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The Story was Fake. The Tweet was a Lie... The Gun was Real
Author: Raine    Date: 12/05/2016 13:59:58

If you haven't heard it by now, last night, here in DC, we had a shooting incident. Thankfully, no one was injured or killed.

James Alefantis, the owner of Comet Ping Pong, said in a statement: “What happened today demonstrates that promoting false and reckless conspiracy theories comes with consequences. I hope that those involved in fanning these flames will take a moment to contemplate what happened here today, and stop promoting these falsehoods right away.”

The restaurant’s owner and employees were threatened on social media in the days before the election after fake news stories circulated claiming that then-Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and her campaign chief were running a child sex ring from the restaurant’s backrooms. Even Michael Flynn, a retired general whom President-elect Donald Trump has tapped to advise him on national security, shared stories about another anti-Clinton conspiracy theory involving pedophilia. None of them were true. But the fake stories and threats persisted, some even aimed at children of Comet Ping Pong employees and patrons. The restaurant’s owner was forced to contact the FBI, local police, Facebook and other social-media platforms in an effort to remove the articles.

Last month, citing its policy against posting the personal information of others, Reddit banned the “pizzagate” topic.

But it didn’t stop the harassment, and nearby businesses have received threats as well, according to police. On Sunday, Washington Post reporters involved in this article were the target of online threats shortly after it posted.
Pizzagate is one of the fake news stories that have been going around thanks to the people that decided to leak emails during the campaign.

Earlier in the day, Both future Chief of Staff and Vice President-Elect made it even more clear that we live in a fact-free country.
Dickerson seemed nonplussed. I guess the question is, when you’re president, can you just offer a theory that has no evidence behind it, or does he have to tighten up his standards of proof?”

Priebus responded by reframing the idea of evidence as exactly the kind of tired, elite “conventional thought” that Trump would be doing away with. “I think he’s done a great job. I think the president elect is someone who’s pushed the envelope and caused people to think in this country,” he said.

Mike Pence made virtually the same point Sunday on ABC News’s This Week, when host George Stephanopoulos asked the vice-president-elect how the incoming administration could defend Trump making such false statements. “It’s his right to express his opinion,” Pence said, describing Trump’s penchant for speaking his mind as “refreshing” and one of the reasons he won the election. Stephanopoulos countered, “But why is it refreshing to make false statements?”

Pence replied, “Look, I don’t know that is a false statement, George, and neither do you.” Later, when asked to provide evidence, Pence added: “He’s entitled to express his opinion.”
A few hours after the shooting, 60 Minutes aired its interview with Speaker of the House Paul Ryan.
In an interview that aired Sunday on CBS’ “60 Minutes,” Ryan said he could not prove Trump’s baseless claim that “millions of people voted illegally,” which the president-elect tweeted to his millions of followers last Sunday.

“I don’t know. I’m not really focused on these things,” Ryan said when anchor Scott Pelley asked him about Trump’s blatant lie.

“I have no way of backing that up. I have no knowledge of such things,” he said.

When Pelley continued to press him, Ryan said that the fact that the president-elect of the United States circulates false information on social media is not a concern to him.

“It doesn’t matter to me. He won the election,” he said. “The way I see the tweets you’re talking about, he’s basically giving voice to a lot of people who have felt that they were voiceless. He’s communicating with people in this country who’ve felt like they have not been listened to. He’s going to be an unconventional president.”

“Who cares what he tweeted, you know, on some Thursday night, if we fix this country’s big problems?” he added. “That’s just the way I look at this.”


I care, to be honest. I think the hundreds of people who were affected by some person who decided to 'self investigate' care. Pat and Joe from Cincinnati care:
When they returned, the house was in a shambles.

Vandals had poured cement into the stove and down the tub’s drain. Walls and staircase railings were kicked in. A ceiling had collapsed.

Most troubling: “White power,” die n—–” and swastikas were spray-painted on walls.

“They wrecked every room,” the couple wrote. “Nothing was spared.”
This church in Silver Spring, Maryland cares. SPLC Cares about the more than 900 incidents of hate since the election. They also care about the thousands of people that were targeted by hate.

No one was killed, this time. The gun was real, the threat was real and lives are in danger, for real.

