What’s interesting in the news today?
First up…
From RealClearPolitics “A week after George Zimmerman’s acquittal in the fatal shooting of black teenager Trayvon Martin, the backlash continues, with nationwide protests and calls to boycott Florida. President Obama spoke some undeniable truths when he noted that the African-American community’s reaction must be seen in the context of a long, terrible history of racism. But there is another context too: that of an ideology-based, media-driven false narrative that has distorted a tragedy into a racist outrage.
This narrative has transformed Zimmerman, a man of racially mixed heritage that included white, Hispanic and black roots (a grandmother who helped raise him had an Afro-Peruvian father), into an honorary white male steeped in white privilege. It has cast him as a virulent racist even though he once had a black business partner, mentored African-American kids, lived in a neighborhood about 20 percent black, and participated in complaints about a white police lieutenant’s son getting away with beating a homeless black man.”
Next up, I asked before, I’ll ask again. Assisting, or orchestrating?
From TheDailyCaller “At CRS headquarters, we (meaning I) regularly had to warn or take corrective action against career employees for acting as advocates instead of mediators,” Ondray Harris, the former director of the DOJ’s Community Relations Service (CRS), told The Daily Caller. CRS was the unit deployed to Sanford in 2012 to oversee anti-Zimmerman protests.
“Some CRS employees come to the Agency with anti-law enforcement or anti- what they would call the ‘white establishment’ [attitudes]” added Harris, an African American who joined CRS during the administration of George W. Bush in 2007 and left in 2010.”
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And Obama supported “Stand Your Ground” laws, even co-sponsored it in Illinois. His flip-flop is recent. Again.
From TheIllinoisReview “This past week President Obama publicly urged the reexamination of state self-defense laws (see remarks below). However, nine years ago then-State Sen. Barack Obama actually co-sponsored a bill that strengthened Illinois’ 1961 “stand your ground” law.
The Obama-sponsored bill (SB 2386) enlarged the state’s 1961 law by shielding the person who was attacked from being sued in civil court by perpetrators or their estates when a “stand your ground” defense is used in protecting his or her person, dwelling or other property.
The bill unanimously passed the Democrat-controlled Illinois Senate on March 25, 2004 with only one comment, and passed the Democrat-controlled Illinois House in May 2004 with only two votes in opposition. Then-Governor Rod Blagojevich (D) signed it into law.”
And the case for standing your ground on “Stand Your Ground”.
From HotAir “If you need a weekend reading assignment on an important topic, I will definitely suggest Charles C. W. Cooke’s essential read, Stand Your Ground on Stand Your Ground Laws at National Review. This is a subject which I’d thought was pretty much settled law, but has recently been brought back into the spotlight by Eric Holder, as well as his boss. Some of the opinions being expressed by our nation’s top cops fly directly in the face of the principles underlying current law in many areas. In fact, as Cooke points out, this concept is one which has found a comfortable home in many more places than you might think. For proof, he cites Eugene Volokh.
The substantial majority view among the states, by a 31-19 margin, is no duty to retreat. Florida is thus part of this substantial majority on this point. And most of these states took this view even before the recent spate of “stand your ground” statutes, including the Florida statute.”
Clueless about the law, or willfully ignoring it? Either way, that seems to be their M.O.
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This next one is just a coincidence I’m sure. 🙄
From TheDailyCaller “Former IRS Commissioner Douglas Shulman and two other IRS officials met with a top official at the White House one day before the agency issued new guidelines on how to scrutinize tea party and conservative groups applying for tax-exempt status.
Shulman — joined by his chief of staff and political aide Jonathan Davis and IRS spokesman Frank Keith — met with then-Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Director Jeffrey Zients at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building at the White House complex on April 24, 2012.”
“The very next day, April 25, the IRS’s chief counsel’s office — led by William Wilkins, who met with Obama at the White House that same week – sent Washington-based IRS officials “additional comments on the draft guidance” for approving or denying tea party tax-exempt applications, according to a report on the IRS scandal compiled by Treasury Inspector General J. Russell George.”
Top down.
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More waste, fraud, and abuse in the nations many food programs.
From WatchDog.org “Since Illinois has seen an explosion in the number of people receiving food stamps, even a slight error costs taxpayers millions.
In this instance, a mistake rate of less than 2 percent means $50 million is misspent.
That’s the hard truth behind the press release lauding Illinois for having a 98.3 percent accuracy rate for its Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program.
Illinois’ error rate, from either overspending on food stamps or not spending enough, is 1.74 percent, according to Januari Smith, a spokeswoman for the state’s Department of Human Services.“
So the Feds have rewarded the state for their errors because hey, 50 mil in errors isn’t that bad. And what’s 50 million when you have 3 billion to play with?
