There was an extraordinary moment this week in Los Angeles where City Councilmember Imelda Padilla asked LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell to monitor and warn citizens whenever the federal authorities are conducting an operation or seeking to make an arrest. Padilla asked McDonnell if they could use “AI” and other means to give immigrants a heads up to allow them to oppose or evade federal law enforcement. McDonnell gently explained that Padilla was asking him to commit a crime.
In the June 10th council meeting, Padilla challenged McDonnell to be innovative and “find a creative way” to tip off the immigrant community. In the face of a clearly dumbfounded chief of police, Padilla explained that he needed to act “in the spirit of your loyalty to the city of Los Angeles.”
McDonnell delivered a measured response in the tone of an officer attempting to talk down a jumper from a tenth floor window ledge: “You’re asking me to warn you about an enforcement action being taken by another agency before it happens? We can’t do that.”
Padilla shot back: “why not!”
McDonnell keep his “I-know-you-are-upset-but jumping-will-not-help-the-situation” voice: “That would be completely inappropriate and illegal. That would be obstruction of justice. You might want to talk to the city attorney about that.”
Yet, that moment of sanity only seemed to irritate other residents of this insane asylum. City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson warned McDonnell that he should not refer to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as “law enforcement partners”:
“If we know somebody is coming here to do warrant-less abductions of the residents of this city, those are not our partners. I don’t care what badge they have on or whose orders they’re under. They’re not our partners.”
Just to be clear, what the council member was asking would be a crime under both state and federal law. California Penal Code Section 148(a) states that obstructing, delaying, or interfering with a peace officer in the performance of their duties is a crime. Notably, Wisconsin Judge Lynn Adelman was just charged with obstruction and facilitating the escape of an illegal immigrant in assisting an individual to evade ICE.
The exchange captures the growing view that opponents to the Trump Administration are entitled to use any means necessary to oppose immigration enforcement and other policies. It is fueling the rage and the sense of license to commit even criminal acts for a higher cause.
Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro professor of public interest law at George Washington University and the author of “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage.”
Two Minnesota state congressional members were both shot this morning in separate locations by an unknown assailant.
Whether you believe in God or not, let us all just stop for a moment for silent thought and reflection on our own lives.
Personally, I believe in Carl Jung’s “collective unconscious” (innate sense that is shared by all humans from birth) that unites us all, irrespective of experiences or learning levels.
We’ve been around long enough. We should have been able to figure this out.
thanks.
Whoever perpetrated these crimes is a domestic terrorist(s). It is never okay and I hope this (these) individual (s) are caught and brought to justice.
It is interesting how from the governor to all the law enforcement officers who gave the press conference, they expressed their need for all branches of law enforcement (federal, state and local) to work in unity to solve these crimes.
I could not help but notice the irony. The state and local law enforcement were calling for help from the federal law enforcement. (As it should be).
Were these not the same people who advocated for defunding police and the same ones who have vowed not to cooperate with the federal law enforcement agencies?
Of course they will get help. It is the right thing to do.
Dear E.M:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/video/entertainment/watch-quick-thinking-elephant-rescue-drowning-gazelle-with-its-trunk/vi-AA1Gx6Ul
(from lin.)
@lin
That made me laugh, too. I doubt it’ll get much traction as produce fails to disappear. This time the Biden administration can’t destroy it all in the name of ‘safety’ as they did with chickens.
Tell us you don’t understand farming (and are counting on your viewers to be equally ignorant), MSM. The left’s racial caricatures are getting really, really old.
@lin
The first was about the farms, not the tragic shootings. Don’t know why it posted this way. Made a mistake in there somewhere.
@lin
Yes, saw that, horrible. ☹️
Naturally it’ll be Trump’s fault. We need to reclaim our mutual solidarity some way, somehow.
James: Agree. I dunno the answer, but I know that “history repeating itself,” without remembering some of its errors,
is not the best answer.
Sure, think good thoughts. The problem enters when people think evading law enforcement, aiding the evasion, and covering it are good thoughts.
No, no, no. I didn’t say anything about thinking good thoughts. I said just pause and think about what we are doing.
I am all with you on the problem(s). We just haven’t progressed much over the centuries with the answers. Then we end up with mob forces to deal with.
