Your Right to Own a Gun

For John, BLUF:  Civil Rights is more than just voting.  They can be about gun ownership.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Why Black Americans Are Buying More Guns

Here is the sub-headline:

The people who bear the brunt of rising violent crime are taking steps to protect themselves.

From The Wall Street Journal, by Jason L. Riley, 7 June 2022, 6:13 pm ET.

Here is the lede plus two:

“The issue we face is one of conscience and common sense.”  So said Joe Biden last week in a prime-time plea for more Second Amendment restrictions.  The president is right on both counts, just not in the way that he and other gun-control enthusiasts imagine.

Voters have noticed that cities where shootings occur almost daily also have some of the strictest gun laws.  Using common sense, they’ve concluded that more gun-control legislation probably isn’t the solution because criminals by definition don’t respect laws.  Many of the same people likewise find it unconscionable that elected officials would make it more difficult for law-abiding residents of high-crime neighborhoods to arm themselves for protection.

Someone might remind Mr. Biden that the past two landmark Supreme Court rulings on gun control were fueled by black plaintiffs who simply wanted to defend their homes and their families.  Moreover, they hailed from cities controlled by liberals who have done an extraordinarily bad job of protecting low-income minorities from criminals.  In a 2008 case, District of Columbia v. Heller, the court affirmed that the right to bear arms is an individual right and that you don’t need to be part of a militia to exercise it.  One of the initial plaintiffs was Shelly Parker, a black computer-software designer who decided to challenge the district’s handgun ban in court after a 7-foot-tall neighborhood drug dealer tried to break into her home one evening and threatened to kill her.  “What I want is simply to be able to own a handgun in my home, in the confines of the walls of my home—nothing else,” she told National Public Radio.

I suspect that we really don't know much about Blacks and guns and how for quite a while after the Civil War Caucasians of various stripes woked to deny Blacks their Constitutional Rights.

One wonders if Black on Black crime in big cities is a result of denying Black American their Second Amendment Rights?

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

The Schools Are Watching

For John, BLUF:  Schools can be abusive of their students and the parents.  This is why a School Committee, elected by the People, is so important.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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A Year After Sending Cops To A Kid’s Home, A Colorado Springs School District Apologizes

From Colorado Public Radio, by Reporter Ryan Warner, 10 September 2021.

Here is the lede plus five:

A year after two officers went to a Black seventh-grader’s home in Colorado Springs over a toy gun, the school district apologized to the family.

Widefield School District 3 handed the apology letter last month to the parents of 13-year-old Isaiah Elliott.  CPR News obtained a copy.

It says, in part, “The District deeply regrets the impact this incident had on the Elliotts, and apologizes to Isaiah for any embarrassment or discomfort he may have experienced.”

On Aug. 27, 2020, as students, educators and parents across the state adjusted to pandemic remote learning, an art teacher spotted what she believed to be a toy gun on Isaiah Elliott’s screen.

The incident led to his suspension — which has since been reversed — and to school leaders sending two school resource officers to the boy’s home.  Fearing for his son’s safety, Isaiah’s father Curtis Elliott rushed home and called his wife Danielle Elliott, who was at work.

“Our number one concern is Isaiah could have been the next Tamir Rice,” Danielle Elliott said.  “Being shot over having a toy in the privacy of his own home.  Being 12 years old, but being perceived as a threat.”

This calls to mind the question, "What were they thinking?"

Apparently, the teacher and the teacher's supervisors are easily trigged by toy guns.

Shouldn't the School District organize some training with regard to the limits of teacher prying into the life of their students?  Should there be training with regard to the limits of authority of School Resource Officers?

On the other hand, I have read about schools objecting to Parents watch their children as they were learning.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Say Her Name

For John, BLUF:  The police, and their political supervisors, need to work toward a color free view of all the citizenry.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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The Ashli Babbitt Standard

From Newsweek, by Editor Jonathan Tobin, 31 August 2021, 7:00 AM EDT.

This is about the Capitol Hill riots (demonstrations) of 6 January 2021, in which demonstrator Ashli Babbitt was shot and killed by Capitol Hill Police Lieutenant Michael Byrd.  The Federal establishment gave Lieutenant Byrd a pass on the killing.  Now there are questions.

