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July 2016

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on July 13, 2016 17 Comments
Some of the best comedy is irreverent. I get that. That said, I'm hard pressed to find the humor in killing a child to avoid responsibility, particularly as one wiggles around in my womb. NARAL's (National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League) latest ad attempted to humorize the perceived difficulty created by abortion regulations. The result? A video bemoaning the tedious bureaucratic process required to kill an unborn life. Because it's so.hard. to sit through a five minute spiel informing women of abortion risks and an explanation of their baby's developmental process.

Posted by Andrew Branca on July 13, 2016 38 Comments
The defense rested yesterday in the current "Freddie Gray trial" of Baltimore Police Department Lieutenant Brian Rice, and closing arguments are scheduled for Thursday.  Given the past practice of trial judge Barry Williams a verdict in this bench trial is likely to be delivered by him no sooner than early next week (to wit, after the weekend). The regular reader of Legal Insurrection (and you'd be a fool not to be) will have noted that we haven't done as many posts on this latest "Freddie Gray trial" of Lieutenant Rice as we have of the previous failed prosecutions of Officer William Porter, Officer Edward Nero, and Officer Caesar Goodson.  The explanation for that apparent lapse is straightforward--there's little new to post about. The ongoing legal battle between the police officers' defense counsel and the State's Attorney prosecutors is reminiscent in a pathetically bizarre "Groundhog Day" fashion of the battle of Waterloo, after which the defending Duke of Wellington dismissively noted of Napoleon's attacking army, "They came on in the same old way, and we saw them off in the same old way."

Posted by Mike LaChance on July 13, 2016 37 Comments
A cafeteria worker at Yale's Calhoun College named Corey Menafee "resigned" from his job last month after using a broom handle to smash a window. The stained glass image in the window depicted slaves working in a cotton field. Menafee, who is black said the image angered him and that "we shouldn't have to see that." The New Haven Independent reported:
An African-American dishwasher lost his job after losing his cool and breaking a stained-glass panel in Yale’s Calhoun residential college dining hall that depicted slaves carrying bales of cotton. The dishwasher, Corey Menafee, said he used a broomstick to knock the panel to the floor. He said he was tired of looking at the “racist, very degrading” image. Yale University Police arrested Menafee, who now faces a felony charge. The university, meanwhile, has cut ties with him....

Posted by Miriam Elman on July 13, 2016 10 Comments
On Tuesday morning July 12, 2016, the family of Hallel Yaffa Ariel, the 13-year-old Israeli girl who was brutally stabbed to death on June 30th as she lay asleep in her bed, was granted special permission to visit the Temple Mount in Jerusalem—the most sacred site in Judaism. Hallel’s anguished parents, Rina and Amihai Ariel, had reportedly requested permission to ‘pray for the ascent of Hallel’s soul’ at the holy place that was dear to her and their hearts. [caption id="attachment_177363" align="alignnone" width="550"]Credit: The Times of Israel Credit: The Times of Israel[/caption] Rina Ariel had written directly to PM Netanyahu asking him to personally intercede. Via a YouTube video that went viral over the last few days, they also invited their fellow Israeli citizens to join them in the special prayer service:

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on July 12, 2016 18 Comments
The National Riffle Association released a new video as part of their Freedom's Safest Place campaign. Their latest features Antonia Okafor, Southwest Regional Director of Students for Concealed Carry on Campus. Called every name in the book for supporting the second amendment, Okafor's message is simple -- she never changed her beliefs.

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on July 12, 2016 23 Comments
President George W. Bush spoke at the memorial service for the fallen Dallas officers killed in last week's attack. His remarks were a welcome departure from the current narrative and a reminder that principled leadership can still be found in this country. Speaking of American values and our common bond, President Bush said, "we have never been held together by blood or background. We are bound by things of the spirit, by shared commitments to common ideals." "Too often, we judge other groups by their worst examples, while judging ourselves by our best intentions," he observed.

