It was the early morning of May 2, 1976 when Jeanette Williams was shot in her bedroom in Jacksonville, Florida. Williams died as a result of her injuries, while her partner, Nina Marshall, survived her own gunshot wounds.
Marshall pretended to be dead until a few minutes after the gunmen left. She then left the apartment to flag down a motorist who took her to the hospital. She told police Williams was still at the apartment. Police went to the apartment and found a crowd had gathered outside.
Marshall told police she was shot by Clifford Williams, Jr. (no relation to Jeanette), who owned a pool hall and dealt heroin, according to the <a href="https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/casedetail.aspx?caseid=5533">National Registry of Exonerations</a>. Marshall claimed Williams shot her and Jeanette over a $100 debt. Within an hour of the shooting, Williams was arrested since he was in the crowd of onlookers. Also in the crowd was Nathan Myers, Williams’ nephew who had approached police and identified Jeanette. Williams was 33, Myers was 18 and had no violent criminal record.
Police spoke to most of the approximately 40 attendees of a nearby party who knew Jeanette and Marshall. Those who spoke to police all said Williams and Myers were at the party when the shots were fired. Within hours, the two men were tested for gunshot residue but the tests came back negative.
Still, Myers and Williams were arrested and charged. Their first trial ended in a mistrial, but they were convicted after a second, two-day trial that relied on six witnesses but no forensic evidence. Marshall was the one who placed Williams and Myers in her bedroom.
Problems with Marshall’s testimony were evident from the start. She said she and Jeanette were shot by two men standing at the foot of their bed, each firing a weapon and emptying their chambers. Police only found six fresh bullets, all .38 caliber. Jeanette was discovered to have a .32 caliber bullet in her from an old injury.
The women’s bedroom was also small and cramped, with the foot of the bed difficult to get to. Police also found glass on the bed and holes in the window curtains and screen, indicating the shots came from outside the room.
Both men were convicted – Myers received a life sentence and Williams was sentenced to death, but it was later reduced to life. Myers appealed his conviction but lost. In early 2017, after 40 years in prison, Myers learned of the Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU) in the State Attorney’s Office for the Fourth Judicial Circuit. He reached out and began working with the unit to clear his name. While Marshall died in 2001, as had many of the alibi witnesses at the party, investigators were able to determine that the shooting had to have occurred outside for the partygoers to have heard it.
CIU investigators also discovered police had spoken to a man who claimed to others that he had seen a man shooting outside the women’s bedroom. He would tell police he saw nothing, but later failed a polygraph test.
CIU found that a man named Nathanial Lawson confessed to the crime before his death in 1994. With this and other evidence, Williams and Myers were finally cleared and released from prison in early 2020 – 43 years after they were first convicted.
The Florida Times-Union reported that the Florida state House Civil Justice Subcommittee unanimously approved a bill that would provide Williams with $2.15 million for the time he spent in prison. The bill now heads to the House and then the Senate before it would be signed by the governor.

Man in prison

He Spent 43 Years In Prison For A Crime He Didn’t Commit. He Just Came Closer To Receiving $2.15 Million For His Ordeal.

Crime

false accusations

Florida

The 15-year-old girl who claimed she was raped while jogging during the day will now face charges.
The girl, whose name has not been released, faces two counts of “false reporting of a crime to police,” WWSB <a href="https://www.mysuncoast.com/2020/01/15/teen-girl-who-north-port-police-say-made-up-story-about-being-sexually-battered-now-facing-charges/">reported</a>. The first count relates to her initial claim of sexual battery and the second refers to another claim she made about a physical assault a few days later.
The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/florida-teenager-claimed-she-was-sexually-assaulted-while-jogging-she-just-admitted-she-made-it-up">reported</a> that the girl claimed she was out jogging near her neighborhood when a man attacked and raped her and then fled in a black four-door car. She gave police a DNA sample and worked with a sketch artist to come up with a drawing of the man she claimed had attacked her. She said her attacker was a white, 36- to 38-year-old man about 5’8” with dark hair and a goatee.
Josh Taylor, a police spokesman, initially <a href="https://www.fox13news.com/news/police-teen-sexually-assaulted-while-jogging-in-north-port">told Fox 13</a> that authorities believed it “was a targeted attack” on the teen based on her accusation. Taylor added that the “DNA will tell a lot,” but that it would take time, leaving a potential attacker “roaming the streets.”
The girl made the accusation on January 6, prompting police to spend the next week investigating her claim.
“The North Port Police Department said it spent the next week investigating the teenager’s claims by speaking with neighbors and business owners in the area. Police determined something just wasn’t right about the girl’s story – they couldn’t find any witnesses or video of the alleged incident despite it taking place in broad daylight,” The Daily Wire reported.
When police spoke to the girl again after finding no evidence of her claims, she admitted to making up the story. Police then issued a statement to the media, saying it would “continue to investigate all reports such as this with the rigor and respect they deserve.”
The statement also called out false accusations.
“False reports of this nature are not taken lightly and can impact the perception of real reports of sexual battery,” the statement said. “Anytime we have a report this serious, we simply can not take the chance of failing to educate the public when necessary.”
WWSB reported that “a sexual assault kit and exam found no internal or external injuries.”
After the girl admitted to lying about the initial report, police were again called out on January 13. This time the girl told them that around 7:20 p.m. she let her dog out only to be pushed to the ground by an unknown man, who then ran off. She told police the push knocked her out and that the next thing she remembered was a friend waking her up, WWSB reported.
Detective interviewed her the next day and she admitted making that story up as well.
Police initially told Fox 13 after the girl’s first story that they would focus on getting her whatever help and support she needed. It appears now that police might actually take seriously the false accusations, though punishment will likely be minimal.