I think all these California politicians need to seek therapy for deprogramming and/or be taken out back to the woodshed.
*. As a matter of preventing crime the Olympics should be canceled in Southern California. It would be misrepresentation to claim the US is hosting. The visitors would be subject to robbery and worse.
This is an example of people not knowing right from wrong. Is that the definition of insanity? It would be appropriate at this point if the real United States seized control of California by military occupation. It’s clear the people in California are overwhelmed and no longer functional.
It certainly is indicative of criminals suggesting others break the law with them and request or demand of others that they do so.
Let us recall Juan Corona, farm worker, of California fame. In his spirit understand what’s going on.
Roger
Wilson and Kelling’s Broken Windows theory remains the best explanation for how ignoring small problems creates conditions for big problems to happen. In 1996, CA voters decriminalized pot under the “Compassionate Use Act.” Proponents said it would help AIDS patients, and there were few or no alternative therapeutics at the time. The feds looked the other way.
More states followed CA’s lead, and in 2013, the U.S. Deputy Attorney General told the governors of WA and CO it would be OK to legalize pot as long as they managed its distribution. The feds looked the other way.
In 2021, the Biden folks opened the border and told Border Patrol officers to let millions of illegal aliens into the country. The feds looked the other way.
In 2024, most people elected Donald Trump because he promised to fix some of these broken windows. Ignoring them only creates bigger problems later. That is the essence of the Broken Windows theory. The Constitution’s Supremacy Clause was intended to address national problems so that the states could not imperil themselves or their neighbors by electing incompetent leaders and adopting poor public policies. Sorry, Gavin, Jim Madison decided many years ago how to fix your Broken Windows.
I read the words “oppose or evade law enforcement” and Turley’s claim of an “extraordinary moment”, and that was enough for me. Turley, as a MAGA pundit, has to find some way, any way, to criticize non-MAGA states and authorities. So, he begins with the assumption that Trump’s storm troopers can do whatever they want and that Trump can pretend he is a king who rules by royal edict–e.g., Executive Orders. Court are proving this to be illegal and wrong. Trump’s invocation of the California National Guard violated the Posse Comitatus Act was illegal, and Trump will eventually lose in Court. He has had over 180 injunctions issued against his executive orders. ICE has people arrested without a warrant, illegally disappeared from US soil without any due process, disregarded Court orders to return people, had a sitting US Senator manhandled, shoved to the floor and handcuffed for daring to challenge Noem claiming that California is some hotbed of socialists, had a judge arrested and charged a NJ official who was trying to legally enter an ICE facility to inspect it. Trump’s impotence is hurting the US domestically and internationally–Putin has ramped up attacks in Ukraine, Netanyahu attacked Iran despite being asked not to, and the US is losing export customers because of tariffs.
If there’s anyone evading or opposing the law, it’s the illegal Trump regime.
California’s king outlawed the cars 80% of its population drives to work without giving a dam how workers will get to work.
MAGA namecallers like Noem ought to brush up on economics and socialism. She was bellowing about the “socialists” in California when California Senator Padilla tried to challenge her. Noem just vomits MAGA tropes. Many of the most economically-successful states are BLUE states–e.g., Illinois, California, New York, as some examples. How can Blue states be socialistic and still be among the most economically-successful states in our country? AND, BTW, California tops the list in terms of GDP.
If those Blue states are so successful, why are so many people fleeing them?
Outmigration cost California $24B in departed incomes as poorer people move in
“304 companies have left California since January 2019, according to the California Policy Center’s California Book of Exoduses, which tracks corporate exits from California.”
California says it lost $2 billion in state income taxes from earners leaving
“California narrowly balanced a $47 billion budget shortfall this year through a combination of spending cuts, shifts, deferrals, reserve withdrawals, and unofficial internal borrowing.”
https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/california-says-it-lost-2-billion-state-income-taxes-earners-leaving
The failed state of CA only tops the list as they include federal funding as part of their GDP. Take that out and the failed state of CA looks more like a third world country.
New York ranks near bottom in new ranking on migration
https://www.syracuse.com/data/2025/01/new-york-ranks-near-bottom-in-new-ranking-on-migration.html
No Kings allowed, but the queens can all march down our streets, through our school Reading Hours, and bakeries with impunity.