Here is the conclusing paragraph:

The point here isn't so much the hypocrisy of those applauding Babbitt's death.  It's that, by deeming the shooting justified despite the facts of the case and the law, the federal government sets a standard that appears to rest on the victim's politics and race rather than an objective judgment about a legal question.  Treating rioters, even those who break the law, as undeserving of civil rights and legal protection is unsupportable no matter their cause.  Such treatment is a greater threat to democracy and communal peace than even the actions of the Capitol rioters.

Who is calling out, "Ashli Babbitt, say her name"?

I can understand how we can wander into backing some causes due to race or ethnicity or class, but it is eventually self-defeating.  We are all Americans, or in the end we are just a collection of tribes, which would make us more like Afghanistan.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Losing Our Civil Rights

For John, BLUF:  This morning I caught the first part of Democracy Now and was shocked and disappointed that News Reader Amy Goodman did not mention this terrible breach of Dr Bill Cosby's civil rights.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

---

ennsylvania’s Highest Court Overturns Bill Cosby’s Sex Assault Conviction

Here is the sub-headline:

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision bars any retrial.

From Legal Insurrection, by Ms Mary Chastain, 30 June 2021, 01:22pm.

Here is the lede plus one:

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned Bill Cosby’s sex assault conviction due to an agreement made with a former prosecutor that prevented the state from charging him.

Cosby has served three years of a three-to-10 year sentence for his conviction of drugging and molesting Andrea Constand in 2004.

What the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has set right is an outrageous breach of the Civil Rights of a US Citizen.  What is equally outrageous is that there is apparently no recourse againt the proscution staff that allowed this to happen.  Not just the prosecutor who did this, but his staff who stood around and let it happen.♠

It is pretty obvious tht Dr Crosby did wrong by Ms Andrea Constand, but this kind of proscutorial misconduct is the garden path to tyranny.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  Remember, in the George Floyd case it wasn't just Officer Derek Chauvin who lost his job and was prosecuted.  The three with him lost their jobs and were prosecuted.

Protecting Your Civil Rights

For John, BLUF:  Protecting my rights as an ordinary Citizen means protecting everyone's rights.  Once some person or sub-group is identified as not being in a position to enforce his or its civil right those civil rights are like smoke.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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As the Left Trashes Due Process, Black Men Speak Up in its Defense

Here is the sub-headline:

The defenders of Western Civ are much more diverse than its enemies.

From The Stream, by Mr Mark Judge, 15 April 2021.

Here is the lede plus one:

For the past year I’ve been writing a series for The Stream about my experience in 2018.  That’s when my high school friend Brett Kavanaugh was nominated to the Supreme Court.  To sink his nomination, the left used oppo research, bad acting, witness tampering, lies, and lapdog media.  Liberals peddled the false charge that Brett sexually assaulted a girl then named Christine Blasey when we were all in high school.  Journalists and operatives tried to bully and extort me into testifying against my friend, who was innocent.  (The story is going to be a book.)

After it was all over in October 2018, liberal Atlantic writer Jemel Hill went to Ozy Media’s “Take On America” town hall series in Baltimore.  The gathering featured over 100 black men in the audience.  Coming on the heels of the Kavanaugh battle, Hill was positive she was going to hear a lot of anguish over the Republican victory.

Instead, she heard support for Kavanaugh.  Hill reported:

On Tuesday night, I was in an auditorium with 100 black men in the city of Baltimore, when the subject pivoted to Brett Kavanaugh.  I expected to hear frustration that the sexual-assault allegations against him had failed to derail his Supreme Court appointment.  Instead, I encountered sympathy.  One man stood up and asked, passionately, “What happened to due process?”  He was met with a smattering of applause, and an array of head nods.

Perhaps there is a Brotherhood of the falsely accused.

Perhaps there are Black Citizens who wish to have their Civil Rights protected.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Papers Please

For John, BLUF:  The United States used to be different.  Unlike Germany when we first arrived there, in 1967, where to stay in the Eiflerhof Hotel over night we had to let the clerk send our passports down to the police station.  Maybe things are getting back to "normal".  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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An Unconstitutional Arrest for Refusing To Show ID to the Cops

Here is the sub-headline:

Fourth Amendment advocates prevail in Wingate v. Fulford.

