Parents Revolt After Texas’s No. 1 School District Tries To Institutionalize Racism.

Parents of kids attending Texas’s top-performing school district found out what their schools have been teaching in the name of ‘racial justice,’ and they are livid.

A suburb of Dallas, Texas has exploded into national media coverage and arrests of school board members after parents found out what their schools have been teaching in the name of “racial justice.” They’re fighting back with lawsuits and challengers for two school board seats in an election that finishes May 1.

Carroll Independent School District of Southlake is the top-achieving school district in Texas. It has no racial achievement gaps, which is nearly unheard of. That’s because Southlake attracts high-achieving families of all races.

The local median income is more than four times the national average and poverty there is statistically nonexistent. According to district data, “microaggressions,” bullying, and racially charged incidents happen approximately three times per month in the district of 8,500 students, meaning they involve 0.3 percent of students a year.

Yet, beginning in 2018, the district rushed into an eye-popping “cultural competence” plan after two videos of students singing the n-word along with rappers went viral on social media. Media outlets went nuts on the story, and so did local school board meetings, where sometimes-crying taxpayers, parents, and students spent hours insisting their lives have been forever damaged by the kind of “institutional racism” in Southlake illustrated by the rap sing-alongs.

They weren’t complaining that rappers stud songs with racial slurs, or that parents let their kids listen to such music. They were complaining about things like teasing and graffiti. They demanded the school district end such annoyances, and even treat them like crimes, or be convicted in the court of public opinion of enabling “institutional racism.”

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I’ll take “Questions that ‘Yes’ is the answer to” for $#500, Alex.

Did John Kerry Commit a Crime When He Spilled Intelligence Secrets to Iran?

I mean, it’s not a headline that would scream ‘John Kerry is a bumbling idiot.’ It simply reads: “Iran’s Foreign Minister, in Leaked Tape, Says Revolutionary Guards Set Policies.” Hey, being that Iran is the largest state-sponsor of terrorism, that’s not quite shocking. What is shocking is what’s buried towards the end of this story featuring Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s foreign minister, which our friend Ed Morrisey wrote about over at Hot Air earlier today. John Kerry is at it again, spilling secrets to Iran about covert actions against them.

It’s literally at the end where the publication discusses the rocket attack that was launched as a US base in Iraq after Donald Trump decided to turn Iran’s top terrorist, General Qasem Soleimani into an ashtray in January of 2020 (via NYT) [emphasis mine]:

On the night that Iran decided to retaliate against the United States for the killing of General Suleimani, two Quds Force commanders went to see the Iraqi prime minister, Adel Abdul Mahdi, to inform him that in about 45 minutes Iran would be firing missiles at a military base where U.S. troops were stationed, Mr. Zarif said. The Americans knew about the strike before he did.

Former Secretary of State John Kerry informed him that Israel had attacked Iranian interests in Syria at least 200 times, to his astonishment, Mr. Zarif said.

Come again? This isn’t the first time Kerry has acted against the interests of the United States. After Donald Trump won the 2016 election, Kerry allegedly engaged in ‘shadow diplomacy’ to keep the shoddy Obama-era Iran Deal on life support at least. Hey, isn’t this a Logan Act violation?

Remember, these are the Left’s rules.

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The Right to Bear Arms: A Constitutional Right of the People or a Privilege of the Ruling Class?

This is the first scholarly study of the history of the right to bear and carry arms outside of the home, a right held dear by Americans before, during, and after the Founding period; it rebuts attempts by anti-gun advocates to rewrite history and “cancel” the Founding generation’s lived experiences bearing firearms.

The U.S. Supreme Court has recognized the individual right to keep and bear arms, but courts in states that have extreme gun control restrictions apply tests that balance the right away. This book demonstrates that the right peaceably to carry firearms is a fundamental right recognized by the text of the Second Amendment and is part of our American history and tradition.

Halbrook’s scholarly work is an exhaustive historical treatment of the fundamental, individual right to carry firearms outside of the home. Halbrook traces this right from its origins in England through American colonial times, the American Revolution, the Constitution’s ratification debates, and then through the antebellum and post-bellum periods, including the history surrounding the enactment of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

This book is another important contribution by Halbrook to the scholarship concerning the text, history and tradition of the Second Amendment’s right to bear and carry arms.

Census: TX Gains 2 House Seats, CA, NY Lose One As US Political Map Is Redrawn.