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Next up, more ObamaCare problems.
From HotAir “Earlier this summer, three of California’s largest insurance companies announced that they were disinclined to participate in the state’s ObamaCare health insurance exchange system, and it didn’t take long for both Aetna and United Health to decide to stop offering plans through the individual insurance market altogether and instead opt to focus their activities on offering insurance through employers only.
Now, Anthem Blue Cross — California’s largest insurer for small businesses — is announcing that they have no intention of getting involved in the exchanges that ObamaCare plans to set up for the use of small business, and would much rather stick to going it alone. Via the LA Times.”
Let me guess, it’s ‘cuz they’re evil, profit chasing meanies right? 🙄
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And it begins……
From FoxSports “The first star to fall in baseball’s latest drug investigation is one of its biggest: Ryan Braun.
The 2011 National League MVP was suspended without pay for the rest of the season and the postseason Monday, the start of sanctions involving players reportedly tied to a Florida clinic accused of distributing performance-enhancing drugs.“
Hopefully A-Rod is next.
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And last today, the rise of the religious left?
From Salon “While politicians like Rick Perry and pundits like Bill O’Reilly may clog up a lot of media airtime, the proportion of religious conservatives in the United States is shrinking with each successive generation, and close to 20 percent of Americans today are religious progressives, according to a new survey conducted by the Public Religion Research Institute and the Brookings Institution.”
“Religious progressives are significantly younger and more diverse than their conservative counterparts. The mean age of the religious progressive population is 44 – just under the mean age in the general population of 47 – while the mean age of religious conservatives is 53. Twenty-three percent of Millennials (ages 18-33) are religious progressives, while 17 percent are religious conservatives. Among Millennials, there are also nearly as many nonreligious (22 percent) as religious progressives.”
“They also tend to value different things in their faith:”
Yep. They value things like abortion and the “social gospel” instead of The Gospel.
No thanks, I’m good where I’m at.
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Wandering Views 
I thought of posting a letter published in the Times-News last Saturday and Sunday. It was an open letter to the leader of this council of the BSA, commending them on their leadership in recognition of all sexual lifestyles.
But it was too much for me to try to get all that on.
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I missed the point of my post above entirely (I know the gramer’s bad, Cheryl!).
The letter was from the local Congregational Church of Christ. It’s a small church, but makes lots of noise in the community.
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Chas, I have been saddened by political reports from the Old Dominion. I am afraid that your neighbor to the North is more under the control of the enemy now than at any time since 1865. Fortunately, West Texas and Oklahoma remain as bastions of Christianity and Western Civilization.
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Ricky:
There are two Virginias. The Northern Virginia, that is the DC area, and the rest of the state. There are two different worlds. They barely tolerate each other. Northern Virginia feels neglected, and the rest seem to think (reading their minds her) that NV is tring to dominate them. Much of the money and power is in the DC area. Geographically, Northern Virginia starts at Fredrecksburg. But in the old days, it started at the Occaquan River, and extends west.
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Moat people are more liberal when they are young, but that doesn’t mean they are going to stay that way. Most get over it when they get jobs, start businesses and have kids.
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That should be “Most” people. I really don’t know how “Moat” people vote.
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Ahem, AJ, AJ.
I can only think this was an oversight in summing up the latest news, but we had a royal baby who was born yesterday. 😉
Can you imagine raising a child who is called his Royal Highness?
The media love liberal churches and many reporters will go out of their way to quote them excessively. I remember reading a story about how churches were responding to the gay marriage decision a couple months ago and, while the piece included comments from both conservatives and liberals, it pointedly ended with a strong quote from one of the “progressive” liberal Christians.
I’ve been in journalism long enough to know that you save your strongest quote for last. At least subconsciously (often consciously), it’s the point you want to leave with your reader. (And that’s how liberal views often come to dominate most news stories — because most reporters simply are liberal, especially on social issues; it’s not a “conspiracy” really; it’s just a fact.)
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Headline on Drudge: Obama: ‘I’ve Got a Little Over 1,200 Days Left in Office’…
But who’s counting? 🙂
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Some say I was veiled yesterday and I was afraid I was being too blunt or rude. Its amazing how misconceptions occur with the written word rather than verbal. And its perceptions which seem to be at the heart of the Zimmerman case. From what I know, SYG laws are conceived to give greater latitude to the self defense defense in other words they add to the provision and are a whole new area of law. The Illinois law seems to only strengthen the post-defense period protecting the defendant from civil suits (where I imagine the Martin family is heading to next). My objection to the Zimmerman verdict and SYG in general stems from it being no longer necessary to attempt a way out or minimal use of force needed to protect one’s self and others. I believe a juror stated they felt Zimmerman made a mistake but under Florida law it wasn’t murder. And thus for me is the problem: When we make mistakes we should be accountable. Zimmerman made a mistake and should be accountable.