Teenage girl jogging in city park

Florida Teenager Who Allegedly Lied About Sexual Assault Will Face Charges

Rape

Donald Trump Jr. slammed incoming Florida Senate President Bill Galvano, a Republican, for siding with extreme anti-Second Amendment advocate and communist China <a href="http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/12/michael-bloomberg-china-pbs-climate-xi-dictator.html">sympathizer</a> Michael Bloomberg.
On Friday, Breitbart Second Amendment columnist AWR Hawkins called <a href="https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2020/01/17/floridas-gop-sen-leader-grateful-money-bloomberg-gun-control/">attention</a> to two massive contributions totaling <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/fl-ne-florida-nra-influence-20200117-nxzo5kmgtncytnuklr75rdkvf4-story.html">$500,000</a> that Bloomberg&#8217;s far-left group Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund gave to Galvano&#8217;s political committee, the Innovate Florida committee, after the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in February 2018.
Galvano <a href="https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2018/09/17/nra-blasts-bill-galvano-over-donation-from-gun-control-group-our-second-amendment-rights-were-sold/">responded</a> to the contribution by saying in September 2018 that he &#8220;will make no apologies&#8221; for supporting gun control championed by Bloomberg, and said that he was &#8220;grateful for the support&#8221; from Bloomberg&#8217;s group.
In a statement to The Daily Wire, Trump Jr. slammed Galvano for siding with Bloomberg, who is running for president as a Democrat and on the issue of stripping Americans of their Second Amendment rights.
“Any supposed ‘Republican’ who proudly accepts money from Mini Mike Bloomberg and is supportive of his gun control agenda is nothing more than a stone cold RINO,” Trump Jr. told The Daily Wire. “The last thing Florida Republicans need is a liberal, gun-grabbing Bloomberg minion leading them in the State Senate.”
Andrew Pollack, who lost his daughter in the Parkland tragedy, slammed Galvano in a tweet, writing: &#8220;Democrats exploited the murder of my daughter. I never imagined a Republican would do the same, but that’s exactly what Bill Galvano did He took $500,000 from Bloomberg &amp; tried to reinstate disgraced Sheriff Scott Israel This boils my blood! #FixIt&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-cards="hidden" data-lang="en">
Democrats exploited the murder of my daughter.
I never imagined a Republican would do the same, but that’s exactly what Bill Galvano did
He took $500,000 from Bloomberg &amp; tried to reinstate disgraced Sheriff Scott Israel
This boils my blood! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FixIt?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FixIt</a> <a href="https://t.co/d2xLFKQDR5">https://t.co/d2xLFKQDR5</a>
— Andrew Pollack (@AndrewPollackFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewPollackFL/status/1218724826187210752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 19, 2020</a></blockquote>
In a separate tweet, Pollack highlighted the money that Galvano got from Bloomberg&#8217;s far-left group, writing: &#8220;Florida Senate President @BillGalvano is bought and paid for by Michael Bloomberg. He’s accepted over $500k from Bloomberg’s anti-gun PAC. He’s constantly working against Governor Desantis and the Republican Party. He’s a RINO #FixIt&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Florida Senate President <a href="https://twitter.com/BillGalvano?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BillGalvano</a> is bought and paid for by Michael Bloomberg.
He’s accepted over $500k from Bloomberg’s anti-gun PAC.
He’s constantly working against Governor Desantis and the Republican Party.
He’s a RINO <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FixIt?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FixIt</a> <a href="https://t.co/47Yeu4Qu42">pic.twitter.com/47Yeu4Qu42</a>
&mdash; Andrew Pollack (@AndrewPollackFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewPollackFL/status/1218272346081021954?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The past donations from Bloomberg&#8217;s far-left group to Galvano garnered attention because Galvano led a Senate panel this last week to ram through Bloomberg&#8217;s gun control agenda in Florida.
News 4 Jax <a href="https://www.news4jax.com/news/florida/2020/01/14/florida-senate-panel-backs-gun-control-measure/">reported</a>:
<blockquote>A Senate panel Monday unanimously signed off on a far-reaching measure that would close the gun-show “loophole,” create a record-keeping system for private gun sales and set aside $5 million to establish a “statewide strategy for violence prevention.” The proposal (SB 7028) is a priority of Senate President Bill Galvano, R-Bradenton, as evidenced by the Senate Infrastructure and Security Committee’s consideration and passage of the measure the day before the 2020 legislative session begins.
The sweeping legislation would require background checks and a three-day waiting period for firearms sold “on property to which the public has the right of access,” such as “a flea market, a gun show, or a firearm exhibit.” The measure would also mandate that guns be securely stored in households and other places where minors under age 18 &#8212; up from the current threshold of 16 &#8212; could have access to the weapons.</blockquote>
Former NRA President Marion P. Hammer responded at the time by indicating that Galvano betrayed those who voted for him, <a href="https://www.nraila.org/articles/20180917/florida-alert-galvano-committee-gets-200k-from-everytown-group">saying</a>, &#8220;Looks like our Second Amendment Rights were sold for a large contribution from anti-gun former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.&#8221;
Hammer <a href="https://www.nraila.org/articles/20200115/alert-florida-republican-senators-vote-for-massive-gun-control-bill">said</a> that the gun control bill advocated for by Galvano this week, SB-7028, was &#8220;the worst I have ever seen&#8221; and &#8220;is clearly meant to simply ban all private sales of firearms through red tape and fear.&#8221;
&#8220;This bill contains so much red tape and nonsense that there is almost no way a law-abiding person could comply,&#8221; Hammer continued. &#8220;The only thing we know for sure is that this bill will only stop law-abiding people from exercising a constitutional right, and it will be completely ignored by criminals.&#8221;
&#8220;Voting in favor of this bill is like a doctor giving a patient an antibiotic for a virus. The doctor knows an antibiotic won’t cure the illness, but at least he can make people think he’s &#8216;doing something,'&#8221; Hammer added. &#8220;Supporting a bill so you can say you’re doing something is &#8216;political eyewash.'&#8221;