Posted by Mary Chastain on July 12, 2016 4 Comments
President Barack Obama, who promised less fighting in the Middle East, has decided to send 560 more troops to Iraq to help battle against the Islamic State (ISIS) in Mosul. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter visited Baghdad on Monday:
“With the retaking of Qayara West airfield, the Iraqi Security Forces have once again demonstrated a serious will to fight,” Mr. Carter said. “I congratulate them on their recent successes and reaffirm that the United States, along with our coalition partners, will continue to do all we can to support Iraq’s effort to serve ISIL a lasting defeat,” he said, using an acronym for Islamic State.

Posted by Mary Chastain on July 12, 2016 20 Comments
Attorney General Loretta Lynch would not answer questions about the Hillary Clinton email scandal at a hearing with the House Judiciary Committee. She said:
“While I understand that this investigation has generated significant public interest, as attorney general, it would be inappropriate for me to comment further on the underlying facts of the investigation or the legal basis for the team’s recommendation,” Lynch told the House Judiciary Committee.

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on July 12, 2016 1 Comment
Former Saints defensive back, Steve Gleason, was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (commonly referred to as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease) at the age of thirty-four. He was given five years to live. But that hasn't stopped him from living life to the fullest. Turning a devastating prognosis into a life overflowing with love and purpose, Gleason and his wife captured bits of their incredible journey in the upcoming documentary film, Gleason. WARNING: You'll need the Kleenex:

Posted by Vijeta Uniyal on July 12, 2016 3 Comments
Iran has been making repeated attempts to acquire nuclear-, chemical- and biological weapons technology from Germany, reveals the annual domestic intelligence report published by the German State of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) last week. According to the report, last year Iran made 141 attempts to illegally secure technologies related to [nuclear, chemical, biological] proliferation in the state of NRW alone. This indicates an almost 100 percent rise compared to 83 such attempts in 2014. If this intelligence report is to be believed, than German government was aware of Iran’s continued efforts to acquire Nuclear and WMD technologies while it was pushing for a Nuclear Deal with Tehran 0n the world stage. Chancellor Merkel’s Government enthusiastically backed Obama-sponsored Nuclear Deal and was one of the six countries that worked out a nuclear agreement with Iran last year.

Posted by Mike LaChance on July 12, 2016 13 Comments
The food shortages in Venezuela have continued to worsen to the point where thousands of people are fleeing the country to Colombia if they're able. FOX News Latino reported:
In just 12 hours, more than 35K Venezuelans cross Colombian border to buy food, medicine In just 12 hours, more than 35,000 Venezuelans crossed the border into Colombia on Sunday to buy food and medicines in the city of Cucuta, when the Venezuelan government agreed to opened border crossings for one day only.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on July 12, 2016 2 Comments
Palestinian incitement to hate and attack Jews has been a frequent topic here lately. It is not just a key cause of the current so-called "Knife Intifada" (which also involves shooting and other forms of attack), but also an impediment to any chance of peace. It is a top-down (from the Palestinian Authority, Fatah, and Hamas) and bottom-up (social media) phenomenon that is particularly focused on young children and teens: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBtEDMsl_SM Here is another example, from PalMedia Watch:

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on July 11, 2016 10 Comments
I've been surprisingly encouraged post-Dallas shootings. Rather than surrender to the usual partisan bias, Americans from all walks of life are working together, praying together, and recognizing the country's dire need for change. Real change. This video captures once such instance. When protesters and counter-protesters crossed paths in the streets of Dallas, they didn't fuss or fight. They met on neutral turf and prayed together.

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on July 11, 2016 16 Comments
The pro-abortion movement loves to highlight stories of women who chose to end the life of their unborn child. They trot those out these women as those empowered into a new, bright future by their life-ending decision. Never discussed is the lasting emotional trauma that follows abortion. A video posted by LifeNews tells the story of a mother who turns around for just a moment, only to find her son "missing."

Posted by Mary Chastain on July 11, 2016 5 Comments
The Rio police have rescued eight girls from a sex-trafficking ring near an Olympic stadium. Three of the girls, aged 15 and 16, were forced into prostitution in Recreio near the beaches. Child sex tourism in Brazil has expanded in the country, especially during events that bring in foreign tourists.
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