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Weve played this game before. It derived from a bit by podcaster Adam Carolla, who takes inane statements from politicians, celebrities and people in the news and asks: Are they stupid or are they lying?

Todays episode of Stupid or Liar focuses on the death of Justine Ruszczyk (Her name was not Damond. It was going to be Damond after she was married. If America adhered to that as the journalistic standard, my high school yearbook would have referred to me as Sir Michael Harriot, husband of Janet Jackson).

Less than a week after Justine Ruszczyk was killed by a fatal gunshot wound to the abdomen from a Minneapolis police officers gun, the police chief has been forced out, the mayor is on thin ice, and the new chief is an African-American man with deep roots in Minneapolis.

Minneapolis Chief of Police Jane Harteau resigned Friday after careful reflection on the comments

As soon as I heard about this incident, I ran to my computer and waited. Ive seen the routine so many times, I knew exactly what would happen. Immediately following her death, some industrious news reporter would release her criminal historyeven if it had no bearing on the shootinglike media outlets did when they reported the killings of DeJuan Guillory and Walter Scott.

If she had a clean criminal record, theyd at least put out the most menacing, villainous photo of her, the way they did Trayvon Martin. Theyd go back as far as her high school teachers or her neighbors to find a personality defect that would adequately describe why the valiant hero cop feared for his life.

I sat patiently in front of the screen waiting for a Google alert from the mayor, police chief or police union explaining how there was no need to jump to any conclusions or take any actions until they conducted a thorough investigation. I knew it was coming. It always happened this way.

Im still waiting.

During my wait, an attorney called Ruszczyk the most innocent police shooting victim hes ever seen. Robert Bennettthe lawyer who made these commentsis either blatantly lying or he is the stupidest white man in the long, storied history of stupid white men.

Is there even a superlative for the word innocent? If sois Justine Ruszczyk more innocent than Rekia Boyd, who was simply talking on her cellphone when an off-duty cop fired a bullet into her skull? Was John Crawford IIIs innocence permanently erased in the .36 seconds it took for cops to burst into Walmart and eliminate his existence for the unmitigated gall of buying a BB gun? A lawyer like Bennett, who represents high-profile police-shooting victims, would know about these cases. If he doesnt, then, by definition, that makes him stupid.

stupid

st(y)oopd/

1. having or showing a great lack of intelligence or common sense.

Ruszczyks death happened fewer than 20 miles from the St. Paul, Minn., courthouse where Police Officer Jeronimo Yanez was acquitted of murder in the death of Philando Castile. Castile was in his car posing no threat to the officer who killed him. Yanez shot him on July 6, 2016. For context, on July 7, 2016, this article appeared:

It was a regular thing for Philando Castile to be stopped by Minnesota police for minor traffic

Im sure an article like this will be coming out about Justine Ruszczyk pretty soon. I know it has been over a week, but shes from Australia, which is another country on the other side of the world, which means reporters probably have to translate her criminal record from Australian to English, which could take a while. Im sure thats what the holdup is about.

While Im sitting here, I might as well wait for the All Lives Matter people to explain how we dont know the whole story. Blue Lives Matter will probably come out en masse, too, to defend the honor of the Somali cop who shot her. If they dont care about race, then the All Lives Matter advocates will implore us to wait until authorities do their due diligence. Thats probably whats going to happen, right?

Unless they were lying this whole time.

To be fair, maybe the All Lives Matter people are so blinded by the combination of privilege and reflexive defensiveness that comes free in every package of white supremacy that they have no idea that responding to Black lives matter with All lives matter is akin to telling a man dying of a heart attack about their bout with acid reflux. Perhaps they dont know that there is not a sane human being in the United States who wonders whether white lives matter. Maybe All Lives Matter is just stupid.

The man who killed Rekia Boyd was acquitted of involuntary manslaughter becauseaccording to a judgethe fact that he fired an unregistered weapon into a dark alley wasnt proof of recklessness. Two days after Ruszczyks death, federal authorities declined to press charges against the cops who shot John Crawford.