The first set of results from the 2020 census are in, and reveal that the red state of Texas is set to gain two House seats, while California and New York will each lose one. This will bring the red state of Texas to a total of 38 seats and 40 electoral college votes – the 2nd highest behind California.

Also gaining seats are Colorado, Florida, Montana, Oregon and North Carolina, while states losing House seats also include Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

The states which gained seats are largely those won by former President Donald Trump in 2020, while states which Biden won during the election are “losers” according to Bloomberg.

And because the Electoral College factors in House representation, those states will lose influence in the 2024 presidential vote.

There is one bright spot for Democrats, as demographic changes also mean that Republican strongholds such as Texas are becoming more Democratic, putting the party closer to its long-term goal of someday moving the Lone Star state out of the Republican column.

According to the Census Bureau, the US population grew by 7.4% over the past decade to a total of 331,449,281 people.

The constitutionally mandated count of all people living in the US was delayed due to the Trump administration’s unsuccessful efforts to remove undocumented immigrants from the count, which would have likely increased the number of GOP-held districts in the next Congress.

The Census Bureau announced the first installment of figures during a 3PM Monday press conference. More detailed data on demographics will be released Aug. 16. It will show the growth in various population centers which will guide states in redrawing congressional district maps.

19-year-old shot and killed in Rock Hill, officials said shooting was in self-defense

ROCK HILL, S.C. — A disorderly call to an apartment on Saturday morning left a 19-year-old shot and dead, Rock Hill Police Department said. Officials said the shooting was in result of self-defense and the defense of others.

On April 24 around 4:30 a.m. police received a disorderly call to an apartment in the 1500 block of Eagles Place. While on the way to the apartment, officers received information that a shooting had occurred.

Once on the scene officers located a 19-year-old male with two gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead on the scene.

“It definitely gives me an uneasy feeling,” neighbor Ben Cagle said.

During the initial investigation process, officials learned the 19-year-old allegedly initiated a verbal altercation with others in the apartment. Authorities said the altercation then escalated when the 19-year-old began assaulting those in the apartment and threatened to kill them. The 19-year-old strangled a male who he assaulted, officials said, and was then shot by another person in the apartment in an attempt to stop the attack.

Officers said the 19-year-old then turned and started strangling a female in the apartment. He was then shot a second time, then collapsed.

“It’s usually pretty quiet around here, everyone usually just minds their own business and goes about their day. I talk to my neighbors every once and awhile but other than that it’s business as usual,” Cagle said.

Rock Hill investigators said after conducting interviews to collect details of the incident, they reached out to the York County Solicitors Office and it was determined the shooting was in self-defense and the defense of others.

Those involved in the incident will not be charged.

Hartsgrove Township homeowner shoots 26-year-old armed robber in the chest

HARTSGROVE TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WOIO) – A 26-year-old Ashtabula man who opened fire during an armed robbery is in critical condition after the homeowner shot him, the Ashtabula County Sheriff’s Office confirmed.

Sheriff William Niemi said deputies were called to the 6000 block of Hurlburt Road just before 8 p.m. on Thursday for a report of a shooting.

The preliminary investigation determined the man and two other individuals went to the home to retrieve some property, according to Niemi.

The man went into the home with a gun and demanded his property, the sheriff said.

A short time later, witnesses who stayed outside heard a series of gunshots before the man ran out with his hand on his stomach, Niemi said.

The sheriff said investigators believe the man fired at the homeowner before he was shot.

Niemi said the man actually suffered a gunshot wound to the chest and was driven to the Windsor Township Fire Department where he was treated before being flown to University Hospitals in Cleveland.

According to Niemi, he was listed in critical condition, but is stable and expected to recover.

No arrests have been made in this ongoing investigation.

Former Federal Prosecutor: ‘More Gun Control Laws Not the Answer’

Writing Friday at the Dallas Morning News, a former federal prosecutor reached what may have been an unpleasant realization by acknowledging, “More gun control laws would not have prevented what happened in Dallas, Atlanta or Boulder.”

Erin Nealy Cox, former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, also stated a fact routinely lost or at least misunderstood by the press and public: “There’s no question that we need to limit access to weapons for these extremists, but contrary to the popular view that such limitations don’t exist, those of us in law enforcement know that they do.”

