We have another arrest brought about by social media . . . and breathtaking stupidity. Demarcus Davis, 22, a local rapper who goes by “Maine Musik,” decided to do an anti-Trump video and posted it on Instragam. Davis’ Instagram account has 53,000 followers and, in the video, Davis waves around various guns like a total thug. The former “Sons of Guns” reality TV star Joe Meaux happened to see the videotape. Meaux owns a Baton Rouge store, Meaux Guns and Ammo, that was burglarized in July, 2015. He recognized the distinctive, custom-made guns in the video (and later identified a Ruger 10/22 Krinker Plinker that Davis showed on his Facebook account) and called police. His call however did not start the investigation since the Secret Service had already seen the videotape and was investigating Davis for threatening a presidential candidate. He has now been arrested and faces a long stretch in prison.
There were two decisions last week that show the current legal tensions over transgender rights. In Oregon, Jamie Shupe, 52, who identifies as neither a male or female was allowed to change from a “female” to a non-binary classification. This is believed to be the first such order in the country. Across the country, Rowan Feldhaus, 24, (who was born a female but identifies as a male) was denied a name change by a judge. These cases follow a decision last month Haque said her organization increasingly hears from non-binary people. Last month, the Gresham-Barlow School District in Oregon paid an elementary school teacher $60,000 after the non-binary teacher complained of no gender neutral bathrooms and colleagues continuing to refer to “he” or “she” rather than using “they” in reference to the teacher.
As the country mourns the massacre in Orlando, the police have identified the murderer as Omar Mateen, 29, from Port St. Lucie in Florida. He was born to Afghan parents who came to this country in the 1980s. He is responsible for the largest massacre of people in U.S. history after killed at least 50 people at a gay nightclub called Pulse in Orlando. Mateen reportedly called 911 shortly before the shooting and swore allegiance to the leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
Continue reading “Orlando Killer Identified As Muslim Extremist Who Pledged Allegiance To ISIS”
As many on this blog know, I have been highly critical of Donald Trump. However, there has been a campaign of violence against Trump supporters that is highly unnerving and dangerous. While there were a few incidents of Trump supporters acting violently, there has not been the same level of outrage at the widespread violence against Trump supporters and police at these events. Now, a liberal Huffington Post columnist Jesse Benn has defended the “violent response” to Trump — a reckless and provocative column that seeks to legitimate mob justice. What Benn is describing is not democracy but ochlocracy — a sad statement of the state of affairs in our country. While I recently wrote about liberals finding “their inner Nixon,” this seems to be a case of finding Benn’s inner Mao. Benn insists “Violent resistance matters. Riots can led to major change.” Perhaps but what is certain is that violent resistance always leads to violence.
Continue reading “Embracing Mob Rule: Columnist Calls For Violence Against Trump Supporters”
We have been discussing the rapid decline of civil liberties in Venezuela after the socialist takeover by Hugo Chavez and his successor, Nicolas Maduro. The denial of free speech and free press protections only increased as Chavez/Maduro destroyed one of the most productive economies in Latin America and turned it into an economic basket case. Now, the “red revolution” can take credit for reducing the judicial system to a virtual caricature of itself. The Venezuela’s Supreme Court ruled this week that the media cannot publish videos of lynchings because such true images would produce “anxiety and uncertainty” among citizens. The Maduro government has been trying to prevent citizens from seeing such images as it denies the social and economic meltdown in the country.
The United Nations this week vividly demonstrated how power not principle governs its humanitarian efforts. For a fraction of a second, the UN showed courage in the inclusion of Saudi Arabia on a listing of countries that “kill or maim children” and “parties that engage in attacks on schools and/or hospitals.” Saudi Arabia was included due to its widely denounced bombing campaign in Yemen which has indiscriminately killed civilians and children. Saudi Arabia immediately demanded that its name be removed from the list or it would kill funding for UN programs. It is the same type of threat leveled at the United States Congress that the release of long-sealed pages on Saudi involvement in the 9-11 attacks (and lifting a ban on suing the Kingdom) would result in the Saudis divesting U.S. holdings and undermine the economy. While Senators expressed outrage at the threat and voted to lift the ban, it was later learned that a poison pill amendment was put into the bill to allow the Administration to simply bar such lawsuits.