The Left’s favorite word used to be “enlightened.” It has now shifted to “authoritarian” (defined below) and “spirit” … in the sense that one’s “spirit of loyalty” overrides one’s duty to obey the law, and in Hawaii the state supreme court held that the “spirit of Aloha” overrides the Second Amendment, something Professor Turley has written about on this blog.
As a bonus favorite, today’s events show that to the Left, the word “king” means a president taking actions the Left disagrees with, even though they are the very things the people elected him to do.
Yep. The Left really doesn’t want to be part of this Country if they can’t dominate everyone with their BS ideologies. Sick.
OldManFromKS,
Well said.
Democrats have become the party of “We oppose everything Trump does!” and only offers hate and rage. No solutions other than, “We are not Trump!” For some, that is enough for them to vote Democrat. For everyone else, we are all waiting for them to offer something that looks like a good solution. Hate and rage is not something to vote for.
NotReallyaFarmer
As a US Marine, do you have any thoughts about this story from Louisiana.
Paola Clouatre is the wife of a US Marine. She entered the country illegally many years ago as a child with her mother. She has a 1 year old child and a 9 week old baby. She is in the process of applying for a green card. As the wife of a US citizen and a US Marine she is entitled to permanent residency.
She and her husband went to the USCIS office for a scheduled interview, where she was arrested and detained.
Her husband is now travelling back and forth to the detention center so that his wife can breast feed their 9 week old baby.
So the wife of a US Marine, who served his country with honor, and the mother of 2 US citizens has been detained in order to meet the daily quota of arrests demanded by the Trump administration.
Don’t you think ICE should be chasing down the murderers, rapists and drug traffickers rather than detaining the spouses of US citizens.
https://www.nola.com/news/politics/national_politics/mom-arrested-new-orleans-immigration-marine/article_362f80cd-be34-460f-ba3b-486fc8c2db9f.html
#9. So if this wife of a Marine had stolen something from the drugstore to feed her hungry baby, according to you it would be just fine for the Policeman on the street to decide that she is a seemingly pretty swell person all things being equal (which they aren’t since she violated the law), and so the cop should just look the other way and let her go and deny her, her due process?
Your story said she was detained, not deported.
Due process works both ways.
“She entered the country illegally . . .”
When she was 14. She’s now 25.
So during those *9* years, she never realized that she was an *illegal* immigrant? And didn’t try to fix it? She never wondered during those *9* years: What’s my immigration status?
And now her *9* years of blissful ignorance has caught up with her. You want us to ignore those *9* years of irresponsibility. To feel sorry for her. And to condemn Trump’s immigration policies.
No sale.
*9* years = 11 years
Sam
Trump’s “immigration policies” are about as nebulous and ever changing as his tariff policies.
He has just announced that ICE should stop all enforcement action against undocumented workers in agriculture, meat packing plants, hotels and restaurants.
WHY???
Because the owners of these businesses, who voted for him, are having their workers deported.
Here is what Trump posted on Truth Social:
“Our great farmers and people in the hotel and leisure business have been stating that our very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, long-time workers away from them, with those jobs being almost impossible to replace. We must protect our farmers, Trump wrote.
Now these undocumented workers are all of a sudden ” very good long-term workers” according to Trump’s own words
So now these undocumented workers are “almost impossible to replace” according to Trump’s own words.
So now undocumented workers in these industries need to be PROTECTED.
And here is the order from Tatum King, a senior ICE official, who sent this email:
“Effective today, please hold on all work site enforcement investigations/operations on agriculture (including aquaculture and meat packing plants), restaurants and operating hotels,”
So now ICE is PROTECTING these workers who work for business men who voted for TRUMP.
HYPOCRISY !!!!!!!
If Trump can now allow aliens working on farms, meat packing plants, hotels and restaurants to stay, then he can sure as hell let the wife of a US Marine and mother of two US citizens to stay.
*. If your story is indeed true and there aren’t ANY other circumstances then the arresting officers should be investigated, of course. I doubt the veracity of the journalism.
#9. The other circumstance; “But she failed to arrive for a 2018 trial on the asylum claim, prompting a judge to issue a deportation order for Clouatre as well as her mother.”