Translation, though Cox may not realize it, is that criminals—including people intent on doing great harm though they have no prior criminal record—do not obey gun laws.

The country does have background checks, even at gun shows. Unlike voting, gun buyers must show photo ID to exercise their Second Amendment rights.

Simultaneous to Cox’s Op-Ed in the Dallas Morning News, Rutgers political science Professor Ross K. Baker laments at USA Today that “gun control is a lost cause.”

“What kills (gun control) efforts in Congress,” Baker complains, “is the recognition in the minds of politicians that there are voters in their states and districts who are Second Amendment absolutists, whether they be the kind of people who shoot at targets for practice or those who might shoot at people because of malice or derangement.”

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Carrying a gun saved my life

I write in response to the April 18 letter from Max Schreiber of Cedar Falls. He laments the recent gun laws in Iowa. He said the Founding Fathers wrote the Second Amendment when firearms were single shot muzzle loaders. So, you are saying the only weapons that fall under the Second Amendment are ones in use in the 18th century? I guess that would also apply the First Amendment. This is the one that protects (not gives) your right to express your opinion. I would imagine you expressed it on a computer. Sorry, those weren’t around in the 18th century, so you had no right to express that opinion.

I have had a carry permit for over 36 years. I have never broken a law with my guns. I once had my life saved because I was carrying a revolver when I caught a guy trying to break into my house. I never even pointed it at him. My training kicked in and the sight of it made him want to leave.

I will continue to carry weapons to protect me and my family. If that scares you I suggest you go to a safe room.

Jim Whitmer, Waterloo

Man acted in self-defense in fatal motel shooting

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – Deputies with the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office say a fatal shooting near Siegen Lane Saturday night was an act of self-defense.

According to EBRSO, Aaron Hudson, was shot and killed by Kenneth Jobbers April 24.

The shooting happened at Motel 6 on Rieger Road around 7:45 p.m.

Allegedly, Hudson began questioning Jobbers about dealing drugs in his area.

Deputies say Hudson then entered Jobbers’ motel room and pulled out a gun.

Jobbers allegedly retrieved his own gun and shot Hudson.

At this time, the alleged shooter is not being charged for the homicide.

He was arrested on other charges including possession of marijuana and possession of schedule I drugs.

Gun Control Advocate Declares Movement “Lost Cause”

Rutgers University political science professor Ross Baker thinks we have too many guns in this country and not enough gun control laws. He also thinks the gun control movement that he’s a part of is a lost cause, declaring in a new column at USA Today that it stands alongside “legitimating polygamy and scrapping the national anthem for something more singable” in the pantheon of failed movements.

Obviously Baker isn’t happy about this, but he does seem to be seriously giving up on the idea that Americans are ever going to wholeheartedly embrace a gun ban agenda.

The brief flicker of hope that somehow the financial problems of the National Rifle Association, and the profligate spending of members’ dues by one its top executives, might stifle the effectiveness of the opposition to even the most modest efforts to control firearms or reduce their lethality became an iridescent dream — and seemed to prove that the organization itself was never much of a factor in blocking gun-control legislation.

As my colleague Tom Knighton pointed out recently, despite its legal challenges, the NRA hasn’t disappeared. In fact, it’s launching a $2-million campaign to defeat Joe Biden’s ATF nominee. Still Baker is on to something; the power of the NRA comes from its members, not its executives. And who are those members? Millions of American gun owners, and even if the Second Amendment organization were to be dissolved by the New York Attorney General, those gun owners aren’t suddenly going to decide that their right to keep and bear arms is unimportant to them. In fact, I’d imagine that an assault like that would end up energizing millions more gun owners to become politically active.

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Gun Records Restoration and Preservation Act – A Threat To Privacy

The gun grabbing circus lead by Nanny Bloomberg’s Moms Demand Action, Everytown, Giffords, Brady United (Handgun Control Inc.), etc. would just love to see every protection for responsible gun owners abolished. Coming from none other than Senator Bob Menendez, from the freedom crushing land of New Jersey, is S. 974: Gun Records Restoration and Preservation Act. The bill’s description is a little misleading, “To repeal certain impediments to the administration of the firearms laws.” If you start to dig through what on earth this is or might be all about, you’ll be greeted by a nice pile of legalese gobbledygook, but the intent is clear; to destroy the privacy protections for gun owners built into current law and to lay the groundwork for a national gun registry.