Its been almost three years since a Beavercreek, Ohio, police officer fatally shot a black Walmart

Anyone who insinuates that Crawford, Boyd, Castile, et al. were not as innocent as Ruszczyk are conflating innocence with whiteness. None of the others had committed a crime. All of them are dead.

The media immediately named her shooteras did the city of Minneapolisas a Muslim of Somali descent. Staunch conservatives and white allies alike all say this has nothing to do with race. Quicktell me Jeronimo Yanezs religion. Can you tell me from which country Officer Sean WilliamsJohn Crawfords killerdescended? Stupid liars, the whole lot of them.

None of this is Justine Ruszczyks fault. She is as blameless as the previously mentioned victimsbut not more so. It is disingenuous to have a discussion about this entire incident and sidestep the obvious fact that part of the uproar about her death stems from the fact that she was a classically attractive white woman. Anyone who does so is either being dishonest or willfully ignoranttwo euphemisms for ... you know.

In just six days, Justine Ruszczyks death uprooted the entire government of the 46th-largest city in America. Two countries are outraged. People of all colors, religions and ethnicities are protesting.

They all have a right to be upset, but we should be clear: If it had anything to do with the fact that Ruszczyk was a bride-to-be, Sean Bells killers would be in jail. If it had anything to do with the fact that she was the one who called 911, then the men who shot Brendan Hester would be locked up. If her immigrant status makes others empathetic toward this tragedy, where were these same outraged advocates for swift justice when the men who shot Amadou Diallo walked away scot-free?

Justine Ruszczyk is an innocent, pure victim because she is white, and we all know it. No one wants to admit it, so Ill just sit here and wait for them to treat her with the same disrespectful criminal taint that they do every victim of color. Maybe theyll find a stash of CDs she was trying to sell or uncover a stash of loose cigarettes. Maybe there were Skittles in her pocket. Im sure theyll dig up something. Ill wait.

Nah. Im lying.

Theres no way Im that stupid.

See more here:
'Stupid or Liar': What Justine Damond's Death Proves About All Lives Matter - The Root

The president of Cincinnatis police union confirmed he received threats after posting a message on Facebook to Black Lives Matter, WXIX-TV reported.

Sgt. Dan Hils took the group to task in his Saturday post, pointing out that none of the citys 32 black homicide victims this year came at the hands of law enforcement: I wanted to let you know first how many of those black lives lost were in police interventions. Ok, get ready for ithold on and take a deep breathare you sure that you are ready?..Ok, thats right it is zero (0), not a one, zilch.

Hils posted his message just hours before a demonstration over a prosecutors decision to not seek a third trial in the case of a white University of Cincinnati police officer in the fatal shooting of a black motorist during a 2015 traffic stop, the station said.

The threatening and intimidating Facebook comments against Hils came between 11:30 p.m. Saturday and 12:30 a.m. Sunday, WXIX reported, citing a copy of the incident report.

It is very concerning when people feel the need to threaten someone when they post an opinion and statement on social media, Hils told the station.

The case is classified as telecommunications harassment, WXIX said.

I stand by my statement, Hils told the station. The threat felt very real. We are merely trying to protect those so they can protest and express their opinions this is a great concern. According to the report, there is a suspect whos a stranger to Hils.

The following is Hils full Facebook post. As of Tuesday afternoon, its received 581 shares and 1,300 likes:

Dear Black Lives Matter Protestors,

I wish to help your objective at the rally today protesting black lives lost. I have the list of the homicide victims in the city of Cincinnati in 2017. As of July 17th, there have been 39 homicides. Of those homicides, 32 of the 39 homicide victims were black.

Thirty-two black lives taken before their time. Thirty-two black lives taken violently. Due to your group name, I have omitted mention of the seven white murder victims. But, back to my point I wanted to let you know first how many of those black lives lost were in police interventions. Ok, get ready for ithold on and take a deep breathare you sure that you are ready?..Ok, thats right it is zero (0), not a one, zilch.