From Reason Magazine, by Reporter Damon Root, 8 February 2021, 1:08 PM.

Here is the lede plus two:

In an important win for Fourth Amendment advocates, a Virginia man's arrest for refusing to show identification to the police has been ruled unconstitutional by a federal appellate court.

The case is Wingate v. Fulford.  George Wingate was driving in Stafford County, Virginia, in the early morning hours of April 25, 2017, when his car's engine light came on.  A former mechanic, Wingate pulled over, popped the hood, and began checking things out.  Stafford County Sheriff's Deputy Scott Fulford, who happened to be cruising by, noticed the parked vehicle and pulled over to offer his assistance.

That's when things took a turn for the worse for Wingate.  According to the deputy's account, he became suspicious of Wingate and demanded to see some form of identification.  Wingate, who had done nothing wrong, flatly refused.  The officer's mic captured their exchange of words:

I like the outcome.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Why Is The National Guard Still In DC?

For John, BLUF:  We need some adult leadership in DC.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Capitol officials to bolster security on March 4 over QAnon threats

From The Hill, by Reporter Cristina Marcos, 2 March 2021, 03:07 PM EST.

Here is the lede plus one:

The top security official overseeing the House informed lawmakers this week that security will be heightened on Thursday due to a QAnon-linked conspiracy theory that former President Trump will be inaugurated on that date.

Acting Sergeant-at-Arms Timothy Blodgett said in a memo that Capitol Police will have additional personnel on duty throughout the Capitol grounds in addition to the continued National Guard presence.

And here is the same story, from The Sun.

Yes, QAnon has been talking up some big event on 4 March, which would have been Inauguration Day right up until the passage of the 20th Amendment, back in 1933.

So what is going on in the minds of folks responsible for the security of the Capitol Building?  What chatter are they hearing that the rest of us are not?  And what is their track record?

• They missed the move to Occupy Capitol Hill on 6 Janaury.
• They told us about protests at all 50 State Capitols, plus the District of Columbia, on Inauguration Day, which never happened.
• The explanations of what did happen on 6 January have been, from both Government and the media, slow to emerge and muddled, aside from blaming President Trump, which now appears off, an Impeachment notwithstanding.

So, the 18 Federal Intelligence Agencies of the Intelligence Community, which violated the Civil Rights of Trump Campaign Staff during his first run, and perhaps President Trump himself, seem totally out of their depth at this point in dealing with QAnon.

Assuming there is no major event on 4 March, and I don't expect one, when will the National Guard Units deployed to the Nation's Capitol return home?  And when will we start asking questions about what we knew and when we knew it?

Regards  —  Cliff

Fighting Back Against Wokism

For John, BLUF:  The author of this piece is former NYT Editor Bari Weiss.  She offers us 10 ways to fight woke culture, which I leave to you to look up at the URL.  I do provide her opening argument.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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10 ways to fight back against woke culture

From The New York Post, by Writer Bari Weiss, 31 January 2021, 10:05pm.

Here is the lede plus four:

I realize the faddish thing to say these days is that we live in the worst, most broken and backward country in the world and maybe in the history of civilization.  It’s utter nonsense.

I have a few basic litmus tests in my own life:  Can I wear a tank top in public?  Can I walk down the street holding the hand of my partner, a (beautiful) woman, in many places in America without getting a second glance?  Can I wear a Jewish star without fear?

I do not take those things for granted.  I know very well that in many other places, the answers would be different, and my life wouldn’t be possible at all.

America is imperfect.  (Does it even need to be said?)  There is bigotry toward blacks and gays and Jews and immigrants; there is intense polarization; political violence is becoming more regular; elected representatives believe conspiracy theories.  All true here as in many other countries being torn apart by the dislocations of the 21st century.

But there is no gulag in America.  There are no laws permitting honor killings.  There is no formal social credit system of the kind that exists right now in China.  By any measure, we have achieved incredible progress and enjoy extraordinary freedoms.  And yet people aren’t acting that way.  They are acting, increasingly, like subjects in a totalitarian country.

No gulag, no sanctioned honor killings, no social credit system.  Considering what is happening in the rest of the world, life in these United States is pretty good.  Not perfect.  But, relatively, pretty good.