With Love and Peace,

Raine
 

30 comments (Latest Comment: 12/05/2016 21:54:27 by wickedpam)
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Comment by Scoopster on 12/05/2016 14:12:41
Mornin' all!

Heh I thought that -was- today's bloggie..

Comment by Raine on 12/05/2016 14:12:50
good morning.

Comment by Raine on 12/05/2016 14:13:28
Quote by Scoopster:
Mornin' all!

Heh I thought that -was- today's bloggie..

I didn't want you posting all by your lonesome.

Comment by Scoopster on 12/05/2016 14:26:15
So yeah.. Ben Carson.

I wonder if I could write an op/ed complaining about something that I have no fucking clue about so I can get a job working in the cabinet too. Because that's literally the ONLY thing he's ever said about housing aside from the fact that he grew up as a victim of poverty & housing discrimination himself, which stinks of massive hypocrisy.

Comment by Raine on 12/05/2016 14:32:55
Quote by Scoopster:
So yeah.. Ben Carson.

I wonder if I could write an op/ed complaining about something that I have no fucking clue about so I can get a job working in the cabinet too. Because that's literally the ONLY thing he's ever said about housing aside from the fact that he grew up as a victim of poverty & housing discrimination himself, which stinks of massive hypocrisy.

This fress hell is real life?

Comment by wickedpam on 12/05/2016 14:33:17
Morning

Comment by BobR on 12/05/2016 14:39:20
I remember saying that the tRump campaign was about the last dying breath of the racist right-wing, and their frantic snarling efforts to stay alive. I still think that, and these stories prove that their repressed sense of being marginalized has emboldened them to throw one last punch before going down.

It's going to be a long ugly 4 years of culture clashes, but I think ultimately a lot of those who voted against Clinton will revulse against this blind hatred and support whomever the Democrats nominate in 2020.

Comment by Raine on 12/05/2016 14:54:13
Quote by BobR:
I remember saying that the tRump campaign was about the last dying breath of the racist right-wing, and their frantic snarling efforts to stay alive. I still think that, and these stories prove that their repressed sense of being marginalized has emboldened them to throw one last punch before going down.

It's going to be a long ugly 4 years of culture clashes, but I think ultimately a lot of those who voted against Clinton will revulse against this blind hatred and support whomever the Democrats nominate in 2020.
From your mouth to the spaghetti monsters ears.


Comment by Mondobubba on 12/05/2016 15:02:45
Feeling a little blue today. Having the feels for the Family TriSec's loss.

Comment by Raine on 12/05/2016 15:06:55
Quote by Mondobubba:
Feeling a little blue today. Having the feels for the Family TriSec's loss.

you are not alone, Mondo.




Comment by BobR on 12/05/2016 15:13:37
Quote by Raine:
Quote by Mondobubba:
Feeling a little blue today. Having the feels for the Family TriSec's loss.

you are not alone, Mondo.

TriSec - I hope you can find some solace in your Music is always a good release

Comment by Scoopster on 12/05/2016 15:18:59
Comment by Raine on 12/05/2016 15:19:56
This was published after the blog was was posted. -- important to note Flynn's SON tweeted about the shooting and the conspiracy theory!

Comment by Raine on 12/05/2016 15:27:35
Comment by Raine on 12/05/2016 15:39:16
If two or more persons go in disguise on the highway, or on the premises of another, with intent to prevent or hinder his free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege so secured—

They shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both…”- 18 USC 241

In efforts to secure the White House for Donald Trump, major members of his campaign – including Trump himself – engaged in a coordinated voter suppression campaign the likes of which haven’t been seen since the Civil War.

In doing so these individuals and organizations – which include, Sheldon Adelson, Charles Koch, David Koch, Gregg Phillips, Kris Kobach, SOS for SoS (now disbanded), the Scaife Family foundations, the Immigration Law Reform Institute, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), the government officials connected to the Interstate Crosscheck system and Donald Trump – may have triggered numerous violations of Constitutional law that were designed to prevent just such election manipulations and deprivation of rights.

Charges that can be brought against the individuals and organizations involved in these violations fall under the Voting Rights Act of 1965, 18 USC 241, and 18 USC 242. The engagement in these criminal violations of the Constitution also threaten to disqualify Trump from becoming president.