Judges generally tend to take a dim view of ignoring court orders and failing to appear before the bench when scheduled. Their funny like that…
She failed to appear for a hearing in 2018, when she was still a minor.
In all probability, she didn’t even know about the hearing.
She may not have even known she was undocumented.
Parents who bring their children usually do not tell the children that they entered illegally. They usually hide this from the children.
But all this is beside the point.
She came here as a child, and by definition she cannot be held responsible for her actions.
She did not have the intent to violate immigration law.
She is now married to a US Marine and has 2 children who are citizens
The law allows for flexibility in cases like this.
However, ICE has been told that they must detain 5,000 immigrants a day. Stephen Miller has threatened to fire officials if they fail to meet this quota. They are therefore picking the low hanging fruit to meet the quota, rather than go after actual criminals, murderers and drug traffickers.
The situation with this family is an absolute travesty.
#9. Fourteen years old is not someone in the crib with a nipple ring. In fact, did she attend a school at any point during her and her parents evasion of the law? Or did they violate that law also?
Yet we’re supposed to believe that she had no idea she was not a citizen of this country. And when is ignorance of the law justified as a defense? Pretty sure there is a lot of legal precedence on that. Whether or not her parents lied to her, is irrelevant. And it would be difficult at best to presume that during all those years interacting with school authorities, television, social media, teenage friends etc., that she had no idea of her citizenship. And she has been a legal adult for the past four or five years. If she isn’t deaf, mute, and blind, then it’s pretty certain she knew she was not here legally.
But like suggesting it’s terrible her husband has to drive the baby to the jail to breast feed it, let’s keep in mind that breast feeding is optional, not a life sustaining requirement, and under the law, law enforcement is not obligated to provide optional benefits. There is no similac shortage now. Generally under the law, if one has let’s say, cancer, then the authorities are obligated to provide standardized and reasonable treatment. However, if the person in custody or serving a sentence and wants to get a nose job, or some other body altering job on the tax payers dime, the authorities are “not” obligated to provide personal elective treatment.
It would appear, that ICE is going well out and being more than reasonably accommodating them to even allow the breast feeding to take place. Then finally, in the originally assertion from the OP, we’re supposed to all be glistened eyed over the fact that she is married to a Marine. Also irrelevant.
Remember, you’re only above the law if you’re an; “elderly man with a poor memory” who would be sympathetic to a jury.
…and she’s not that.
WOW, just WOW.
You really have drunk the MAGA cult Kool-Aid.
Defend Trump’s policies at all cost, no matter the suffering of US citizens.
You have been brainwashed beyond redemption.
You go on a lengthy tirade defending ICE action rounding up ALL undocumented aliens.
Why don’t you try defending Trump’s completely hypocritical announcement to stop all enforcement action against undocumented workers in agriculture, meat packing plants, hotels and restaurants.
See my post above at 2:00pm in response to Sam.
Have at it.
Twist yourself into a pretzel to try to defend two completely diametrically opposed positions about undocumented aliens.
Tell me how it is perfectly fine for Trump and ICE to PROTECT undocumented aliens who work for businessmen who voted for Trump, while deporting the wife of a US Marine and mother of two US citizens.
Go for it.
I can’t wait to hear your insane rationalization of these policies.
#9. <<
Be specific.
"Defend Trump’s policies at all cost, no matter the suffering of US citizens."
What US citizens are suffering?
"You go on a lengthy tirade defending ICE action rounding up ALL undocumented aliens."
Where did I say anything about rounding up "ALL" undocumented aliens (illegal aliens)?
"Why don’t you try defending Trump’s completely hypocritical announcement to stop all enforcement action against undocumented workers in agriculture, meat packing plants, hotels and restaurants."
https://www.marketscreener.com/news/latest/No-immigration-changes-under-way-for-farm-hospitality-workers-Washington-Post-reports-50237525/
"Tell me how it is perfectly fine for Trump and ICE to PROTECT undocumented aliens who work for businessmen who voted for Trump, while deporting the wife of a US Marine and mother of two US citizens."
Redundant, read above.