The problem is we could lose it all if we don't stand up to the tyranny of the woke left, the politically correct, who would suppress our liberal freedoms, such as free speech and an open economy.  We don't need to fight, but we do need to stand fast, and support others who are standing fast and being canceled, being fired, being beaten up in mostly peaceful demoonstrations.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

First Sentencing For Russiagate

For John, BLUF:  Yes, the DOJ has convictede a number of Trump supporters, but here is the first conviction of a person involved in smearing Donald J Trump and crew via Russiagate, and thereby distrupting the proper functioning of the US Government.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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FBI Lawyer Who Forged Email in Carter Page FISA Process Sentenced to Probation

From The Epoch Times, by Reporter Ivan Pentchoukov, 29 January 2021.

Here is the lede plus four:

A federal judge on Jan. 29 sentenced former FBI attorney Kevin Clinesmith to 12 months of probation for forging an email that resulted in one of several major errors in the applications to spy on former Trump campaign adviser Carter Page.

U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg described Clinesmith’s forgery as an “inappropriate shortcut.”  The judge concurred with the defense’s argument that the FBI attorney did not intend to lie when he added the words “not a source” to an email from a CIA liaison which described Page as having provided information to the agency.

Boasberg, who serves as one of the judges in the secret Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court that approved the applications to surveil Page, said that Clinesmith’s forgery damages the reputation of the court.  The judge said he had no reason to disagree with the findings of the report by the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General, which found that Clinesmith’s actions were not motivated by his bias against President Donald Trump.

The judge also ordered Clinesmith to serve 400 hours of community service.

This is the first fruit of the Federal Prosecutor John Durham's investigation into the Federal Government's handling of information on then Candidate Donald Trump.  Outgoing US Attorney General William Barr appointed him a Special Council before stepping down.  Mr Durham's task is to investigate to determine if intelligence collection involving the Trump campaign was "lawful and appropriate".

As to the sentence, it seems appropriate, given that Mr Carter Page is suing the US Government (Department of Justice, FBI and Mr James Comey) for $75 million over his Civil Rights being violated.  I don't see filling up another jail slot with Mr Clinesmith.  That is just more Federal money down the drain.  And, the community service is a nice touch.

On the other hand, I thought maybe a FISA Court Judge, like U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg, might want to extract a pound of flesh and send a serious message.  Kudos to him for resisting the temptation.  I hope this slap on the wrist, and professional embarrassment, is sufficient to send a signal to other Government lawyers.

But, at the end of the day I hope his testimony given in exchange for this light sentence will help convict others who violated the Civil Rights of American Citizens and who further blemshed the record of the FBI and the Department of Justice.

Here is the PJ Media take on the sentencing.

Regards  —  Cliff

Domestic Surveillance Renews

For John, BLUF:  Continuing from the previous blog post.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Tulsi Gabbard:  Brennans, Schiffs, and Big Tech Oligarchs More Dangerous than Mob that Stormed Capitol

Here is the sub-headline:

Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard blasted former CIA Director John Brennan, House Intelligence Committee chairman Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), and big tech “oligarchs” seeking to censor fellow Americans after the January 6 Capitol riot.

From Breitbart News, Reporter Kristina Wong, 26 January 2021.

Here is the lede plus one:

Gabbard shared a video statement online where she criticized them for trying to take away Americans’ constitutionally protected rights.  She said in the video:

The mob that stormed the Capitol on January 6 to try to stop Congress from carrying out its constitutional responsibilities were behaving like domestic enemies of our country.  But let’s be clear.  The John Brennans, Adam Schiffs, and the oligarchs in big tech who are trying to undermine our constitutionally protected rights and turn our country into a police state with KGB-style surveillance are also domestic enemies, and much more powerful and therefore dangerous than the mob that stormed our Capitol.

Former US Rep Tulsi Gabbard is pointing to trends toward Domestic Surveillance, to the detriment of our Civil Rights.  Thanks to Ms Tulsi Gabbard for this.  This is important.

This is a repeat of the 1950s and 1960s, when the Federal Government engaged in Domestic Surveillence, in defiance of the law and the Constitution.  For example the FBI domestic surveillance efforts in the 1950s.  Or Operation CHAOS.

I have met the Reporter of this article, in a non-reporting situation, and was impressed with her.