“Whoever, under color of any law, statute, ordinance, regulation, or custom, willfully subjects any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured or protected by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or to different punishments, pains, or penalties, on account of such person being an alien, or by reason of his color, or race, than are prescribed for the punishment of citizens, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both…”- 18 USC 242

“No person acting under color of law shall fail or refuse Prohibitions to permit any person to vote who is entitled to vote under any provision of this Act or is otherwise qualified to vote, or willfully fail or refuse to tabulate, count, and report such person’s vote” - Voting Rights Act of 1965 Section 11

One of the most blatantly unconstitutional attacks on the rights of minority voters in the United States was the intentional purging of millions of eligible minority voters form the voting record. This purge was spearheaded by the late Richard Mellon Scaife and the Scaife family, Sheldon Adelson, the Koch Brothers, Gregg Phillips, Kris Kobach, the Donor’s Trust, the Immigration Law Reform Institute, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), SOS for SoS, and the government officials connected to the Interstate Crosscheck system.

At the center of the push to purge eligible minority voters from the system is Kansas Secretary of State and the Chair of the Kansas Republican Party – Kris Kobach. Greg Pallast, who is a leading reporter on the Crosscheck system writes,

“[Kobach] is best known as the author of Arizona’s ‘Driving While Brown Law,’ which allowed cops to pull over drivers and ask for proof of their legal status. He co-wrote the ultraconservative 2016 RNC party platform, working in a recommendation that Crosscheck be adopted by every state in the Union. He’s also the Trump adviser who came up with a proposal to force Mexico into paying for Trump’s wall.”

The purge began in 2005 when four Secretaries of State, led by Kris Kobach, “signed a Memorandum of Understanding to coordinate their offices’ efforts in several areas of election administration. Crosschecking voter registration data was one of the areas cited.” The first interstate crosscheck was performed in 2006. In the same publication, Kobach also admits to promoting and implementing a number of other illegal voter suppression tactics stating,

“Finally, in 2011 Kansas took the lead as the first state to combine three election-security policies: (1) requiring a government-issued photo ID for voting in person, (2) requiring either a Kansas driver’s license number or photocopy of a current photo ID for applying for a mail-in ballot, and (3) requiring a document proving U.S. citizenship when a person registers to vote for the first time. Consequently, Kansas elections are the most secure in the nation against fraud.”

By that same year, Kobach had secured 27 States, via agreements between Secretaries of State, for the Interstate Crosscheck program.

Arguably illegal, but largely uncontested, the alt-right and the GOP launched a full-scale effort to make sure that enough Secretaries of State would be elected in 2014 to ensure the interstate voting purge system would be functioning for the 2016 election. They also encouraged Secretaries of State to implement other forms of legally questionable voting restrictions such as those enforced by Kobach in Kansas. This 2014 effort was fronted by the PAC SOS for SoS.

The SOS for SoS was launched in 2014 to specifically to support the campaigns of Kris Kobach and other conservative candidates for Secretary of State that would adopt the Interstate Crosscheck system and adopt addition methods of illegal voter suppression.

The organization was founded by Gregg Phillips. Phillips had been tapped by funder Sheldon Adelson in 2012 to head the Winning Our Future PAC for the Newt Gingrich Presidential Campaign. And while Phillips has stated, “We don’t ever talk about any specific donors,” it is reasonable to assume that Adelson funneled money into this voter suppressions strategy through SOS for SoS.

Kobach is also associated with alt-right funders through his work at the Immigration Law Reform Institute and the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR). The Immigration Law Reform Institute (ILRI) is the legal branch of FAIR. Kobach served as counsel for the ILRI and has been described as the “legal arm” of FAIR. The Scaife family is among FAIR’s top donors. FAIR has been designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. It’s founder, John Tanton, is recognized as being personally and professionally associated with members of the Klu Klux Klan.

Kobach has also received funding through the Donor’s Trust, which is largely supported by the David and Charles Koch. Notably, Kobach received money from the Koch Brothers through the Donor’s Trust for his work on Arizona SB 1070 – a law that has been called “the most racist law in modern American history.”

Backed by the Scaife family, Adelson and the Koch brothers, Kobach was securely positioned to administrate the Interstate Crosscheck System for the 2016 election cycle – and approximately 1.1 million voters were successfully purged from the system before Election Day.

No voting qualification or prerequisite to voting, or standard, practice, or procedure shall be imposed or applied by any State or political subdivision to deny or abridge the right of any citizen of the United States to vote on account of race or color.