Donald Trump Jr.

Trump Jr Blasts FL Republican Bill Galvano Over Past Support From Anti-Gun Extremist Bloomberg

Gun Control

Guns

Michael Bloomberg

Second Amendment

A 15-year-old girl claimed on January 6 that she had been raped while out jogging in North Port, Florida.
She said she was out jogging when a man attacked her and raped her, before allegedly fleeing in a car. She provided police with a DNA sample and a helped create a sketch of the man she says attacked her.
&#8220;Someone grabbed her, threw her on the ground, raped her and left,&#8221; Josh Taylo, a spokesperson for the police department, <a href="https://www.fox13news.com/news/police-teen-sexually-assaulted-while-jogging-in-north-port">told Fox 13</a>. &#8220;This wasn&#8217;t just a random, &#8216;Hey, look there&#8217;s a crime of opportunity, I&#8217;m going to take advantage of her.&#8217; It was a targeted attack.&#8221;
At the time, police were considering whether the alleged attacker knew the victim. DNA samples were sent for testing to the state lab.
&#8220;The DNA will tell a lot, typically,&#8221; Taylor told Fox 13. &#8220;That takes time and in the meantime, you could potentially have someone like this roaming the streets.&#8221;
The outlet spoke to a neighbor who lives in the neighborhood where the attack allegedly occurred. The girl’s accusation made the neighbor worried about walking alone outside.
&#8220;That&#8217;s scary. It&#8217;s right across the street. And apparently the girl was just walking or jogging and was attacked by this man,&#8221; said neighbor Rebecca Higgins &#8220;I won&#8217;t walk with her by myself. I won&#8217;t come out really with her by myself because I&#8217;m afraid now. We don&#8217;t even know who the guy is.&#8221;
NBC 2 <a href="https://www.nbc-2.com/story/41551799/teen-makes-false-report-about-being-raped-by-man-in-north-port">reported</a> that the girl claimed to have been attacked in broad daylight and described her attacker as a 36 to 38 year-old man about 5’8” tall with dark hair and a goatee. She claimed the man fled the scene in a black four-door vehicle.
The North Port Police Department said it spent the next week investigating the teenager’s claims by speaking with neighbors and business owners in the area. Police determined something just wasn’t right about the girl’s story – they couldn’t find any witnesses or video of the alleged incident despite it taking place in broad daylight.
Police spoke to the girl again and she admitted to making the story up to get attention. Police released a statement to the media on Friday, saying it would “continue to investigate all reports such as this with the rigor and respect they deserve.&#8221;
&#8220;False reports of this nature are not taken lightly and can impact the perception of real reports of sexual battery,&#8221; the statement said. &#8220;Anytime we have a report this serious, we simply can not take the chance of failing to educate the public when necessary.&#8221;
The police department did not respond to a Daily Wire inquiry about whether the teenager would face any consequences for her actions. So far it looks like that will not be the case. Fox 13 <a href="https://www.fox13news.com/news/north-port-police-say-teen-fabricated-rape-report-is-being-provided-support">reported</a> that police said they would not focus on getting the false accuser whatever help and support she needs.
NBC2 spoke to attorney and Florida Gulf Coast University professor Pamella Seay who suggested the girl would get better treatment because she was a teenager, but she also warned that false accusations hurt real victims.
“Think about the impact to the people who helped. The next time it happens, are they going to be a little more reluctant to step up and say oh, I’m going to help,&#8221; Seay told the outlet.
The attorney also said that adults filed the police report on behalf of the teenager, so they may be the ones to face punishment, if anyone is punished at all.