Hat tip to my wife.

Regards  —  Cliff

Going in the Wrong Direction

For John, BLUF:  Some Democratic Party members are calling for new domestic surveillance efforts, which is a wrong path.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Tulsi Gabbard labels Adam Schiff, John Brennan as 'domestic enemies' of the US

Here is the sub-headline:

Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) called on President Biden to reject efforts to expand the government's national security powers

From The Blaze, by Reporter Chris Pandolfo, 26 January 2021.

Here is the lede plus one:

Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard issued a dire warning to the American people on Tuesday, expressing concern that "domestic enemies" of the United States, in the national security community and Big Tech industry, are plotting to create a "police state" in America.

Gabbard, who served as the U.S. representative for Hawaii's 2nd Congressional District from 2013 to 2021, posted a video to social media in which she spoke out against efforts to expand the federal government's national security powers after the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.  In the video, she called out former CIA Director John Brennan and Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), two leading proponents of expanding national security powers, labeling them "domestic enemies" of the country.

What is Ms Tulsi Gabbard trying to do?  Is she trying to lure me into being a Democrat, with her common sense approach to the issues we face?  Maybe she should become a Republican.

For sure, she has put her finger on a major threat to who we are as America.  We have been through Domestic Surveillance before, under J Edgar Hoover's Federal Bureau of Invdstigation.  We should not wish to go back to that unconstitutional abborgation of our Civil Rights.  Freedom means all voices being heard and progress being made in enjoyment of our freedom.

Regards  —  Cliff

Rights Over Reaction

For John, BLUF:  Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) has the right reaction to the 6 January Occupation of Capitol Hill.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

---

Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib Delivers Common Sense

Here is the Tweet:

Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib @RepRashida  ·  6h
I’m leading the call for national security powers to not be expanded in light of the attack on our nation’s Capitol that occurred two weeks ago, as such measures often lead to the erosion of Americans’ civil liberties.

The Congresswoman is right on target, delievering Common Sense.

Thank you Congressman Tlaib.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

The Reach of the Civil Rights Law

For John, BLUF:  The Feds come to Lowell for the Election.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Mill City one of 44 U.S. jurisdictions to be monitored for voting rights compliance

From The [Lowell] Sun, by Reporter Alana Melanson, 2 November 2020.

Here is the lede plus two:

The city is one of 44 jurisdictions in 18 states the U.S. Department of Justice will monitor for compliance with federal voting rights laws on Election Day.

“Federal law entrusts the Civil Rights Division with protecting the right to vote for all Americans,” Eric Dreiband, assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division, said in a Monday statement announcing the locations to be monitored.  “Our federal laws protect the right of all American citizens to vote without suffering discrimination, intimidation and harassment.  The work of the Civil Rights Division around each federal general election is a continuation of its historical mission to ensure that all of our citizens can freely exercise this most fundamental American right.”

The Civil Rights Division has regularly monitored a variety of elections since the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965 to protect citizens’ rights to access the ballot.  The Justice Department will also take complaints from the public on possible voting rights violations through its call center.

Then the reporter goes off to discuss the lawsuit by a number of Asian-Americans and Hispanics to force the City of Lowell to change from an at large City Council to one that has Districts electing the majority of Councillors.  Then she gets back to the details of the Feds snooping around in how we conduct elections.

I know the folks in the Lowell Election Office and several on the Election Commission.  Based on my interaction with them, I am insulted that the Feds are here and not Lawrence or down in Philadelphia.  As a taxpayer, I wonder who is managing the employment of my tax dollars.

Hat tip to the MASSterList.

Regards  —  Cliff

Government Spying on Citizens

For John, BLUF:  The deeper question is if there is some deep government that works to control our elected officials.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Judicial Watch: State Dept Records Show US Embassy in Ukraine Monitored Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Donald Trump Jr., Rudy Giuliani, Journalists and other U.S. Citizens in Potential Violation of Federal Law

Here is the sub-headline:

From Judicial Watch, 1 September 2020.  A Press Release.

Here is the lede plus one:

Judicial Watch announced today that it received 372 pages of records from the U.S. Department of State that confirm prior Judicial Watch reporting that the Ukraine Embassy under then-Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch monitored, in potential violation of law, Donald Trump, Jr. Rudy Giuliani, and major journalists on Twitter on their commentary on Ukraine, “Biden-Burisma 2020”, and George Soros.

