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In the aftermath of violence at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, progressive activists nationwide have demanded, and in some cases illegally carried out, the tearing down and removal of statues and monuments to Confederate leaders and soldiers on public space. Now Black Lives Matter activists have gone even further going so far as to call for a ban on all Confederate imagery even in private possession.

Inspired by Germanys post-war laws banning any and all Nazi imagery, Black Lives Matter activists on Twitter called for a similar ban on Confederate imagery or memorabilia.

After WWII, Germany outlawed the Nazis, their symbols, salutes & their flags. All confederate flags & statue, & groups should be illegal, tweeted the Black Lives Matter Chicago Twitter account, @BLMChi.

"The fact that the Confederate flag & statues permeate the south is evidence that white supremacy was never overthrown in the United States," the @BLMChi account tweeted three minutes later.

Outlawing all Confederate flags, symbols, statues, and groups would not only be indescribably impractical taking into account the existence of battlefield monuments, graves, Civil War re-enactors, every single souvenir shop within a 10-mile radius of Gettysburg, historical computer games, and Lynyrd Skynyrd albums it would also be illegal.

"Even the most liberal Supreme Court justice knows that the remedy to hateful or offensive speech is opposing speech," Eddie Zipperer, an assistant professor of political science at Georgia Military College, told LifeZette. "This would be a blatant violation of the First Amendment."

"Leftists always haul out the argument that you can't yell 'fire' in a crowded theater, so free speech has limits," he said. "But that argument is nonsensical. Historically, the Supreme Court goes to any length to protect political speech even wildly unpopular speech."

Zipperer provided as an example the decision in the 2011 case Snyder v. Phelps, in which the court ruled 8-1 to "protect the absolutely horrible, hateful speech of the Westboro Baptist Church during a protest of a dead soldier's funeral."

"That case was decided by all the same justices we have now, except Scalia was on the court instead of Gorsuch," he noted. "The Supreme Court has allowed almost no limitation on political speech, and there's no reason to think that will change."

Similar rhetoric pointing a finger of wrong at any and all Confederate memorabilia came from at least one lawmaker.

"Confederate memorabilia have no place in this country and especially not in the United States Capitol," said Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) in a statement to The Hill.

The entire Congressional Black Caucus called on Wednesday for the removal of all Confederate-related statues in the nation's Capitol.

"The Congressional Black Caucus and the Black Lives Matter movement ignore the reality that the central figures in Confederacy, from Robert E. Lee to Jefferson Davis, were also central figures in American political life," said Dr. Lee Cheek, Dean of Social Sciences at East Georgia State College and a Senior Fellow of the Alexander Hamilton Institute in New York.

"Most of the more important figures were the children of heroes or veterans of the American Revolution," Cheek continued. "For example, CSA Brig. Gen. and Secretary of War George W. Randolph was the grandson of Thomas Jefferson. Lt. Gen. Richard Taylor, CSA, was the son of General and President Zachary Taylor and the grandson of a Revolutionary War officer."

"As the great American historian Dr. Clyde Wilson has noted, there are hundreds and hundreds of these historical connections; in other words, this is an American story as well as a Civil War story that should be shared with the rising generation in its fullness," he said.

"The greatest threat to Congressional Black Caucus' new 'cultural revolution,' inspired by an illiberal and anti-democratic worldview, is an environment in which free and uninhibited discussion and disagreement can take place," Cheek continued.

"In fact, diversity of thought is the opposite of their desires, but is at the heart of a free society. The proponents of historical cleansing are on the ascendency, and the authentic study of the American South is the victim," he said.

The particular assault on statues of Gen. Robert E. Lee showcases the degree to which emotion has overridden important historical context.

Robert E. Lee, that alleged symbol of white supremacy and racism, not only personally opposed overt displays of Confederate symbolism after the war but also believed that the entire war the Confederate defeat and the personal loss of his Arlington property and fortune was worth it to see slavery ended.

"I am rejoiced that slavery is abolished," said Lee in 1870. "I believe it will be greatly for the interests of the South. So fully am I satisfied of this, as regards Virginia especially, that I would cheerfully have lost all I have lost by the war, and have suffered all I have suffered, to have this object attained."

(photo credit, homepage image: Dschwen, Wikimedia; photo credit, article image: Donald Lee Pardue, Flickr)

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Black Lives Matter Activists Float Criminalization of Confederate Imagery - LifeZette

The singer is unapologetically standing with the organization with this P.S.A. she produced.

When Kat Graham was approached about doing a video for Black Lives Matter, she was eager to help. In 2015 she produced a film with creative partner, Darren Genet called Muse but hadn't done anything quite as serious before.