I know the names you will have on your signs, but may I suggest these names as well; Deandre Berry (killed 1/1/17), Deante Mattocks (killed 1/8/17), Terrence Woods (killed 1/12/17), Troy Smith (killed 1/13/17), Alexandrea Thompson (9 years old, killed 1/18/17), Corrye Barwick Jr. (killed 1/28/17), Twanda Alexander (killed 2/7/17), Donald Campbell (killed 2/14/17), Casey Roby (killed 2/16/17), Trevor Tiemann (killed 2/19/17), Michael Chichester (killed 3/13/17), Tyrone Frazier(killed 3/18/17), OBryan Spikes (killed 3/26/17), Tyler Lee (killed 4/2/17), Deondre Davis (killed 4/4/17), Jamar Hayes (killed 4/17/17), Kendall Perkins (killed 4/18/17), DeShawn Jenkins (killed 4/18/17), Omar Mohommad (killed 4/25/17), Judson Roper Jr. (killed 4/27/17), Jahmaria Cruz (killed 5/14/17), Anthony Gray (killed 5/16/17), Shawnice Johnson (killed 5/18/17), William Bell (killed 522/17), Troy Donald (killed 5/31/17), Boris Tolliver (killed 6/1/17), Jeremy Rohe (killed 6/14/17), Keonte Walker (killed 6/20/17), Jonathan Taylor (killed 7/1/17), William Thomas (killed 7/4/17), Dontae Whaley (killed 7/5/17), and Rafeal Harrison (killed 7/17/17).

Cincinnatis police officers responded to each of these homicide scenes exposing themselves to unknown physical risk. Our detectives have spent countless hours trying to find who is responsible for the homicides above along with the seven white victims that I did not list. Your CPD knows that all lives matter. How about a sign in support of police officers battling this violence?

Try to stay hydrated it is going to very warm.

Daniel J. Hils FOP #69, President

(H/T: The American Mirror)

The rest is here:
Police leader takes Black Lives Matter to task in eye-opening post. Then he gets threatened. - TheBlaze.com

A kerfuffle between a patron of the Vortex restaurant and the boyfriend of a waiter has lit up Atlantas social media Tuesday.

A couple received what they considered substandard service at the Vortex restaurant in Little Five Points earlier this month. The waiter seemed as if he hated his job and or annoyed he was serving black guests, they told the websiteBlackLivesMatterGreaterAtlanta.com

The patron, Kristina White, decided to leave a zero tip, and explained her reasoning at the bottom of the check: treat everyone the same.

Treat everyone the same Kristina White wrote on the check she received at the Vortex, instead of offering a tip for what she considered bad service. Photo: courtesy Black Lives Matter of Greater Atlanta The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The entire time Ms. White and her friend were at this restaurant they were treated with the utmost disrespect, and lack thereof, wrote Sir Maejor Page, president ofBlack Lives Matter Greater Atlanta, on the groups website.

Their waiters boyfriend, who was on hand at the restaurant, later left critical messages on Whites phone and on her Facebook page, according to the Black Lives Matter website.

According tothe Vortex website, the server, Gaven Greenberg, was terminated and his boyfriend, Patrick Wilkinson, was served with a notice that he is no longer allowed on the property.

The restaurant wrote that it offered her a gift certificate and added In no event will we ever tolerate our patrons being bullied or harassed by anyone, including friends or family of our staff.

The Vortex has perhaps the most distinctive front door of any restaurant in Atlanta. Patrons of the Little Five Points branch enter through the gaping mouth of a swirly-eyed skull sculpture. The restaurant also permits smoking (in designated areas) and adopts a stance that suggests those who dont like smoking shouldnt attend. While were happy to welcome smokers and non-smokers alike, we will never tolerate crybabies, they write on their website.

Though the Black Lives Matter item was titledWhy You Shouldnt Dine At The Vortex a commenter on the BLM site wroteThe Vortex handled this immediately & with class.

Want more news?

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Go here to read the rest:
Vortex embroiled in Black Lives Matter flap - Atlanta Journal Constitution

In the early hours of Saturday morning, Rashan Charles died after being apprehended by police.

