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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

The Commonwealth of Virginia is set to elect a new governor in November. There are three candidates qualified to be on the ballot but the Republican and Democratic parties are blocking the Libertarian candidate Cliff Hyra from participating.

The voters are entitled to hear from all eligible candidates not just those of the two majority parties. I would like the Bluefield Daily Telegraph and its readers to ask that Mr. Hyra be included in all future debates as the citizens of Virginia need to know all of the options that are available in November.

As three newspapers in Virginia have endorsed this idea as well as this issue being addressed by WVTF-TV in Roanoke as well as Virginia public radio. I think that the Bluefield Daily Telegraph should have the courage to take such a stand.

Greg Gruchacz

Bluefield, Va.

View post:
Let the Libertarian candidate have a say - Bluefield Daily Telegraph

A future Democratic-controlled Congress will be able to establish a single-payer healthcare system about 10 years sooner than they thought, according to a House lawmaker.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., believes that the internal Republican debate over a repeal of the Medicaid expansion created by Obamacare has greased the skids for a single-payer program modeled on Medicaid or Medicare. That's a far cry from the 2009 healthcare debate, when Democrats took pains to avoid the perception of government-run health care, but it builds on Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer's promise of a renewed progressive agenda.

"They've accelerated the move toward single-payer, probably advancing it by a decade," Blumenauer said Wednesday at a healthcare policy event hosted by The Hill.

Then-President Barack Obama rejected conservative claims that the healthcare overhaul represented a step toward single-payer healthcare during the debate. "What are not legitimate concerns are those being put forward claiming a public option is somehow a Trojan horse for a single-payer system," he said in 2009. "So, when you hear the naysayers claim that I'm trying to bring about government-run healthcare, know this they are not telling the truth."

Some congressional Democrats hoped at the time that a component of the healthcare bill known as a public option could provide a template for single-payer, but the provision was stripped out of the bill in the course of the debate. But the Medicaid expansion may have played a similar function, if Blumenauer's assessment is correct.

"I think the steps for Medicare for All or Medicaid For More are pretty simple, incremental steps that can go forward moving that because the public is aware, the inefficiencies have been exposed and what we're seeing in terms of the dynamics that people are struggling with in terms of trying to make this one-sixth of the economy function better," the Oregon Democrat said.

Follow this link:
Democrat says Obamacare debate 'accelerated the move toward single-payer' - Washington Examiner

MANCHESTER, N.H.

Democratic Manchester Ward 1 Alderman Kevin Cavanaugh capitalized on a strong get-out-the-vote effort to upset Republican former Sen. David Boutin in a special state Senate election in three Manchester wards and four area towns Tuesday.

Cavanaughs win kept the seat in Democratic hands and also kept the Republican majority in the Senate at 14-10.

The win was viewed as an upset because registration figures show 35 percent of the districts voters are Republicans and 29 percent are Democrats, with undeclared voters the largest segment, at 36 percent. In addition, Boutin had held the seat from 2010 through 2016 and was better-known district-wide than Cavanaugh.

Unofficial results showed that Cavanaugh won with nearly 55 percent of the vote as compared to 44 percent for Hooksett resident Boutin. Libertarian candidate Jason Dubrow of Dunbarton picked up 1 percent of the vote.

Nearly 8,700 votes were cast, making for a turnout of nearly 21 percent, impressive for a mid-summer special election.

The closely-watched contest was necessitated by the death of Democratic Sen. Scott McGilvray in March. The late NEA-New Hampshire teachers union president was the first Democrat to win the seat in more than three decades.

Boutin first won the seat in a February 2010 special election, and then won re-election to full, two-year terms in November 2010, 2012 and 2014. He chose not to seek re-election in November 2016 in order to spend more time with his daughter, who was pregnant at the time. McGilvray defeated a lesser-known candidate, Republican state Rep. Joseph Duarte, by a margin of only 51 percent to 49 percent to win the seat.