- Voting Rights Act of 1965 Section 2

The Interstate Crosscheck system targets voters by first and last name. They disregard other important identifiers that can also be used to match voters such as middle name and social security number. According to a report by Greg Palast,

“Mark Swedlund, a database expert whose clients include eBay and American Express, look at the data from Georgia and Virginia, and he was shocked….Swedlund’s statistical analysis found that African-American, Latino and Asian names predominate, a simple result of the Crosscheck matching process, which spews out little more than a bunch of common names. No surprise: The U.S. Census data shows that minorities are overrepresented in 85 of 100 of the most common last names. If your name is Washington, there’s an 89 percent chance you’re African-American. If your last name is Hernandez, there’s a 94 percent chance you’re Hispanic. If your name is Kim, there’s a 95 percent chance you’re Asian.

This inherent bias results in an astonishing one in six Hispanics, one in seven Asian-Americans and one in nine African-Americans in Crosscheck states landing on the list.”

As a result, in the name of finding a few cases of voter fraud, over a million people were illegally stripped of their Constitutional right to vote in the 2016 election. These voters were overwhelmingly people of color and individuals more likely to have registered as Democrats.

It would be difficult to argue that the outcome of the election was not altered by voter purging in the favor of the candidate supported by Adelson, the Scaife family, the Koch Brothers, Gregg Phillips, Kris Kobach, the Immigration Law Reform Institute, the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), and the government officials connected to the Interstate Crosscheck system – Donald Trump.

Without voter purging in key states, Donald Trump likely would not have won the 2016 presidential election.

In Arizona, Trump probably would not have been able to secure the state’s 11 electoral votes without purging almost 271,000 voters. The difference between candidates in this state is approximately 85,000. In Michigan, the difference between candidates vying for the state’s 16 electoral votes was well under 11,000 – almost 450,000 voters had been purged. And in North Carolina, Trump won 15 electoral votes by approximately 177,000 votes. Close to 600,000 votes had to be purged from the system to accomplish this.

The voter purges planned and implemented by the alt-right network very likely altered the outcome of the election in favor of the alt-right candidate. The purging of minority voters, though, led this network to potentially be in violation USC 241, USC 242 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Charges for potential violation of these laws can only be brought by United States Attorney General Loretta Lynch. As such, the Strategic Institute for Intersectional Policy is asking for people to call her at the Department of Justice at 202-353-1555 or TTY/ASCII/TDD: 800-877-8339 and leave a message asking her to press charges against the members of the Trump Campaign for voter purging.

------------------------------

The author is a HuffPo contributor, not HuffPo staff. The author is Dr. GS Potter is a community educator, strategist and advocate. She holds a PhD. from the University of Washington, is also the founder of the Strategic Institute for Intersectional Policy. She works in alliance with organizations such as Krip-Hop, the Idriss Stelley Foundation and POOR Magazine. More at: strategycampsite.org\
SIIP


Mission: to design and implement strategies that counter the political obstacles faced by the most brutally targeted communities in the United States.
STRATEGYCAMPSITE.ORG


Comment by Will in Chicago on 12/05/2016 15:49:00
Good morning blogers!!!

When what is true is in doubt and facts do not matter, dictators have more room to pursue their policies. There are no autocracies with freedom of the press. I think that Trump wants a press that is subservient to him. I fear that we will see too many outlets trade accuracy for access.

The truth should matter and our Founding Fathers, strongly influenced by the Enlightenment, would be aghast at how little truth matters to the incoming administration.

Comment by trojanrabbit on 12/05/2016 16:06:51
Quote by BobR:
Quote by Raine:
Quote by Mondobubba:
Feeling a little blue today. Having the feels for the Family TriSec's loss.

you are not alone, Mondo.

TriSec - I hope you can find some solace in your Music is always a good release


To Tri and his family.

Comment by Will in Chicago on 12/05/2016 16:15:24
Quote by trojanrabbit:
Quote by BobR:
Quote by Raine:
Quote by Mondobubba:
Feeling a little blue today. Having the feels for the Family TriSec's loss.

you are not alone, Mondo.

TriSec - I hope you can find some solace in your Music is always a good release


To Tri and his family.


And from me as well. I helped take care of a veteran from my synagogue who had COPD. It is a very rough disease.

