you support or oppose requiring comprehensive background checks for all gun purchasers, including private sales between two individuals?”

That, at least, removes any ambiguity, so while I oppose the policy, I can at least accept the number.

The poll also argues that most disagree with the Bruen decision.

They asked respondents, “Do you agree or disagree that individual states should be allowed to limit who can carry a concealed handgun by requiring permit applicants to demonstrate that they need the weapon for their work or for protection?”

It found that 56 percent agree that states should be able.

On this, though, there is some ambiguity. The problem is that the phrase “for protection” isn’t quite how things worked. You had to show a specific reason why you needed to be able to protect yourself, as opposed to everyone else.

I suspect at least some of that 56 percent are supportive of a more general idea of “for protection” than the now overturned law allowed.

But not all of the poll’s findings are distinctly anti-gun.

Meanwhile, they also found that 63 percent feel that the law will either make them safer or have no impact on public safety, with just three percent saying they don’t know.

As for the subject of mass shootings, Monmouth asked, “Do you think the number of recent mass shootings in the U.S. is due more to the ease of getting guns or due more to a mental health crisis in the country?”

55 percent said it was the result of a mental health crisis compared to just 33 percent who blamed easy access to firearms, with 9 percent saying it was both.

The poll also looked at why those who admitted to having a gun decided to have one, with “personal safety” and “protect my property” both being a major reason for most of the respondents.

“[D]efend again possible government tyranny” was only a major reason for 28 percent. Yet it was noted as a minor reason for another 23 percent.

So what does any of this mean?

Well, for one thing, we haven’t done a good enough job educating the general populace about the benefits of firearm ownership, nor of the fact that gun control simply does not work. We also haven’t done a very good job of educating people about the importance of their rights as a whole. Far too many are apparently willing to deal their rights away for the illusion of safety, not recognizing that the illusion masks something far more sinister.

We all–and I’m looking at myself–need to do better about that.

93-year-old homeowner shoots, critically injures intruder in Moreno Valley

MORENO VALLEY, Calif. (KABC) — A 93-year-old homeowner took matters into his own hands when he shot and critically injured a suspect who authorities say broke into the home in Moreno Valley.

The incident happened in the 24300 block of Eucalyptus Avenue around 12:30 a.m. on Wednesday, according to the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. When deputies arrived, they found one person with a gunshot wound. Investigators then determined that the homeowner was the one who opened fire.

A man whose wife is related to the homeowner told Eyewitness News the elderly man’s property has been broken into a number of times. He identified the elderly man as Joe.

“He was tired because every time he calls the police, (they took) forever to come and assist him,” said Oscar Malma. “He took the law into his own hands… He’s been working all his life and whatever little things he has, he’s (protecting).”

Malma said it’s possible that Joe was targeted by the same culprits on several occasions.

“It happened once on Friday. On that bright day, they went (broke) into the house. And now this happens in the middle of the night. They were looking for him. He’s an old, retired plumber. He has a lot of tools…he’s a musician as well, so he’s got a lot of musical instruments. Little by little, they’ve been ripping him off,” Malma said.

Authorities have not confirmed how many reported break-ins there have been at that home.

Law enforcement officials were seen investigating a black Audi near the home, but they did not disclose who the vehicle belonged to. The vehicle was eventually loaded onto a flatbed and taken away.

The suspected intruder was taken to the hospital in critical condition.

Malma said the homeowner was taken to the police station for questioning. He said he doesn’t believe Joe will be arrested, because “he was defending his property. That happened inside his house. So I don’t think there’s any reason for him to be arrested.”

NPR finally realizes that when seconds count, police are minutes away

When your society has reached a point where you can’t agree on whether or not a man can get pregnant, you know that rational discourse based on shared underlying facts is extremely difficult if not impossible. Generally speaking, but especially so in a society that has reached such a point, the government ought to stay completely out of the news business. Yet, unfortunately, we have taxpayer-funded left-wing propaganda in the form of National Public Radio (NPR).