"I winded up meeting Patrisse [Cullors] and the other two leaders of the Black Lives Matter movement at the Glamour Women of the Year event I believe it was last year," Graham told ESSENCE.

"I said, 'Listen, I really want to do something with you guys. Let's exchange information. We'll figure something out.' Nothing had happened for awhile and I winded up being on a plane and sitting in someone else's seat on accident. And the guy's seat that I sat in, his name is Vann Graves."

That chance meeting turned into a conversation about passion projects, which led to Graham and Graves collaborating to create At Risk Youth.

In the one-minute clip a young man who's passed away is talked about in past tense by members of his family and community. Talking about the unfortunate nature of death one may assume he was armed when killed, but it turns out he was wearing a hoodie.

"Every single murder that happens where these officers are exonerated and there's no justice served, I felt gutted," Graham said about what prompted her to be apart of this project. "I think that I am somebody that has a pretty large social media following and I do a good amount of press, but there was a part of me that just felt that, you know, tweeting this or just the hashtag, it's just not enough."

RELATED: Kat Graham Cast as Jada Pinkett Smith in 'All Eyez On Me'

Graves, anadvertising executivewhospent 13 years in the U.S. Army after the September 11th attacks, was prompted by his son.

"As an African American man, I understand and accept that I have to deal with bias every day everything from micro-aggression to outright racism," Graves said about making the video. "But I was horrified by the realization that my innocent, beautiful son would be coming into a world that doesn't value his life."

Adding, "This is not about all white cops wanting to kill black people, but more so about the value of black lives. Black lives do matter and it has begun to feel that we (African-American's) are disposable."

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Watch the video above and to learn more about BLM,go here.

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Kat Graham Is Using Her Platform To Back Up Black Lives Matter - Essence.com

Following Donald Trumps equivocating of white supremacists and those who oppose them in the wake of violent clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, another Democrat has signaled his intention to file articles of impeachment against him in the House of Representatives. Rep. Steve Cohen of Tennessee, a ranking member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice, sent out a press release Thursday announcing his intention to begin the impeachment process against the president for his widely condemned reaction.

Related: Impeaching Trump may not be necessary to remove him from the White House

I believe the president should be impeached and removed from office, Cohen said in the release. Instead ofunequivocally condemning hateful actions by neo-Nazis, white nationalists and Klansmen following a national tragedy, the president said there were very fine people on both sides. There are no good Nazis. There are no good Klansmen.

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One person, Heather Heyer, died in Charlottesville on Saturday after a white supremacist allegedly drove his car into a crowd of counterprotesters. But in an impromptu press conference Tuesday, Trump said there were very fine people among a group protesting the removal of a Confederate-era statue, despite videos showing them chanting anti-Semitic and racist slogans.

President Trump has failed the presidential test of moral leadership, Cohen added. No moral president would ever shy away from outright condemning hate, intolerance and bigotry. No moral president would ever question the values of Americans protesting in opposition of such actions, one of whom was murdered by one of the white nationalists.

President Donald Trump walks across the South Lawn after arriving via Marine One at the White House in Washington, D.C., on August 14. Jonathan Ernst/Reuters

Cohen went on to detail other potentially impeachable actions Trump has committed, claiming he had no choice but to begin the process to remove the president from the White House.

Not only has he potentially obstructed justice and potentially violated the Constitutions Foreign Emoluments Clause, but he has also shown that he is incapable or unwilling to protect Americans from enemies, foreign and domestic. Neo-Nazis and the KKK are domestic terrorists, he said. It is morally and legally incumbent upon me, based on my oath of office, to introduce articles of impeachment.

It is not the first time articles of impeachment have been introduced in the House. Last month, another Democrat, Rep. Brad Sherman, of California, introduced his own articles, accusing Trump of obstruction of justice. The move followed Trumps firing of FBI Director James Comey, who was leading an investigation into possible collusion between Trumps campaign and Russia.

However, any hopes of impeaching Trump at this stage remains largely a pipe dream for Democrats. A majority vote in the House of Representatives and a two-thirds majority in the Senate is required to remove the president. Republicans currently have control of both houses.

More here:
Trump Impeachment Process Begins as Democrat States President 'Failed Test of Moral Leadership' - Newsweek

New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu on Thursday urged his counterparts around the country to take down the Confederate statues, and took a veiled shot at Trump by citing a lack of national leadership on this issue that mayors should step up to fill.

"Once again, mayors have been asked to fill a void of national leadership," wrote Landrieu, a Democrat and president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, in a letter released Thursday. "I hope our combined efforts have put us on a path toward equity and reconciliation. But no matter how America navigates these troubled times, the courage and conviction of our cities will ultimately chart our course."