The rest of the discussion on the internet everywhere seems to be based on character assassination of both persons. By making the blunt statement that one is dead I’m simply pointing out trial by character is not justice.
This leads to a discussion of where we source our information (calling it facts would give it more credibility). Depending on the internet source Zimmerman or Martin is a saint or sinner. Martin was holding Arizona tea and Skittles or he was holding two ingredients of a street drug. Zimmerman was in the car or he was already out of the car when he was told to stay in the car. Zimmerman sustained life threatening injuries or he received minor cuts and bruises. The list goes on ….. As for my own sources, I don’t receive FOX or MSNBC ( they are on an extra tier of cable packaged with Al-jeezera, BBC and Russia Today) rather I simply read/watch CBC and read the news as it comes to me on facebook or here. Hence the amount of contradictory information I receive is at times amusing …
An other illustration of contradiction is the continuous attempt of the right to prove the IRS scrutiny of tea party like groups was “top down”. Left wing sources have already written this off using their information as just an other imaginary scandal of paranoid republicans.
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kbells — you’re right (yes I said that) most people do become more conservative as they grow older. At the very least, they become entrenched in their beliefs. I find myself an outlier as I become more socialist as I age and many of former classmates and colleagues go in the other direction.
donna j — I would think in this day and age when people don’t read intensely but quickly and skimming, the most important information and comments would be placed in the first couple paragraphs. I also remember being told to write the 5Ws other important info at the top and the superfluous info at the bottom in case it needed to be edited, in which case the editor could simply cut off the bottom paragraphs.
aj — 1.7% is extremely good. I wonder what the error rate is in defense spending or in the private sector especially the insurance industry.
It appears some insurance companies would rather not have to stand up to the rigorous of open and informed competition. Noting how premiums are being driven down they are leaving the open marketplace. Hopefully enough companies will act like capitalists.
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oops I should have said “NOT a whole area of law” in my first post
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Donna,
Oversight? Nooooooooo…….
I just can’t seem to muster up whatever it is that would make me care. Sorry, but there it is. 😯
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HRW, forget the new sourcs, try reading the transcripts of the trail.
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Spelling worse than usual this morning. HRW, forget the new sources, try reading the transcripts of the trial.
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I agree with KBells. It was stunning to listen to a live broadcast of the trial. The prosecution proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Zimmerman acted in self-defense before any defense witness took the stand. No one should be under any illusion that US prosecutors are not profoundly influenced by pressure brought by special interest groups.
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Trial transcripts on the net, live broadcasting of murder trails — European post modern theorist would have a heyday with that type of spectacle.
I actually goggled for trial transcripts and got CNN’s transcript of their coverage and a transcript of the 911 call. Interestingly, from the telephone transcript its obvious that Zimmerman is following Martin and is ignoring the advice of the operator. Again he made a mistake and needs to be accountable for his error.
That of course is my opinion but perhaps according to Florida law he is entitled to use self defense as a justification and thus my disagreement is with the law which allows a ordinary citizen to follow an other person and when the other person decides to stand his guard, the ordinary citizen can shoot him.
Someone asked about a week ago here, why Martin wasn’t entitled to SYG on the basis of Zimmerman following him and its a legitimate question.
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AJ — it appears Indiana Republicans have been less than honest about insurance premiums under ACA
http://www.newrepublic.com/article/113973/obamacare-rate-shock-indiana-what-gop-officials-didnt-say#
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Reading a transcript also limits a person in one sense. You cannot hear inflections or background noises. Those can make a big difference in what you are hearing. Character does count, when a person has to judge what may have happened.
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HRW, while you do have to aim at including the most pertinent information high in the story, quotes serve as an important literary device. Your first and last quotes of the story tend to impact readers. And as I recall, I think the story I was mentioning earlier actually started with a quote from a liberal pro-gay marriage church … and then also ended with a quote from someone of the same position.
By the selection & placement of quotes, you can usually tell what the writer wants to drive home to the reader.
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Also the CNN transcript didn’t induce things like it sounded like he got out of the car before he was told not to follow and that his breathing seem to indicate that he slowed down or stop walking right after that.
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hwesseli, What, specifically, should have been illegal about what Zimmerman did? It was demonstrated to the jury that he reasonably acted in self-defense. He was defending himself against an aggressor. Do you propose to make it illegal to follow someone you may suspect of wrongdoing–or even to just follow someone at all? Should that, alone, be illegal? And as was demonstrated in the trial, Zimmerman wasn’t even following Martin when Martin accosted him.
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Oh man. hwesseli, get acquianted with some facts before making hairbrianed statements about SYG. How silly.
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