According to the BBC, the 20 year-old was pursued by a Metropolitan Police Officer on foot, after they attempted to stop a car that Rashan was a passenger of, on Kingsland Road, in Hackney, at 1.45am.

He ran into the local off license called 'Yours Locally' in Dalston, where he was seen 'trying to swallow an object'.

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The footage of what happens inside the shop is circulating widely on social media.

The CCTV footage shows a struggle as the officer takes down Rashan. Once on the floor the struggle continues for more than a minute, whilst another plain-clothed man sits on the young suspect.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) have released a statement saying they are going to investigate the officer's contact with Rashan.

They also explain that Rashan became unwell at the scene and first aid was given by a police officer as well as paramedics before he was taken to the Royal London Hospital where he subsequently died.

The IPCC state that they believe an object was removed from his throat at the scene.

It is yet unclear how Rashan actually died.

Since his death, social media, particularly Twitter, reacted with outrage.

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The hashtag #JusticeForRash quickly began trending.

Many people were angry at the lack of mainstream coverage, as well as commenting on the apparent force used in the video.

Yesterday afternoon people took to Kingsland Road to protest.

Holding Black Lives Matter posters they stopped traffic chanting 'No justice, no peace.'

Protestors made it clear they believed there is a systemic issue within the police regarding excessive used on people of colour.

Black Lives Matter is a movement stemming from the US that aims to publicise and ultimately end the disproportionate amount of people of colour killed by the police.

His friends left flowers outside the shop and spoke to reporters about his loving and protective nature, with one man telling the Independent, 'He was a brother to me'.

A spokesman from the Metropolitan Police said to the BBC: 'The man entered a shop in Kingsland Road, where he was seen to be trying to swallow an object. The officer intervened and sought to prevent the man from harming himself, but he was then taken ill.'

New NRA Video Is Terrifying And Divisive

Black Girls Begin To Be Discriminated Against When

Go here to read the rest:
Rashan Charles Is The Reason There Was A Black Lives Matter March Last Night - ELLE UK

Demonstrators gather to protest the National Rifle Association on December 21, 2012. (Photo: Joshlopezphoto)BILL BERKOWITZ FOR BUZZFLASH AT TRUTHOUT

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Without the drummed-up fear that a black president would take guns away from law-abiding citizens, the National Rifle Association is turning toward vilifying and pillorying the Black Lives Matter movement against police brutality in order to drum up gun sales. One of the platforms it now has at its disposal is NRATV. While the fledging network may not yet be among the choices in your cable television package, or available through existing streaming services, given the power of the gun lobbying organization, NRATV may soon be coming to screen near you.

Launched in October of last year, NRATV's declared mission is to provide "The most comprehensive video coverage of Second Amendment issues, events and culture anywhere in the world." The network offers such programing as NRANEWs, presented by Ruger, NRAWOMEN, presented by Smith & Wesson, NRACOUNTRY and NRAHUNTING, as well as an array of commentators.

Grant Stinchfield is a host of a program called Stinchfield. During a recent broadcast, Stinchfield let go a broadside against Black Lives Matter, claiming that "racist violence" in South Africa, "where white families are being tortured and killed almost every day in racist violence. is a warning for the United States." And because of the liberal media, "you will never hear [about this] from the mainstream media in this country."

Stinchfield interviewed Chuck Holton, a veteranArmyRanger, and co-host -- alongside Iran-Contra figure and NRA board member Oliver North -- of the NRATV series Frontlines. Holton who appears to be a master of alternative facts and seems to have a hate/hate relationship with African Americans, maintained that "the blatant racism and violence we're seeing from people like the Black Lives Matter crowd, from people like Louis Farrakhan and his minions,is happening in spades in South Africa."

The Daily Banter's Justin Rosario declared that Holton's words were not just "a racist dog whistle," they were "an open call to violence against Black Lives Matter."