Why are you even bothering to try to come up with some ludicrous explanation that Trump does not plan on stopping enforcement against workers in agriculture, meat packing, hotels and restaurants, when you have Trump’s own words saying this on Truth Social.
This plan came directly from Trump’s mouth on Truth Social.
An email was sent out by Tatum King to stop enforcement.
WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU !!!!!
Did you even bother to read the source you quote. ???????????????
No one has denied the report about PROTECTING farm workers, meat packers and hotel workers.
From your source:
” Representatives for the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report, which comes amid demonstrations protesting Trump’s immigration raids”
The White House has no comment !!!!!!
“Trump’s border czar Tom Homan told the Washington Post that he had not discussed any changes for such workers with Trump and has not been involved in any policy plans to address them.”
Homan simply says he knows nothing about it and was not involved in discussions
He does not DENY it !!!!!
” “Our farmers are being hurt badly and we’re going to have to do something about that… We’re going to have an order on that pretty soon,” Trump said at the White House.”
Trump doubles down and says he will soon issue an order regarding farm workers.
However there is a source that confirms Trump’s plans.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5350734-trump-ice-hotel-agriculture-restaurant-raids/
Quote from The Hill
“The Trump administration directed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to pause raids against workers in the agriculture, hotel and restaurant industries, NewsNation confirmed.
Effective today, please hold on all work site enforcement investigations/operations on agriculture (including aquaculture and meat packing plants), restaurants and operating hotels,” Tatum King, a senior ICE official sent in a Thursday message to regional leaders.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed a shift on deportation policies in a statement to NewsNation days after President Trump signaled that “changes are coming” in a post on Truth Social.”
So DHS confirms Trump’s intention to order changes PROTECTING alien farm workers.
Forgot to address your absolutely assinine question, “What Americans are suffering?”
Your stupidity is astounding.
Who is suffering ?????
A US Marine named Adrian Clouatre, is suffering along with his two children, his parents, his brothers, his sisters, his cousins, his nephews, his nieces, his aunts, his uncles, his grandparents.
His entire extended family !!!!
You are a complete and utter moron with obviously no level of human compassion.
#9. It’s just too easy… 🙂
“. . . she cannot be held responsible for her actions.”
You’re distorting the story to satisfy your desires.
She came here at 14. She’s now 25. Eleven years is sufficient time to maker her “responsible for her actions.”
And she didn’t come here as a “child.” She arrived as a teenager.
@oldman
Spot on. The four fingers pointing back at the dems incriminate the only people in this country that fancy themselves royalty.
We had an election. They lost bigly, fair and square. We have laws and we appreciate them being enforced. It’s beyond patently absurd. This would all be hilarious if it weren’t so immediately serious.
Professor Turley writes, “Padilla explained that he needed to act ‘in the spirit of your loyalty to the city of Los Angeles.'” Clearly, Mx. Padilla’s real loyalty lies with Mexico. Is this what Democrats voted for? They sure did.
Mx. Padilla, can you give us fair warning when Democrats plan to riot and loot? I bet some in the Democrat leadership have foreknowledge because they act like they do. Or maybe I should ask Beijing about that? Thanx
Diogenes,
Oh, but it is much more sinister then we thought.
RIOT INC. EXPOSED: HOW ARABELLA DARK MONEY FUNDS THE PROTEST INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX
(And Use Taxpayer Dollars as a Force Multiplier) 🧵👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/4eQemyRQyS
— Seamus Bruner (@seamusbruner) June 13, 2025
That’s what they’re really mad about, Upstate. Their money laundering operation has been imperiled.
I would hope that City Councilmember Imelda Padilla would have the decency to request what all citizens and civilized peoples everywhere really need:
‘If they could use “AI” and other means to give citizens a heads on all political candidates and office holders that have not matured beyond the level of a 6yr old’.
“Ex Dem.” That’s a beautiful name. Wish more people used it.
In the Left’s vocabulary, “authoritarian” is defined as: “Trump did something I disagree with.”
Protesters disrupt major drug bust in Tucson, mistaking it for immigration action
“Pinal County Sheriff says the protesters ‘don’t have individual thought, they have group think’”
https://www.kold.com/2025/06/12/protesters-disrupt-major-drug-bust-tucson-mistaking-it-immigration-action/
Context matters here:
The United States today is a constitutionally-lawless nation, with a president, majority of Congress and even attorney General disobeying court rulings and even disobeying the U.S. Supreme Court.