The documents list the targeted persons as Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Rudy Giuliani, Dan Bongino, Sebastian Gorka, John Solomon, Jack Posobiec, Ryan Saavedra, Sara A Carter, Donald Trump Jr., Michael McFaul, Lou Dobbs and Pamela Gellar. The search terms that were flagged to be monitored by State Department officials on social media included Yovanovitch, Ukraine Ambassador, Ukrainian Ambassador, Ukraine Soros, Clinton campaign, and Biden-Burisma.

This kind of thing can't help but cause some of us to be cynical about the operation of Government.  If we can't count on them to follow the rules, why should we trust them to make the rule?

The deeper issue is whether we can trust our legislators when they seem to ignore these violations of our civil rights.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Home Schooling For Me, But Not for Thee

For John, BLUF:  There is a lot of arrogance across the fruited plain, and it is getting in the way of individual freedom and civil rights..  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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NHDem Senator: Working-Class Parents Don’t Have Intelligence to Oversee Their Kids’ Educations

From Inside Sources, by Mr Michael Graham, 11 June 2020.

Here is the lede plus four:

Working-class parents without college degrees aren’t capable of overseeing their own children’s education, according to comments State Sen. Jeanne Dietsch (D-Peterborough) made during a House Education Committee hearing on Tuesday.

Dietsch was speaking on behalf of a Senate bill that would repeal a law allowing the state Board of Education to create an alternative program for granting graduation credits, which became Learn Everywhere.

“This idea of parental choice, that’s great if the parent is well-educated.  There are some families that’s perfect for. But to make it available to everyone?  No.  I think you’re asking for a huge amount of trouble,” Dietsch said.

“Is it your belief that only well-educated parents can make proper decisions for what’s in the best interest of their children?”  asked a dumbfounded Rep. Glenn Cordelli (R-Tuftonboro).

Rather than saying “no,” Dietsch instead repeated her view that parents without college degrees are less capable of overseeing their children’s education.

There is a certain elitism out there that doesn't trust the hoi polloi.

And it make me wonder if many of our current leaders how those who went before us in total contempt.  Yes, they didn't know as much about the universe as we do, but they managed to give us a launching platform that has allowed us to do better than they did.  To paraphrase a former President, "You didn't create these United States by yourself.  Someone else did and you are just building upon that foundation."

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

The Story Slowly Turns

For John, BLUF:  Why has it taken so long to come this far?  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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New FBI document confirms the Trump campaign was investigated without justification

From The Hill, by Mr Kevin R Brock, 27 May 2020.

Remember the line attributed to President Trump—"They aren't coming for me.  They are coming for you.  I'm just in the way."

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Screw Up and Move Up

For John, BLUF:  We are in the middle of a never-ending story of bureaucrats abusing the rights of Citizens, and getting away with it.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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MSNBC And NBC News Hire Lisa Page As A Legal Analyst

From Hot Air, by Mr John Sexton, 5 June 2020.

Here is the lede sentence:

Today, MSNBC announced it had hired Lisa Page as a legal analyst.

Don't remember her?  She is the potty mouth Department of Justice lawyer who exchanged EMails with FBI Agent Peter Strzok, during the period when the FBI was abusing the civil rights of Trump Campaign workers.  Because:  Trump.

But, in its own way it makes sense.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Streaks of Integrity

For John, BLUF:  As the InstaPundit said, WHEN THE LEFT LOSES AN EDITOR AT ROLLING STONE….  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Democrats Have Abandoned Civil Liberties

Here is the sub-headline:

The Blue Party’s Trump-era Embrace of Authoritarianism Isn’t Just Wrong, it’s a Fatal Political Mistake

From Reporting by Matt Taibbi, by Mr Matt Taibbi, 15 May 2020.

Here is the lede plus three:

Emmet G. Sullivan, the judge in the case of former Trump National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, is refusing to let William Barr’s Justice Department drop the charge.  He’s even thinking of adding more, appointing a retired judge to ask “whether the Court should issue an Order to Show Cause why Mr. Flynn should not be held in criminal contempt for perjury.”