In some good news, I have a second interview/lesson at a Chicago school tomorrow.


Comment by TriSec on 12/05/2016 16:53:14
Hi all.

Passing through. Just back from the funeral parlor arranging Mum's last wishes. She's off to be cremated tomorrow. We're not having anything now; there will be a family gathering and memorial next summer around her birthday.

I guess surreal is the term - we've been waiting for this day since August. Doesn't make things any easier. What we've got now is what I posted last night. Nothing can hurt her anymore.



Comment by Mondobubba on 12/05/2016 17:01:15
Quote by TriSec:
Hi all.

Passing through. Just back from the funeral parlor arranging Mum's last wishes. She's off to be cremated tomorrow. We're not having anything now; there will be a family gathering and memorial next summer around her birthday.

I guess surreal is the term - we've been waiting for this day since August. Doesn't make things any easier. What we've got now is what I posted last night. Nothing can hurt her anymore.






Comment by wickedpam on 12/05/2016 17:07:49
Quote by Mondobubba:
Quote by TriSec:
Hi all.

Passing through. Just back from the funeral parlor arranging Mum's last wishes. She's off to be cremated tomorrow. We're not having anything now; there will be a family gathering and memorial next summer around her birthday.

I guess surreal is the term - we've been waiting for this day since August. Doesn't make things any easier. What we've got now is what I posted last night. Nothing can hurt her anymore.









Comment by BobR on 12/05/2016 17:12:33
Quote by TriSec:
Hi all.

Passing through. Just back from the funeral parlor arranging Mum's last wishes. She's off to be cremated tomorrow. We're not having anything now; there will be a family gathering and memorial next summer around her birthday.

I guess surreal is the term - we've been waiting for this day since August. Doesn't make things any easier. What we've got now is what I posted last night. Nothing can hurt her anymore.


It's been just over a year for me. The weirdness takes a while to fade. I keep seeing or hearing about things that I think "Mom would like this", and then I remember.

It's true about the pain, though. It sucks to see a parent decline to where they are just subsisting. Not suffering anymore is a pretty strong antidote to the pain in your heart.

I try to remember that our time here is finite and to make the most use of it while I still can... and then I waste another hour on Facebook. You're a better person than me, so don't do that. Keep boyscouting, keep trumpeting, and honor your mother by your actions. It's the best remembrance.

Comment by TriSec on 12/05/2016 17:36:34
And now lunch is served.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/30/Bright-Field_Lighting.jpg/220px-Bright-Field_Lighting.jpg


It's Mum's favourite tipple - with Beefeater Gin. (Not my favorite, but bought intentionally.)

Comment by Scoopster on 12/05/2016 17:48:01
Comment by livingonli on 12/05/2016 17:50:49
I am sorry for your loss, Tri. Even when you know it's coming doesn't make it any easier.

Comment by BobR on 12/05/2016 18:28:03
Quote by TriSec:
And now lunch is served.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/30/Bright-Field_Lighting.jpg/220px-Bright-Field_Lighting.jpg


It's Mum's favourite tipple - with Beefeater Gin. (Not my favorite, but bought intentionally.)

Bombay for me (for a martini). Tanquery otherwise.

Comment by Mondobubba on 12/05/2016 19:26:19
Quote by TriSec:
Hi all.

Passing through. Just back from the funeral parlor arranging Mum's last wishes. She's off to be cremated tomorrow. We're not having anything now; there will be a family gathering and memorial next summer around her birthday.

I guess surreal is the term - we've been waiting for this day since August. Doesn't make things any easier. What we've got now is what I posted last night. Nothing can hurt her anymore.



I had the very same feelings about Mrs. Mondo. When she did pass, the indignity that had become her life was over. She was at peace.

Comment by Raine on 12/05/2016 19:44:30
I know I mention it as often as it's appropriate, , and now seems like one of those times.

I you all.

One thing there can never be enough of in this world is

Comment by BobR on 12/05/2016 20:24:33
Quote by Raine:
I know I mention it as often as it's appropriate, , and now seems like one of those times.

I you all.

One thing there can never be enough of in this world is



Comment by wickedpam on 12/05/2016 21:54:27
Quote by Raine:
I know I mention it as often as it's appropriate, , and now seems like one of those times.

I you all.

One thing there can never be enough of in this world is