Teenage jogger

Florida Teenager Claimed She Was Sexually Assaulted While Jogging. She Just Admitted She Made It Up.

Keeping in line with the modern trend of democratizing tradition, two Florida newlyweds decided on whose surname the other would take through the simple flip of a coin; lo and behold, the bride won the day.
&#8220;Jeff Conley and Darcy Ward married at Wakulla Springs earlier this month, but when it came time to announce the pair’s official married last name, the couple let a coin toss decide their future,&#8221; reports <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/florida-newlyweds-coin-toss-last-name">Fox News</a>. &#8220;At the altar, Conley and Ward flipped a coin engraved with each of their surnames. The coin landed on &#8216;Ward,&#8217; officially deciding that the two would be known as Mr. Jeff Ward and Mrs. Darcy Ward henceforth.&#8221;
Speaking to <a href="https://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/20191230/meet-florida-newlyweds-who-flipped-coin-for-their-last-name?rssfeed=true&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=Social&amp;utm_campaign=ghf-palmbeach-main" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Palm Beach Post, </a>Jeff Conley (now Jeff Ward) said that the whole affair was his idea — in the name of &#8220;fairness.&#8221;
“You could say I won. I was the one who received something new,&#8221; said Jeff. “It’s fair. I am a graduate student in economics at Florida State and I think about fairness.&#8221;
Darcy said the coin toss was “all the more confirmation” she’d chosen Mr. Right and appreciated that Jeff was willing to begin the marriage with an &#8220;equal partnership.&#8221;
“Being with someone who was willing to start the marriage from a creative and teamwork and fair place felt like a really good first step toward an equal partnership,” she told the outlet.
In fact, the couple, who met on the Tinder dating app, has been a making equality a central theme to their relationship going all the way to their engagement — during which they both proposed to each other. From the Post:
<blockquote>Jeff gathered his musician friends together at woodsy Lafayette Heritage Trail Park. They strummed on violins, playing the couple’s favorite song, The Band’s “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” while they strolled onto the bridge, and he popped the question.
Darcy’s proposal was a bit more long-winded: She set up a scavenger hunt all around town, hiding eggs with silicone sport rings tucked inside for her weight-lifting groom, poems she wrote leading to the next spot and letters that eventually spelled out, “Will you marry me?”
And she still bent down on one knee — for official measure. Before she could formally ask, he said “Yes.”</blockquote>
Though the tradition of wives taking their husbands&#8217; surnames has somewhat waned of late, current statistics show that its popularity has tremendous staying power. According to <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/why-so-many-women-still-take-their-husbands-last-name-2017-11-30">MarketWatch</a>, just 6% of married couples have what some would describe as an &#8220;unconventional&#8221; surname.
&#8220;According to a 2009 analysis of 2004 government data, just 6% of married, native-born American women had an &#8216;unconventional&#8217; last name, which includes keeping their maiden name, hyphenating their last name or taking on two last names,&#8221; reported the outlet. &#8220;There’s some indication this trend may be shifting; about 20% of women who married relatively recently kept their last names, according to a Google survey conducted by The New York Times. But the bulk of women marrying men still appear to be changing their names.&#8221;
“As a gender researcher, I’ve noticed that there is pretty strong adherence to gender roles within heterosexual relationships,” said Rachael Robnett, a psychology professor at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. “In so many other domains of society we actually see people pushing against traditional gender roles.”