America is the Wild West, Trump and his supporters view laws as meaningless or optimal-when-convenient.
As far as loyalty. Local, state and federal officials swear supreme loyalty to the U.S. Constitution and constitutional due process.
Republicans can’t have it both ways!
Get professional help. You are bat-shit crazy.
Donald Trump is reversing course on his immigration raid policy when it comes to farm and hotel workers, he announced on Truth Social.
“Our great farmers and people in the hotel and leisure business have been stating that our very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, long-time workers away from them, with those jobs being almost impossible to replace. We must protect our farmers, Trump wrote.
According to the U.S. Agriculture Department, 42% of crop farmworkers from 2020 to 2022 lacked legal status.
In response, Tatum King, a senior ICE official, sent out the following email:
“Effective today, please hold on all work site enforcement investigations/operations on agriculture (including aquaculture and meat packing plants), restaurants and operating hotels,”
Apparently, all those criminal illegal aliens, who are willing to put in a hard days work doing the hard dirty jobs that Americans refuse to do, are now “very good long-term workers” who need to be protected.
The hypocrisy of this administration never ends.
They have suddenly realized that all the farmers and hospitality industry titans who voted for Trump, are now suffering badly because their workers are being deported.
Trump now has no problem with undocumented workers employed by people who vote for him.
He has no problem with his supporters who actively break the law to employ undocumented workers.
COMPLETE HYPOCRISY!!!!!!!
Anonymous, the truth is always in the details. Farmers from California to Nebraska have shuttered operations in the wake of raids that carted off DOZENS of workers. Wow “arresting dozens” of workers has shut down the entire agricultural and service industries. How many dozens is conveniently left out by MSNBC and The New York Times. Perhaps it’s two dozen or maybe even three dozen. Trump “largely” curtailing arrests does not mean that all arrests will come to a screeching halt. Wow, a couple of dozen arrests of illegal farm workers means that everyone in America will not have salad at dinner tonight. Why do you find it so impossible to think about what you read?
Why are you babbling incoherently about MSNBC and NY Times.
The story comes directly from Trump on Truth Social.
He has ordered a halt to ALL enforcement for farm workers and hotel workers.
It is not just a few dozen people in total.
It may be a few dozen per farm, but across the country Trump has ordered that tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of undocumented workers should be “protected”.
In Trump’s own words, he has ordered the PROTECTION of these workers.
You say that Trump may be just “curtailing” arrests whatever that means ?????
The order from his senior ICE official is to “hold work on ALL enforcement”
You can’t simply make stuff up that suits you demented thought processes, when Trump is making explicit statements to the contrary.
Farmers shuttered years back. The only thing grown in calif are a few watermelons grown by the Van Gronigen farm. There’s some good small dairy milks and creams.
Bout it.
Padilla and other Democrats like her typify the lunatic protocols they favor to undermine and destroy the principles which form the bedrock of this Republic. As noted before, Padilla and her like-minded losers need to find a comfortable recliner chair and start sipping a few Hemlock Margaritas.
One can claim ignorance and (for instance) not pay their taxes. They will soon find a federal agent on their steps and will face penalties, fines and possible imprisonment.
Those who advise against cooperating with federal law enforcement, risk their careers and may find themselves with criminal charges. Such questions are often asked of those who hold professional licenses.
And the mystery of why I moved from Southern California to Tampa . . . Has been solved!
*. That’s good, Ken. Now think of all the Americans who couldn’t leave: handicapped, elderly, poor, ill. What’s the plan?
Good comparison of trying to talk someone off the ledge. These people are clearly not well, mentally. They seemingly cannot grasp the idea of law and order. As long as people like this take roles in positions of authority, they will continue to fail to serve the voters.
Seriously??? Does this judge think this is legal? Does she feel the same about citizen arrests?
This is basically nullification 2.0. Looks like the D’s are going back to tho their John C. Calhoun roots
Introduce Padilla to George Wallace. The left screams for segregation, states rights, discrimination and slave labor.
HullBobby,
As usual, Leftists are on the wrong side of history.