NPR’s far-Left bias is well-known. Still, it’s amusing to see them finally realize something that gun rights advocates have said all along, that when seconds count, the police are minutes away.

The tragic history of police responding too late to active shooters

Confusion, chaos and wrong information appear to have contributed to law enforcement’s delay in stopping the gunman at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

The gunman spent more than an hour inside the school while police waited outside, authorities say. This was because the incident commander, school district police chief Pete Arredondo, treated the scene as a barricaded-person situation rather than as an active shooter situation.

Details of exactly what went wrong are still hazy as the investigation is ongoing.

Law enforcement experts say what happened in Uvalde is reminiscent of what occurred in prior mass shootings, including the attack at Columbine High School in 1999 and at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018.

As shown by the Uvalde shooting and others before it, police are still making tragic missteps in the most critical moments of active shooter situations — regardless of training.

Police are human beings like the rest of us. They are not supermen or demigods. Exclusively depending on the police for one’s protection is a bad idea because of the fallibility of our fellow humans in uniform.

“Columbine changed everything,” Joseph Giacalone, an adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a retired New York City Police Department detective sergeant, told NPR. “When you have an active shooter, you have to end the threat. Because if you don’t, the person continues on killing.”

Cullen went on to say that this protocol has worked. During the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting, he wrote, “it probably saved dozens of lives.”

This is something that the gun rights community has been screaming from the rooftops for a long time. Stopping aggression that’s imminent or already underway requires the immediate reciprocal use of defensive force.

Calling cops and waiting is a bad idea when an attack is imminent or already underway, because when cops do arrive, there is no guarantee that their response won’t end up in inaction, such in Uvalde or Parkland, or in shooting the wrong person, as was the case with John Hurley in Arvada, CO.

The article also addresses fear, command, the lack of intelligence (just one meaning of the word, unfortunately), and basic incompetence such as not checking if your radios are actually functioning.

Though this may be the standard now, instances have shown that fear may get the better of responding officers….

“It’s about the unifying of command. It’s about having an unseen coordinator. It’s about somebody dictating what has to go on inside and when somebody has to go on dealing with things outside,” he said. This was clearly a missing piece in Uvalde, Giacalone said….

More work needs to be done to address intelligence available to officers at these scenes, Giacalone said….

The shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School occurred just outside the Coral Springs Police Department’s jurisdiction, yet the 911 dispatch center didn’t make any officers aware of the shooting for over four minutes after receiving the first 911 call, according to the commission report analyzing the shooting…

Additionally, officers reported their radios not working at all, causing many not to respond urgently when they heard gunshots.

Although it is good to see NPR tell its listeners and readers that police responses can be slow and ineffective, and address a wide range of factors such as training, command, intelligence, fear, and incompetence, it is a letdown to see NPR not acknowledge the best solution that gun rights advocates have been demanding all along: armed self-defense.

That may take another decade or two, but better late than never, right?

States with higher rate of gun ownership do not correlate with more gun murders, data show

Calls have rung out across the nation demanding gun control laws in a bid to curb violent crimes such as the recent series of mass shootings. Data, however, show that in states with higher percentages of households with at least one gun, crimes are not higher than in states with strict gun laws.

“Gun ownership is higher in states with fewer restrictions, and homicide rates in these states are lower. People can protect themselves,” George Mason University Professor Emerita Joyce Lee Malcolm told Fox News Digital of what she’s found through her research. Malcolm pointed to a study on burglars from 1986 that found 34% of burglars interviewed reported “to having been scared off, shot at, wounded or captured by an armed victim.”

Fox News Digital compiled FBI data from 2019 detailing murders and gun murders per 100,000 population for most states, as well as assembled Rand Corporation data released in 2020 showing the percentage of households with at least one firearm in 2016. The data does not reflect the skyrocketing violent crimes of 2020 and likely undercounts the current percentages of homes with at least one firearm as it does not reflect the influx of Americans who rushed to arm themselves in 2020.

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