Pundits are cheering.  A trio of former law enforcement and judicial officials saluted Sullivan in the Washington Post, chirping, “The Flynn case isn’t over until a judge says it’s over.”  Yuppie icon Jeffrey Toobin of CNN and the New Yorker, one of the #Resistance crowd’s favored legal authorities, described Sullivan’s appointment of Judge John Gleeson as “brilliant.”  MSNBC legal analyst Glenn Kirschner said Americans owe Sullivan a “debt of gratitude.”

One had to search far and wide to find a non-conservative legal analyst willing to say the obvious, i.e. that Sullivan’s decision was the kind of thing one would expect from a judge in Belarus.  George Washington University professor Jonathan Turley was one of the few willing to say Sullivan’s move could “could create a threat of a judicial charge even when prosecutors agree with defendants.”

Sullivan’s reaction was amplified by a group letter calling for Barr’s resignation signed by 2000 former Justice Department officials (the melodramatic group email somberly reported as momentous news is one of many tired media tropes in the Trump era) and the preposterous “leak” of news that the dropped case made Barack Obama sad.  The former president “privately” told “members of his administration” (who instantly told Yahoo! News) that there was no precedent for the dropping of perjury charges, and that the “rule of law” itself was at stake.

Professor Jonathan Turley shows, once again, that being a Democrat doesn't mean abandoning the Bill of Rights.  And thank God for that.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

Fighting to Retain Kangaroo Courts

For John, BLUF:  I am hoping this is just a rear guard action by those who favor a nanny state that prioritizes the rights of some over the rights of others.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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ACLU sues Betsy DeVos over new campus sexual assault rules

From Yahoo News, by Reporter Erik Ortiz, of NBC News, 14 May 2020.

Here is the lede plus two:

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos' revised federal guidelines on how sexual assault allegations should be handled on college and K-12 campuses is the target of a federal lawsuit filed Thursday, claiming the changes would "inflict significant harm" on victims and "dramatically undermine" their civil rights.

The suit, filed on behalf of four advocacy groups for sexual assault survivors, including Know Your IX and Girls for Gender Equity, is the first that attempts to block the Department of Education's new provisions before they go into effect on Aug. 14.

The rules championed by DeVos effectively bolster the rights of due process for those accused of sexual assault and harassment, allowing for live hearings and cross examinations.  It's what agency officials say was lacking under the Obama administration to protect all students under Title IX, a 1972 law that prohibits gender discrimination, including sexual assault, at schools.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff

FISA Court Stands Up

For John, BLUF:  The FISA Court was created to ensure control of abuses of intelligence collection capabilities to the detriment of the Bill of Rights.  The Presidential Election of 2016 suggested that the supposed safeguards had failed.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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Oh My, Interesting Ramifications – FISA Court Requires DOJ/FBI To Provide Names of Targets Within Corrupt Surveillance Applications…

From The Conservative Tree House, by sundance, 3 April 2020.

Here is the lede plus four:

Things are getting interesting, potential ramifications are growing, as the FISA Court responds to the latest information from the DOJ Office of Inspector General (OIG).

After a review of 29 FISA applications, from eight FBI field offices, the OIG informed the FBI and DOJ that none of the surveillance applications were compliant with the Woods procedures.  Meaning zero applications had FBI evidence to support the validity of the claims within the FISA warrants.  That’s a very big problem if those FISA warrants were used to gather evidence used to prosecute the 29 targets of the applications.

In a FISC order released today [pdf here] presiding Judge James Boasberg is ordering the FBI to identify who those targets were; and asking the DOJ to explain what they did with the evidence gathered as a result of the fraudulently obtained FISA warrants.  Big.

If evidence obtained by execution of a fraudulently obtained warrant was used in the prosecution of any of those targets; there’s a possibility those cases will be reopened.

Considering the twenty nine applications from the OIG go back to 2015, there’s a lot of potential for some downstream consequences not only for those 29 applications, but also for all FBI FISA applications with a similar level of neglect.

I am cautiously optimistic that the wrongs will be corrected.  What optimism I have is based on my faith in Attorney General Bill Barr.

Since those in the Department of Justice who messed this up are unlikely to be punished, it is very important that any whose civil rights were violated are set free and compensated.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff