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Ive wondered if the marauding vandals will come eventually for the Darwin statues. I hope NOT, but lets face it between Francis Scott Key or Ulysses Grant, on one hand, and Charles Darwin on the other, whose work has done more to undergird racism? Theres no contest.

A classic episode of ID the Future, republished now, is eerie in its relevance to the culture at the moment. Host and science historian Michael Keas interviewed historian and Center for Science & Culture Senior Fellow Richard Weikart about the racial pseudoscience thats integral to the Darwinian scientific heritage.

As Professor Weikart explains, Darwins racism is not incidental to his case for evolution. Its not as if he was merely a product of his time, with the reprehensible attitudes held by other upper class Brits when he wrote his books. Yes, he was anti-slavery. And yes, he embodied the racism that came before him. He didnt invent it. But he also used it as evidence for his theory. He believed that different races of humans represented biological variations (in intelligence, moral capacity, and more) on which the natural selection process could work, just as it could on finch beaks. His conclusion of a racial hierarchy with Africans at the bottom, his projection of eventual racial extermination, were no stray inference. The documentaries Human Zoos and The Biology of the Second Reich show how Darwinian theory continued to motivate racism, eugenic drives, and genocide into the 20th century.

Weikart continues by noting that later Darwinists (such as Peter Singer) drew logical consequences from evolution, including that since all human beings are the product of random natural forces, they possess no special dignity. Human life is not precious. Or to put it another way, via John Zmirak: NO LIVES MATTER. By contrast, the religious traditions that evolutionary theory pushes aside possess ample reason for respecting humans universally as equals, of identical value and dignity, no matter the color of their skin. Of course, there have been religious racists. But that is a contradiction with their professed faith. Those who call for vandalizing churches because of depictions of a white Jesus dont understand this.

On the other hand, while most evolutionists today reject scientific racism, with exceptions like James Watson they have no necessary reason for doing so. White nationalists of the Alt-Right appreciate that not as a bug but as a feature.

Download the podcast or listen to it here. Listen and learn. Find out more about Weikarts books here.

And say a prayer for the statues, all of them. Some have argued that the vandals have no agenda other than anarchy and destruction. Ill be persuaded of that if they pull down the Lenin statue in Seattle. Again, I hope they dont! In its way, it is a delightful if perverse symbol of our city. Lets hope Darwin and Lenin are both safe tonight, along with Andrew Jackson, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and other iconic historical figures.

Photo: Statue of Charles Darwin, Shrewsbury Library, by Bs0u10e01 / CC BY-SA.

Read this article:
Darwinism and No Lives Matter - Discovery Institute

Toronto police are investigating after a resident spotted posters and stickers promoting white nationalism in south Etobicoke on the weekend.

The posters, aimed at white people, contained messages such as: "Never apologise for being white," and "There is a war on whites" and "It's okay to be white."

The stickers said: "Think Green Buy Local," but included a website address for a Canadian white nationalist movement.

Coun. MarkGrimes, who represents Ward 3, Etobicoke-Lakeshore, said he asked city staff to remove the posters and stickers attached tolight poles, bus shelters and parking meters in Etobicoke.

Grimes also alerted police, who said the posters and stickers were seen in the area ofDundas Street West and Royal York Road.

Brady Brenot, a local resident, said he was angry when he saw the posters and stickers and he removed as many as he could. There were at least 25 on Bloor Street Weston Saturday morning, he said.

"Some people might think that somebody else will take care of it, or might think they might be putting themselves in danger by doing it themselves. But we have to take care of our own neighbourhoods. We have put a stop to this type of thing before it takes hold," he said.

Brenot saidhe first saw the posters and stickers duringa walkon Saturday.

"I think the first thing that I saw was one of these stickers on the pedestrian crossing signal, like over there, stuck to the front of it. 'Never apologize for being white.' I think thatwas that one," Brenot said. "Then, I saw another one and I got more angry. As I was walking down here, I saw another one after that. It was stuck to a parking meter, and I just decided, that's enough of that. I started to take photos of them and rip them off as I walked along."

Brenot said there was no mistaking what the messages were trying to say. "They're really transparent. The ones that I was seeing, it was really obvious what they were trying to get across," he said.

Some stickers included the words, Hundred-Handers, an alt-right group known for similar sticker campaigns in Europe.

Grimes, for his part, said he received an email from a resident on Saturday. His office reported the posters and stickers immediately to city staff for removal as soon as possible. Grimes said he also spoke to police officers at 22 Division.

"I understand that the resident took it upon themselves to remove a number of the stickers, and I have followed up with city staff to ensure that all remaining stickers are removed," Grimes said.

"This is totally unacceptable. It's 2020 and we like to think that we've progressed far beyond this type of narrow minded thinking, but this act affirms that there is still so much more to be done. It is mind boggling that in this day and age people still have this mentality," headded.

Grimes said Etobicoke-Lakeshorestands with Toronto's Black, Indigenous and people of colour, LGBTQS2+ and immigrantcommunities against intolerance.

"Racism and discrimination exist, and we must do more. We must call out intolerance when we see it, and make it known that this hatred is not representative of our values as Torontonians," he said.

"These posters are not representative of our community."

Nigel Barriffe, president of the Urban Alliance on Race Relations, a non-profit organization that hasbeen working to fightracism in Toronto neighbourhoods since the 1970s, said the posters and stickers are hateful and whoever posted them is guilty ofa hate crime.

"I mean, I'm ridingaround neighbourhoods with my four-year-old. I don't want him to asking me,'What does this mean? Why do these people hate me? Because of the colour of my skin?'" Barriffe said.

"If folks in the community feel like, 'Well, what's the sense in me making a complaint because nothing's going to be done anyway,' these white supremacists just get to move through our society with impunity."

Const. Michelle Flannery, spokesperson for the Toronto Police Service, said the investigation is in its early stages. Officers are continuing to canvass the neighbourhood for witnesses and video.

"Some of the posters observed had the words scratched out and several of the posters were removed by police," Flannery said.

Police are appealing for anyone with information to call investigatorsat (416) 808-1100 or CrimeStoppers if they wish to remain anonymous.

Read more:
Posters, stickers promoting white nationalism appear in south Etobicoke - CBC.ca

Friday, June 26, 2020 6:10 a.m. EDT by Thomson Reuters

By Michael Martina and John Whitesides

(Reuters) - Quintez Brown took to the streets in Kentucky to join many Americans in protesting against racial injustice after the death of George Floyd, a Black man in police custody last month.

The 19-year-old student at the University of Louisville, who is Black, also texted voters in support of Charles Booker, a Black Democratic state lawmaker running for the U.S. Senate.

"The protests showed the importance of having someone in a political office who can actually advocate for us and make a change," Brown said, adding it was his first time working on a political campaign.

The uprising after Floyd's death under the knee of a white police officer on May 25 has helped fuel a groundswell of political energy, spurring new voter registrations, record turnout in Georgia and Kentucky primaries and a string of victories for a younger generation of candidates of color in Tuesday's elections.

Democrats hope the enthusiasm can be sustained until the Nov. 3 general election, when former Vice President Joe Biden will challenge Republican President Donald Trump in a race that could hinge on the turnout of voters of color and young people.

Biden, whose foundering campaign was rescued by mostly older Black voters in South Carolina's primary in February, wants their strong support against Trump. It will be crucial in battleground states such as Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, particularly after the first dip in Black voter turnout in 20 years contributed to Democrat Hillary Clinton's loss to Trump in 2016.

Biden also hopes to boost turnout among young voters, who often participate at lower rates than other ages. In 2016, voters between 18 and 29 had a turnout of just 46%, compared to 71% for those 65 years and older, Census figures show. That figure dropped from 2008's historic election, when younger voters had a 51% turnout.

"There is not a part of the Democratic electorate that is not activated right now. And that energy is going to spill over into the general election," said Matt Erwin, a Kentucky-based Democratic strategist.

Some groups that work to register voters have seen signs of that energy. Voto Latino, which looks to boost turnout for young Hispanics, said it has registered 94,513 voters so far in June, compared to 10,548 voters in May. About 78% of new registrants were between the ages of 18 and 34, the group said.

Rock the Vote, which works to boost the political power of young people, said it had more than 183,000 new registrations so far in June. Four years ago this month, it had fewer than 35,000.

Jesse Moore, a Rock the Vote board member, said a new generation of voters is asking about their district attorneys and police chiefs.

"People are jaded about the presidency, but the changes they are demanding are almost completely driven by local officials," Moore said.

Whether that energy will transform into Biden support remains to be seen. He is considering a Black running mate and has backed police reforms, including a ban on chokeholds.

Biden was also criticized during the Democratic primary campaign for his role as a U.S. senator in writing the 1994 crime bill, which critics say led to high incarceration rates that unfairly hit minorities, and some activists have pushed him to offer a broader criminal justice plan in the wake of the protests. [nL1N2DL1HD]

"Up-ballot candidates can benefit from this energy and movement, but only if they alignthemselves with what the movement has demanded - bold change," said Victoria Burton-Harris, a Black Democrat who is running for prosecutor in Wayne County, Michigan, an important battleground state.

Still, Democrats are hopeful that rising political activism from young and minority voters will help Biden. According to a June 10-16 Reuters/Ipsos poll, Biden led Trump by 58 percentage points among African Americans, 23 points among Hispanics, and 20 points among people between 18-34 years of age. Nationally, he had a 13-point lead over Trump, the poll showed.

"I think they are looking for someone who is going to hear them, but also who is going to exhibit the leadership they want at this moment. We would argue thats Joe Biden," said Symone Sanders, a senior Biden campaign adviser.

Courtney Parella, a Trump campaign spokeswoman, said Biden was "trying to avoid an examination of his nearly five-decade long political career, a record that undoubtably failed to support minority communities and is now failing to defend our men and women in blue."

RECORD TURNOUT

Democrats have been heartened by strong turnout in Georgia's June 9 elections, where the party broke the primary record set in 2008 despite a host of problems with voting machines, fewer polling places and long lines.

Kentucky's elections on Tuesday also set a primary turnout record, helped by a competitive race between Booker and well-funded establishment favorite Amy McGrath for the right to challenge Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell in November. The race is too close to call with absentee ballots pending.

A wave of other young candidates of color have scored primary victories this year. In New York, Jamaal Bowman, a Black school principal running in his first political campaign, beat 31-year veteran Democratic Representative Eliot Engel on Tuesday. [nL1N2E12YD]

"People finally understand that if we want to change the laws, we have to change the lawmakers," said Quentin James, founder of the Collective PAC, a group working for the election of progressive Black officials.

Jecorey Arthur, 28, a Black musician and educator running for the Louisville Metro Council, said when he announced his campaign late last year he was told "don't talk about race so much, people aren't ready to have that conversation."

A few months later, once the street protests for racial justice began, he heard a different tune.

"It was like the alarm was going off and you couldn't press snooze no matter what," Arthur said. "I went from beating that racial justice drum by myself to being in a marching band."

(Editing by Soyoung Kim and Aurora Ellis)

Continued here:
Young Americans turn out to protest. Democrats hope they will vote, too - WHTC News

Asked if he was worried about a political backlash if Democrats go too far, particularly over pursuing Barr's impeachment, Democratic Rep. Hank Johnson of Georgia said: "Yes, I am. I'm cognizant of that possibility, so politics does come into play."

Pelosi has shown caution this year, despite calls to move ahead with more aggressive investigations. After establishing a select panel with the broad power to investigate the US response to the coronavirus pandemic, the committee has instead focused on how federal dollars have been spent, rather than Trump's initial response to the crisis, which a number of Democrats want to probe.

Despite calls by House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff and others to establish a select committee, like the 9/11 Commission, to investigate the US coronavirus response, Pelosi has yet to put such legislation on the floor. And while some House Democrats want to hold White House officials and others in contempt for defying subpoenas during the impeachment probe last year, Pelosi has not gone down that road.