But after McGilvrays death, Boutin decided to attempt to return to the Senate, where he was viewed as a fiscal conservative but with moderate stances on some key issues, such as his opposition to right-to-work legislation.

The voting took place in Senate District 16, which is composed of Manchester Wards 1, 2 and 12 and the towns of Hooksett, Bow, Candia and Dunbarton.

Cavanaugh won his home ward with 1,191 votes, to 708 for Boutin and two votes for Dubrow. He won Manchester Ward 2, by a margin of 771 to 441, with 24 votes for Dubrow. In Ward 12, it was 447 for Cavanaugh, 336 for Boutin and 11 for Dubrow.

The total of the three wards showed a 924-vote margin for Cavanaugh, who received 61.2 percent of the city vote, while Boutin received 37.8 percent and Dubrow, 1 percent.

"This was a tremendous turnout for a mid-summer special election," City Clerk Matthew Normand told WMUR. "It was consistent with what we might see at a typical city-wide general election in the fall."

Unofficial results from Hooksett showed Boutin winning his home town, but by a narrow-than-expected margin of 1,012 to 850, with 24 votes for Dubrow. Boutin won in Dunbarton, 255 to 247, with 16 for Dubrow, which was a nearly 24 percent turnout.

In Bow, Cavanaugh won with 938 votes to 626 for Boutin and 17 for Dubrow. And in Candia, unofficial results showed Boutin with 426 votes to 307 for Cavanaugh and 14 for Dubrow.

Cavanaugh, a first-term alderman, husband and father of three young children, has said he intends to remain in the city post while also serving in Concord. Like his sate Senate predecessor, he is also a union activist. A longtime employee of FairPoint Communications, Cavanaugh is currently the assistant business manager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 2320.

Democrats credited Cavanaugh's win to an outpouring of enthusiasm from voters frustrated by the GOP legislative and congressional majorities at the State House and on Capitol Hill.

"This loss is a stunning repudiation of the reckless Trump-Sununu agenda," said state Democratic Party Chairman Raymond Buckley. "It should serve as a huge wake-up call to New Hampshire Republicans, Governor (Chris) Sununu, and Mayor (Ted) Gatsas. They poured everything they had into this race and still came up short.

"The NHGOP's efforts to suppress the vote only served to energize the Democratic base," Buckley said. "This should teach Republicans to back away from fear-mongering, bullying rhetoric that is not just eroding our political discourse but hemorrhaging Republican votes in the state."

Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez also weighed in from Washington, saying in a statement, "When we invest, we win. That's what we did here in New Hampshire and that's what we will continue to do in races up and down the ballot."

NHGOP Chair Jeanie Forrester noted that in November, Democrat Hillary Clinton won the district. Clinton's win was narrow -- 15,132 to 15,040 for President Donald Trump. However, Republicans Sununu and former Sen. Kelly Ayotte also won the district by substantial margins.

"With massive out-of-state support, the Democrats managed to hold onto a state Senate seat," Forrester said. "The New Hampshire Republican Party is continuing the process of building our organization for long-term victory in the Granite State."

In an interview, Cavanaugh would not acknowledge that he entered the race as an underdog, but he did say, I knew we had a lot of work to do. And I like working. Someone told me that I should put my name out there but told me, Youll never beat him. That got me going.

He said that in the Senate, he will focus on working families and education.

Boutin and Cavanaugh both poured substantial funds into the race.

Through last Wednesday, Boutin had raised $108,000, including $37,600 brought forward from his previous campaigns' fundraising. He had spent $62,669.

The NHGOP had raised and spent about $61,000 promoting Boutin in direct mail and radio ads. Gov. Chris Sununu and former Sen. Kelly Ayotte appeared in separate radio spots praising Boutin.

Cavanaugh had raised $125,771 and had spent $87,346 as of July 19.

Read the rest here:
Updated: Democrat Cavanaugh pulls off upset in state Senate special election - WMUR Manchester