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Editorial Argues That We Don’t Actually Have Gun Control

People who write for a living aren’t required to be knowledgeable on the subjects they write about. That doesn’t stop most of them from writing about stuff like gun control, though. They do it all the time.

In fairness, there are plenty who don’t think I know what I’m talking about most of the time either, so what can you do?

Regardless, though, sometimes someone gets so far out of their lane that it’s almost comedic. Other times, not so much.

I’m not really sure which time this one is.

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Here’s How Montana Is Protecting Itself from Biden’s Gun Control Orders

President Joe Biden’s gun control executive orders are bad enough.

He raised even further concerns though when, in announcing these orders, he claimed that “no amendment — no amendment to the Constitution is absolute… the idea is just bizarre to suggest that some of the things we’re recommending are contrary to the Constitution.” Americans are understandably concerned then that their Second Amendment rights are at risk.

Fortunately, Gov. Greg Gianforte (R-MT) on Friday signed into law H.B. 258, which will protect gun owners in Montana from federal gun control laws.

Today, I proudly signed Rep. Hinkle’s law prohibiting federal overreach into our Second Amendment-protected rights, including any federal ban on firearms.

I will always protect our #2A right to keep and bear arms. pic.twitter.com/2xY8DeEtqf

— Governor Greg Gianforte (@GovGianforte) April 23, 2021

According to Iris Samuels with AP, the legislation “prohibits state and local law enforcement in Montana from enforcing federal bans on firearms, ammunition and magazines.”

As proof that a change in administrations really can make a difference, the former Gov. Steve Bullock had vetoed such legislation multiple times before, Samuels reported, in 2013, 2015, and 2017.

Bullock ran a failed presidential campaign in the Democratic primary and was also defeated by the Republican incumbent, Sen. Steve Daines during his senatorial campaign. As governor, Bullock vetoed a host of Republican measures, another one being born-alive legislation, which would require that babies born alive from abortions be provided medical care.

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John Kerry Wants To Kill All The Plants.

Kill the plants! That’s what John Kerry advocated for during today’s global climate summit lecture fest.

Joe Biden declared this morning that SCIENCE IS BACK!

Uh huh. Let’s have the U.S. cut MORE emissions while China laughs in the background. Let’s have the U.S. host a global climate summit that end up resembling a gong show due to all the technical difficulties.

But science baby! It’s back! Never mind that screeching harpy Greta Thunberg blames the U.S. for its role in emissions when India, China, and Russia are the world’s leading culprits, the SCIENCE is clear!!

If we don’t achieve 50% emissions decrease within the next few years, we are all doomed. So, how do we get there?

“By 2030, half the country’s electricity would come from renewable sources such as wind, solar or hydropower, up from one-fifth today.

New natural gas plants would largely be built with technology that can capture carbon dioxide, instead of releasing it into the atmosphere — technology that is still in its infancy.

Virtually all of the 200 remaining coal plants would shut down unless they, too, can capture their emissions and bury them underground.

By 2030, two-thirds of new cars and S.U.V.s sold would be battery-powered, up from roughly 2 percent today.

All new buildings would be heated by electricity rather than natural gas.

The nation’s cement, steel and chemical industries would adopt stringent new energy-efficiency targets.

Oil and gas producers would slash emissions of methane, a potent heat-trapping gas, by 60 percent.

The nation’s forests would expand, and farming practices would be reworked, so that they pull 20 percent more carbon dioxide out of the air than they do today.”

Oh. Is that all? Read item two again. Then read the last item. Now let’s listen to John Kerry. Don’t whine, it’ll be over quick.

I’ll admit it, I laughed so hard at this. First of all, what Kerry said is the very epitome of junk science. Secondly, he did so with all the lemmings nodding their head while he sits in front of a …PLANT display!

Refer again to the “ideas” list above, then listen to John Kerry again. Add more forests, but get rid of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere! The dude needs a refresher in biology!

 

Exactly! To be exact:

“Carbon dioxide is a gas consisting of one part carbon and two parts oxygen. It is one of the most important gases on the earth because plants use it to produce carbohydrates in a process called photosynthesis. Since humans and animals depend on plants for food, photosynthesis is necessary for the survival of life on earth. [Emphasis Added]”

Fresh air, air that helps plants GROW so that we can use them for food, warmth, and shelter is necessary to the Earth’s survival. It’s hugely necessary for OUR survival. To be sure, as the push grows for more air tight energy efficient buildings (which take fresh air away from us), carbon dioxide INSIDE our homes, hospitals, and businesses is and should be a real concern.