Yet Democrats say more and more issues that require investigation continue to fall in their lap. The bombshells from former national security adviser John Bolton's book have sparked a renewed round of calls for his testimony before Congress.

"We haven't made any decisions on it, but I think we should hear any evidence he has of the President's wrongdoing. And we need to take care to protect the country," Schiff told CNN on Thursday referring to Bolton's testimony.

And the Supreme Court is soon set to rule on the case it heard last month where House Democrats are seeking a trove of Trump's financial documents, which if successful, could provide Democrats with a whole new set of investigative lines to pursue.

"I don't think we have enough time, and that's probably a futile distraction given the abject surrender of constitutional duty in the Senate," Rep. Jamie Raskin, a Maryland Democrat told CNN, adding that he hoped the House would instead censure Barr.

'Solve our problems by going to the polls'

"Barr is a mess who's disgraced the Department of Justice," Pelosi said. "He is contemptible, there's no question about that. But at this point, let's solve our problems by going to the polls and voting on Election Day."

Still, the issue has sparked a debate within the party. Rep. Steve Cohen, an outspoken Tennessee Democrat on the Judiciary Committee, called for Barr to be impeached at Wednesday's hearing, accusing him of "reigning terror on the rule of law."

House Democrats charge that Barr has committed a litany of offenses: distorting the Mueller report, intervening in the cases of Trump associates Stone and Michael Flynn, meddling in antitrust investigations, firing the US attorney for the Southern District of New York and participating in the forceful removal of peaceful protestors outside the White House.

But unlike last year's months-long fight within House Democratic Caucus that ultimately led to the impeachment of Trump, the current debate over pursuing Barr's removal from office doesn't fall along ideological lines.

"As much as I personally would love to begin impeachment proceedings, we also know that the Senate just doesn't have the political will to do what's necessary despite the facts that are looking at them squarely in the face," said Rep. Veronica Escobar, a Texas Democrat. "But that doesn't mean we don't investigate thoroughly, which is what we're doing now."

Still, some freshman Democrats who were slow to come around to impeachment of Trump in 2019 told CNN they are open to impeachment of Barr.

Trump's impeachment looms over oversight debate

In 2019, Democrats debated for months over how to handle the calls for Trump's impeachment. Liberal Democrats on the Judiciary Committee pressed Pelosi to open an impeachment inquiry over allegations in the Mueller report, but she resisted those calls, siding with the freshmen in her caucus from districts Trump won in 2016.

Democrats acknowledged this week that trying to remove Barr from office could have political ramifications, even as some said it might be necessary.

"Impeachment is a political remedy, but it's also one that is necessary from time to time to save our republic from grave damage," said Johnson, the Georgia Democrat who sits on the Judiciary Committee.

Nadler's comments over the past week on impeachment Barr were reflective of Democrats' internal struggle. On Sunday, Nadler said on CNN's "State of the Union" that impeaching the attorney general would be a "waste of time."

But after a hearing Wednesday where two DOJ prosecutors accused Barr of politicizing investigations and Stone's sentencing, Nadler said he was now open to the possibility.

"We're looking into that, we may very well," Nadler said. Asked why his view had changed, Nadler added: "I think the weight of the evidence and of what's happened leads to that conclusion."

As Wednesday's hearing got underway, the Justice Department announced that Barr would testify before the House Judiciary Committee at the end of July, giving Democrats angry with Barr the chance to confront him. Barr has yet to testify before the panel since his confirmation in February 2019.

"Certainly, more fact finding might generate that kind of response. But we want to give General Barr his opportunity to testify and frankly respond to these charges," Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Texas Democrat, said when asked if Barr should be impeached.

Republicans have dismissed the calls for Barr's impeachment, accusing Democrats of trying to score political points. "I think the Democrats have a big problem -- it's the judges agree with Bill Barr," said Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, a reference to an appeals court ordering Flynn's charges dismissed Wednesday and the court giving Stone a sentence below what the prosecutors on the case had recommended.

Barr spokeswoman Kerri Kupec dismissed the calls for Barr's impeachment as "a political thing" in a "Fox and Friends" interview Thursday.