While Landrieu's letter never named Trump, it's a direct shot at the president, who said Thursday he opposes the removal of the statues. The president also drew broad criticism for waffling on issuing explicit condemnations of the white nationalists who rallied in Charlottesville, Va., and emphasizing that counter-protesters also committed acts of violence.

"You had some very bad people in that group," Trump said Tuesday. "You also had some very fine people on both sides."

White nationalists gathered Friday and Saturday in Charlottesville to protest the removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee. They celebrated Nazism and chanted Friday evening that "Jews will not replace us." That display drew counter-protesters affiliated with Antifa, a group of anarchist leftists who clashed with the original rallygoers and assaulted reporters documenting the scene. The violence turned deadly when someone drove a vehicle into a crowd of Antifa members, killing one and injuring 19 others; police say the driver was one of the white nationalists.

Landrieu made clear that he aspires to be a national leader on this issue. "I pledge to you today the full resources of the U.S. Conference of Mayors to help you unite your community," he said. "As president of this conference, I will commit to do everything we can to stand up to those who seek to divide us and perpetuate hate. If you choose to do the same in your city, we will stand with you."

He said that "the Confederacy's shameful legacy will be with us, whether we memorialize it in marble or not," but argued that "there is a difference between remembrance of history and reverence for it." He also asked mayors to help guide their cities through the issue.

"I encourage each of you to lead your community through a conversation on race and equity," Landrieu wrote. "This process can be painful, and I know it may feel like you're choosing the path of most resistance. But your city, and our entire union, will be stronger for it."

Landrieu ordered the removal of Confederate monuments from New Orleans in May, providing opponents of such statues with one of their biggest successes in recent years. His subsequent defense of that decision stoked speculation that he could be a dark-horse presidential candidate in 2020.

Read more:
Democrat mayor claims 'void of national leadership' under Trump - Washington Examiner

Associated Press August 17, 2017 - 4:55 PM

MADISON, Wis. The Latest on the Wisconsin state Assembly debate of the $3 billion Foxconn bill (all times local):

4:50 p.m.

A $3 billion tax break bill for Taiwan-based electronics giant Foxconn Technology Group is poised to pass the Wisconsin Assembly on a bipartisan vote.

Democratic state Rep. Cory Mason said during debate Thursday that he intends to vote for the bill. He is the first Democrat to publicly say he will back the measure that is being championed by Gov. Scott Walker and fellow Republicans.

Most Democrats have assailed the measure, saying it's a corporate welfare giveaway that weakens environmental standards and doesn't have enough protections for workers.

The plant that Foxconn said could employ up to 13,000 people would be located near Racine, where Mason is running for mayor.

He says the measure is not perfect, but the prospect of thousands of jobs is too good to pass up.

___

12:30 p.m.

Democrats in the Wisconsin state Assembly are arguing that a vote on $3 billion in tax breaks for Taiwan-based Foxconn Technology Group should be delayed until the bill can be improved.

Democratic Assembly Leader Peter Barca argued Thursday that changes are necessary to ensure the environment and workers are protected and Wisconsin businesses will be involved in construction of the $10 billion campus where television display panels are to be manufactured.

Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos says it is important for the proposal to pass with bipartisan support. He says the project that could employ up to 13,000 people will transform the state's economy.

Republicans control the Assembly 64 to 35.

___

11:15 a.m.

Wisconsin Republicans say they are not moving too quickly on a bill that would extend up to $3 billion in tax breaks to Taiwan-based electronics giant Foxconn Technology Group to locate a massive $10 billion factory in the state.

The state Assembly scheduled a vote on the measure Thursday, just three weeks after it was introduced. Assembly jobs and economy committee chairman Rep. Adam Neylon says the bill has been improved to include changes Democrats wanted, including $20 million for job training and improved environmental regulations.

Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos predicted the bill would pass on a bipartisan vote. Many minority Democrats have been outspoken against the measure.

The bill must also pass the Senate and be signed by Gov. Scott Walker before becoming law.

___

12:06 a.m.

The Wisconsin Assembly plans to approve a $3 billion tax break bill for Taiwan-based Foxconn Technology Group to build a new display panel factory in the state.

The incentive package up for a vote Thursday would be the largest in state history and the biggest to a foreign company in U.S. history. Democratic critics have said the state is giving away too much, while Republican backers, including Gov. Scott Walker, say it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

A deal signed by Walker and Foxconn officials call for the electronics giant to invest $10 billion in the state and hire up to 13,000 people at the massive plant. Construction would begin in 2020.

Critics say they worry about environmental regulations waived under the bill and the cost of the tax breaks.

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The Latest: At least 1 Wisconsin Democrat backs Foxconn - Minneapolis Star Tribune