Yet Kerry is advocating for killing all the plants by taking CO2 out of our atmosphere.

Does he want this plant to freeze? Evidently so. But hey! Once all the plant, animal, and human life is gone, we won’t have to deal with climate activists wheeling cute pink wheelbarrows loaded with cow manure around will we?

No charges to be filed in deadly New Albany shooting
Prosecutor Chris Lane said Friday the person who shot John Robertson was acting in self defense

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – No charges will be filed following the shooting death of a man in New Albany last weekend.

Police and prosecutors said they believe the person that killed 42-year-old John Anthony Robertson was acting in self-defense.

Floyd County Prosecutor Chris Lane said Friday the victim in the case is actually the woman who pulled the trigger, saying she acted in defense of herself and her family.

“This is the worst outcome possible, and now this family is torn asunder,” Lane said.

Police said Robertson was shot and killed Sunday.

On Friday, the Floyd County Prosecutor’s office laid out the facts of the case, saying there would be no charges filed.

Chief Deputy Prosecutor Evan Bardach said Robertson was the instigator in a fight that took place in the home of a former partner of his. Robertson got physical with his juvenile son, punching him and his ex-partner’s daughter in the face. Bardach added that Robertson also was biting the face of the woman who lived there.

When the fight moved outside, the woman grabbed a gun that was in Robertson’s waistband and shot it four times, hitting Robertson three times.

 

MIT researchers say you’re no safer from Covid indoors at 6 feet or 60 feet in new study challenging social distancing policies.

The risk of being exposed to Covid-19 indoors is as great at 60 feet as it is at 6 feet — even when wearing a mask, according to a new study by Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers who challenge social distancing guidelines adopted across the world.

MIT professors Martin Z. Bazant, who teaches chemical engineering and applied mathematics, and John W.M. Bush, who teaches applied mathematics, developed a method of calculating exposure risk to Covid-19 in an indoor setting that factors in a variety of issues that could affect transmission, including the amount of time spent inside, air filtration and circulation, immunization, variant strains, mask use, and even respiratory activity such as breathing, eating, speaking or singing.

Bazant and Bush question long-held Covid-19 guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization in a peer-reviewed study published earlier this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the United States of America.

“We argue there really isn’t much of a benefit to the 6-foot rule, especially when people are wearing masks,” Bazant said in an interview. “It really has no physical basis because the air a person is breathing while wearing a mask tends to rise and comes down elsewhere in the room so you’re more exposed to the average background than you are to a person at a distance.”

The important variable the CDC and the WHO have overlooked is the amount of time spent indoors, Bazant said. The longer someone is inside with an infected person, the greater the chance of transmission, he said.

Opening windows or installing new fans to keep the air moving could also be just as effective or more effective than spending large amounts of money on a new filtration system, he said.

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Montana Gov Is Latest to Sign State Bill Nullifying Federal Gun Restrictions

Gov. Greg Gianforte on Friday signed a bill that prohibits state and local law enforcement in Montana from enforcing federal bans on firearms, ammunition and magazines.

Supporters of the law have said it would protect the Second Amendment from stiffer gun control laws that could come from federal legislation or executive orders by President Joe Biden in the wake of several mass shootings that took place this year, including a shooting last week that killed eight people in Indianapolis.

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BLUF:
Newsflash for Joe Biden:
You don’t decide whether or not Americans celebrate Independence Day.

Joe Biden Thinks He Decides Whether We Can Celebrate Independence Day With Family and Friends
“To celebrate our independence from this virus on July 4th with family and friends in small groups, we still have more to do in the months of May and June.”

In March, Joe Biden told America that if we all behave and wear masks, maybe we would be allowed to gather in small groups on the fourth of July.

Now he is warning that we might not have behaved well enough to celebrate our freedom.

Remember when Democrats and the media called Trump a fascist? Good times.

Steven Nelson writes at the New York Post:

Biden warns if Americans don’t get COVID jabs they might have to cancel July 4

President Biden on Wednesday warned Americans they may have to cancel “small” outdoor gatherings on the Fourth of July if there’s a slowdown of COVID-19 vaccinations.

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