Continue reading “Saudi Arabia Threatens To Pull Funding From U.N. Due To Listing In Critical Human Rights Report . . . U.N. Promptly Caves And Removes Saudi Arabia”
We have been discussing the destruction of national parks and artistic works. However, the acts of vandalism in Tasmania this week are truly shocking after someone gratuitously destroyed 8,000-year-old Aboriginal artworks.
Continue reading “Ancient Tasmanian Hand Prints Destroyed By Vandals”
British student Natasha Uttamsingh, 22, has been found guilty of lying about being raped by her boyfriend and sentenced to jail for 15 months. We have previously discussed how false rape accounts are often not punished (as in the case of the infamous Duke Lacrosse rape case) or lightly punished. There has been a variation of sentences for false rape charges but they vary greatly, including just a few weekends in jail. (here; here; here; here; here; here; here; here; and here).
Continue reading “English Student Given 15 Months For False Rape Claim”
We have been discussing the growing number of idiots who are leaving graffiti and destroying national and state parks. now, a group of infamous Canadian juveniles who called themselves “High on Life” are under investigation after videotaping themselves water skiing behind an RV on the Booneville Salt Flats. This is an area that strictly prohibits vehicles during periods when the area is wet because of the damage to the area. What is particularly disturbing is that this group has repeatedly violated such rules at national parks with little punishment or sign of reform. We previously discussed how our rules protecting national parks are meaningless due to the lack of enforcement or serious punishment. We need to pursue a formal banishment law for our parks to apply to such individuals.
An Emirati man has taken vanity to a disgusting extreme — spending $5 million for a plate with the number 1 on it. For the vast majority of people struggling to feed their families, the auction price is obscene. Yet for local businessman, Arif Ahmad Al Zarouni, it was just something that he had to have as a matter of pride.
Laura R. Tarrats, 42, has the distinction of being arrested for not paying bridge tolls. Now before you say that is ridiculous, you should know that Tarrats racked up roughly $16,000 in unpaid tolls on the George Washington Bridge.
Continue reading “Can You Guess What This Person Was Charged With?”
While largely ignored by the media, the Clintons have their own university scandal. Donald Trump has been rightfully criticized and sued over his defunct Trump University. There is ample support for claiming that the Trump University was fraudulent in its advertisements and operations. However, the national media has been accused of again sidestepping a scandal involving the Clintons that involves the same type of fraud allegations. The scandal involves a dubious Laureate Education for-profit online college (Walden) and entails many of the common elements with other Clinton scandals: huge sums given to the Clintons and questions of conflicts with Hillary Clinton during her time as Secretary of State. There are distinctions to draw between the two stories, but the virtual radio silence on the Clinton/Laureate story is surprising. [I have updated the original column with some additional thoughts, links, and clarifications for readers].
In yet another example of how similar extreme groups in Judaism and Islam can be, an ultra-orthodox Jewish leader has reportedly banned girls aged five and older from riding bicycles;claiming it is “immodest” and too “provocative” for men watching girls as young as six on a bicycle.You may recall the outrageous move by the city of New York to remove bike lanes in an area in New York to protect the sensibilities of Hasidic men. Previously, an influential rabbi moved to block women from driving –just as his Islamic counterparts have done in places like Saudi Arabia.
If you guessed corrupting Amish teenagers, you are a criminal justice God. Pennsylvania man Thomas Candler Felts, 25, was sentenced this week in Lancaster County Court for giving Amish teens some beer and later causing a crash with their horse-drawn buggy after yelling “Rumspringa.”
Continue reading “Can You Guess What This Man Was Charged With?”
The corruption of Nigeria has long been breathtaking. Indeed, what would normally be alarming (like a politician with millions in cash in his room) is treated as perfectly understandable in Nigeria. Take the recent theft reported by Senate President Bukola Saraki, who said that ₦300 million(about $1.6 million) disappeared from his room. Police are questioning aides as well as some members of the security detail but not pressing on the fact that Saraki had huge amounts of cash sent to his hotel room.