Before Pelosi's comments Thursday, Democratic leaders expressed skepticism about going forward with impeachment of Barr.

"I can't imagine that we're going to move forward on impeachment," Rep. Karen Bass, the leader of the Congressional Black Caucus and a Judiciary Committee member, said Wednesday. "If we impeach him, we want to impeach him because we want him to be gone, and that's clearly not going to happen."

But Democrats are still angry that Bolton spurned them during the impeachment inquiry, only to turn around and accuse them of "impeachment malpractice" by focusing just on Ukraine. Plus, there's still concern that Bolton will defy a subpoena and force Democrats to go to court should they seek his testimony.

Democrats have a host of other oversight issues they're pursuing, from accusations of political favoritism in the response to the coronavirus pandemic to the deployment of the National Guard and federal law enforcement in reaction to the protests over the past month.

And Democrats say even if they don't impeach Barr, they still can hold additional hearings to hold him accountable.

"I'm not sure it's a useful exercise of time," Rep. David Cicilline, a Rhode Island Democrat in House leadership, said of impeachment. "But we absolutely have to continue these hearings to bring to light the conduct of the attorney general. We have an election right around the corner and the American people have a right to know it."

Read more from the original source:
House Democrats caution about going too far with Trump probes as 2020 prospects brighten - CNN

Editor's Note:This is our weekly politics newsletter. Get it in your inboxhere.

Its a busy week for lawmakers in both chambers of Congress, as they address the dual crises facing the country: systemic racial inequality and the resurgent coronavirus pandemic.

Its getting real, and nerves are fraying.

McGovern, Lesko Get Testy In Exchange Over Masks And Righteousness

Things got heated when Rep. Debbie Lesko, a Republican from Arizona, accused House Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern and other Democrats of double standards during an unprompted exchange about a House rule requiring lawmakers to wear masks at committee hearings.

Stop with the righteousness on the masks. Im absolutely sick of it, Lesko said from a Capitol Hill committee room during a virtual markup hearing, her own face mask dangling from her ear.

I think, Mr. Chairman, you said some of us believe in science implying that some of us don't believe in science, Lesko continued. For goodness sakes, we are like sitting maybe 10, 12 feet away from each other! Everyone in here ... is wearing masks.

Lesko said she tested negative twice for COVID-19 in the last week, including before a meeting with President Trump. So dont be telling me how Im unsafe, and how I'm going to be doing things that are going to affect people.

McGovern, attending the hearing from his Capitol Hill office mask on said the rule is about safety.

Just for the record, my urging for people to wear masks is to counter what the president is saying, because Im worried, McGovern said, citing the presidents refusal to wear masks or require them at his indoor campaign events. Its not about being righteous.

Lesko contended Democrats pattern of calling for mask wearing was just getting totally ridiculous and sickening. She said she hoped Democrats were also demanding the same of protesters, rioters, looters, the people who are tearing down statues in our nation.

The Worcester Democrat shot back.

As somebody who actually participated in some the protests and marches in the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd, along with others who are outraged at that killing, I wore a mask, McGovern said. I think everyone around me wore masks.

By the way, they werent looters, McGovern added. They were patriotic Americans who are just sick and tired of racism in the country at every level.

Neal, Democratic Leaders Press To Expand ACA

Rep. Richard Neal, who chairs the House Ways and Means Committee, joined House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other Democratic House committee chairs to present a bill that would expand coverage under the Affordable Care Act during the coronavirus pandemic.

Were very much in the midst of this pandemic, Neal said during a press conference yesterday. There is no better time to increase access to high quality health care while lowering health care costs than right now.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Enhancement Act would lower health insurance premiums by expanding eligibility for premium tax credits. It would also lower the income threshold for eligibility and increase the size of tax credits for all income brackets. Americans with private health insurance could obtain prescription drugs at the same lower price as those covered by Medicare.

Neal said the measure would help bring most Americans closer to the relatively high coverage levels seen in Massachusetts.