"Pair this with the recent 'liberals are the enemy of freedom' ad that effectively calls on NRA members to get ready to kill anti-Trump protesters and you have a very stark picture of the NRA's agenda," Rosario noted. "No longer content to just sell guns and fear, the gun industry's mouthpiece is actively inciting violence against the left, using both political and racial tensions as a justification.

When Obama welcomed, and shook hands with, then-president-elect Donald Trump at the White House, Holton tweeted: "Photo finally surfaces of Trump grabbing a pussy." And two days after Trump's inauguration, Holton tweeted "Okay! Party's over. Let's get busy scrubbing Obama's mocacchino stain off of America!"

According to Media Matters for America, last August on the NRA's radio show Cam & Company, "Holton talked about gangs, absent fathers, and welfare, before saying, 'And you hear college students complain about white privilege. You know my definition of white privilege? It's just simply the culture that we have created, that our fathers and grandfathers have worked hard to create.' Holton went on describe white privilege as 'a culture of individual responsibility, where you take responsibility for your own actions, a culture that respects authority.' He also positively cited a video about 'white privilege' released by 'alt right' blogger Stefan Molyneux."

Immediately after the attack in Manchester, England, which left 22 dead and dozens injured, Holton told Stinchfield that England "has had this coming," due to the country's firearms regulations, open bordersfor refugees, "multiculturalism" and "gender-bending." At the end of the segment, Stinchfield stated that European countries have "disarmed their citizens, so terrorists operate with impunity."

After the January 21st Women's March on Washington, commentator Bill Whittle had Holton, who also works with Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network, as his guest. Together they blamed the Women's March "for vandalism and property damage that took place on Inauguration Day, January 20," Raw Story reported. Whittle and Holton confidently predicted that a Women's March on the NRA scheduled for July 14 will "certainly not be peaceful."

"Well, they're certainly not peaceful. And they're certainly not even protests. What they are is sort of temper tantrums by spoiled children, is the best way I can describe them," Holton said.

The July 14 and 15 protests against the NRA which included a nearly 18-mile walk from NRA headquarters to the U.S. Department of Justice was carried out peacefully. The events were in part a response to an incendiary one-minute NRA recruitment video, which featured NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch, who in the video argues that demonstrators "bully and terrorize the law-abiding until the only option left is for the police to do their jobs and stop the madness."

"They use their media to assassinate real news," The Blaze's Dana Loesch said in the ad. "They use their schools to teach children that their president is another Hitler. They use their movie stars and singers and comedy shows and award shows to repeat their narrative over and over again."

Women's March co-president Tamika Mallory called the ad is "direct endorsement of violence" against protesters. "We haven't taken a position that people shouldn't have guns, we don't want to prohibit folks from exercising their second amendment rights," Mallory told CNN ahead of the march. "But the NRA ad puts our First Amendment rights in jeopardy, it puts the lives of people who are exercising their right to protest in the middle of danger.We are looking for a change in NRA's behavior and its policies and practices."

The event's Facebook page urged the NRA to "take down the recent irresponsible and dangerous advertisement videos from all social platforms immediately; issue an apology to the American people for the video that suggests armed violence against communities of color, progressives and anyone who does not agree with this Administration's policies; and make a statement to defend Philando Castile's Second Amendment right to own a firearm and demand the Department of Justice indict the police officer who killed him for exercising his Second Amendment."

Attacks on Black Lives Matter are nothing new. Since the inception of the movement, conservatives have been gunning for the organization. Recently, Jacob Grandstaff, writing for the conservative Capital Research Center website, argued that the Women's March against the NRA "show that the group is primarily concerned withLeft-wing coalition-building and notwomen's issues."

Grandstaff added: "The Women's March characterizes itself as a feminist movement organized in opposition to President Donald Trump and his supposedly anti-women comments and political stances. The anti-NRA demonstration, however, appears to have little to do with women; andinstead meshes morewiththe greater Left's accusations of racism against the NRA."

See the original post:
Attacking Black Lives Matter and Selling Fear: Guns and Racism on NRATV - Truth-Out