One hundred percent of the children in Massachusetts today have health insurance, and almost 98% of the adults have health insurance because of our efforts, the Springfield Democrat said.

Under this legislation, Neal says no one would pay more than 8.5% of income for a silver plan secured on the ACA marketplace, and Americans earning $19,000 or less annually would pay no premium. A family of four with a household income of $40,000 would save $1,600 a year, according to Neal.

Pelosi said the bill will go to a House vote on Monday, but the legislation faces certain defeat in the GOP-controlled Senate.

Pressley Files Amendment To Nix Police Qualified Immunity, Cops In Schools

Rep. Ayanna Pressley introduced two amendments to the police reform bill, set for a House vote today, that would eliminate the qualified immunity defense for alleged police misconduct and stop federal funding for police officers in schools.

As we work to fundamentally reimagine our criminal legal system, it is critical that we center the people, Pressley said of her amendments to the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020. In this moment of reckoning for our nation, our legislative response must match the scale and scope of the hurt so many are feeling, and these amendments do exactly that.

One of the amendments, co-sponsored by Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan, would extend the bills provision eliminating qualified immunity for federal law enforcement to include all local and state officials.

The other, co-sponsored by Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, would bar federal funding for hiring, maintaining or training law enforcement personnel in elementary schools or secondary schools.

These amendments would help us protect the dignity and humanity of all in community by removing law enforcement from K-12 schools and finally allowing for police, corrections officers, and other public officials to be held accountable for violating our legal and constitutional rights, Pressley said in a statement.

3 More Things:

Keating condemns noose, white supremacy flyers found in Yarmouth: Rep. Bill Keating decried the existence of flyers encouraging white men to join local white supremacist groups found taped up around the town several days after a noose was found hanging from a tree there. This is shameful, Keating wrote in a Facebook post. This does not represent Cape Cod. And make no mistake, this will not stand in the way of long-overdue change. Keating added that the incidents in Yarmouth serve as a reminder that no community is untouched, it can not be ignored, and inaction is unacceptable. There is too much at stake.

Lynch files legislation to protect ability of service members to vote from abroad: Rep. Stephen Lynch said his Digital Overseas Voting Act would allow U.S. military service members and other overseas citizens to submit their applications for federal absentee ballots by email, fax or postal mail in federal primary, general, special and runoff elections. Currently the applications must be submitted by postal mail only. As the pandemic limits travel and slows mail service, the measure would serve as a critical method of overseas absentee voting in upcoming federal elections, Lynch said in a statement.

Pressley calls for transit investments: Pressley, a co-chair of the House Future of Transportation Caucus, joined other members of the group in calling for $50 billion in investments over the next five years to support and boost the nations public transit systems. High-quality, safe and affordable public transit is a public good and will play a key role in protecting the public health and advancing our long-term economic recovery efforts, she and other lawmakers wrote in a letter to Pelosi and Rep. Peter DeFazio of Oregon, who chairs the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

The investigation into the COVID-19 outbreak at the Holyoke Soldiers' Home reveals that veterans died and became infected due to shocking failures in basic infection control by the Home and a Department of Veterans' Services that neglected its responsibility to oversee the Home. Everyone responsible for this tragedy must be held accountable. I remain deeply concerned about the health and safety of veteran residents and staff at long-term care facilities across the commonwealth, and I urge the Home and the commonwealth to swiftly implement the investigation's recommendations to improve care and avoid such a crisis in the future.

-- Sen. Elizabeth Warren, reacting to state-ordered independent investigation into the coronavirus outbreak at the Holyoke Soldiers' Home. Read more here.

If you liked this weeks WBUR Town Hall on the pandemics impact on the 2020 election, my colleague Anthony Brooks and I will be back for more Monday, when well reprise the discussion on On Point. Tune in at 10 a.m. EST on WBUR, or check your local NPR listings.

I also hope youll tune in tomorrow, when I join the journalists roundtable on Here & Now to recap the week in the news. Tune in at noon on WBUR, or check your local stations listings.

Read this article:
Neal And Democrats Want To Expand ACA Coverage, But No Traction In Senate - WBUR