Newlyweds Jayne Mansfield and Mickey Hargitay

‘It’s Fair’: Newlyweds Decide Last Name Via Coin Toss, Bride Wins

Update: The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office released a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/hamiltoncountysheriff/posts/2579857395630945">statement</a> on Facebook, saying: 
<blockquote>Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office would like to make an announcement in response to the video that is being posted of the battery on the school bus: It seems that some misinformation has been passed along with the video. We at the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office are as disturbed about this video as you are. An investigation has been conducted and Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office has filed charges on five juveniles for First Degree misdemeanor battery. We discussed charges with the State Attorney’s Office and they stated that this incident does not meet criteria for a hate crime.
<a href="https://www.redstate.com/jeffc/2019/12/15/video-showing-students-attacking-classmate-maga-hat/">RedState</a> reported: &#8220;Later, the mother of the female student who attacked the victim told the other side of the story: This was apparently a dispute that spanned over a number of weeks and had nothing to do with politics. She also claimed that the student had used a racial slur against her daughter and claimed he engaged in the same type of behavior previously. She posted a video of the white student beating up a black girl on the bus days before the incident in question.&#8221;
Rex Walker, the school’s superintendent, stated a investigation found “no evidence” that the white student was wearing “a political hat showing support for President Trump” at “the time of the altercation or that his wearing of such apparel on a prior occasion motivated the incident.” </blockquote>
On Thursday, a video emerged showing at least three teenage boys and two teenage girls violently attacking a 14-year-old boy on a school bus on November 21, an incident the boy’s mother, a supporter of President Trump, claims was precipitated because the boy wore a Trump 2020 campaign hat to school.
The horrifying incident occurred in Hamilton County, Florida; the boy’s family has engaged an attorney, Foye B. Walker, who advised them it was permitted to publish part of the video of the incident. The boy, identified as Tyler, as <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7787635/Florida-school-bus-bullies-pummel-14-year-old-boy-Trump-hat.html">The Daily Mail</a> reports, had to go the hospital for the blows rained upon his head.
Walker tweeted the video that the mother posted. The mother tweeted the caption, “My attorney <a href="https://twitter.com/FoyeWalkerPA">‪@FoyeWalkerPA</a> said it&#8217;s okay to release the video, warning  graphic keep in mind this is only the first 21 seconds of the video&#8230;please RT to have these two girls and 3 boys held accountable.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I am representing the victim in this video who is a student at Hamilton County, FL School District. This incident occurred on the school bus and is under investigation.<a href="https://t.co/POTpm4vu9K">https://t.co/POTpm4vu9K</a>
&mdash; Foye B Walker PA (@FoyeWalkerPA) <a href="https://twitter.com/FoyeWalkerPA/status/1205212681604599808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 12, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The boy’s mother added that she had previously noted the incident on Twitter without the video, writing, “For those asking where the hat is in the video, I posted this on 11/22/19.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
For those asking where the hat is in the video, I posted this on 11/22/19. <a href="https://t.co/2a3OIfJ9hA">https://t.co/2a3OIfJ9hA</a>
&mdash; American Diaries (@AmericanDiaries) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmericanDiaries/status/1205283572300603395?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 13, 2019</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;
On November 22, the boy’s mother tweeted, “To be clear, my son bought his #Trump2020 hat with his own money at the flea market a few weeks ago. He was proud to wear it. He wore it to school, but due to immediate bullying he put I away &amp; didn’t wear it to school again, sadly the damage was already done &amp; was now a target.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
To be clear, my son bought his <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Trump2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Trump2020</a> hat with his own money at the flea market a few weeks ago. He was proud to wear it. He wore it to School, but due to immediate bullying he put it away &amp; didn&#39;t wear it to school again, sadly the damage was already done &amp; was now a target.
&mdash; American Diaries (@AmericanDiaries) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmericanDiaries/status/1197902111981342720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2019</a></blockquote>
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She continued, “From that point on he was steadily getting messed with. He was getting hit, tripped &amp; verbally abused on the bus, but it all came to a head yesterday on his bus ride home. The nurse noted there are bruises on his arm that were older along with his new injuries. He didn&#8217;t tell us about the bullying, but they took it to a new level yesterday and we are just now learning what he was going through. My husband is going to the sheriffs department now and I really hope these kids are held accountable.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&#8230;.about the bullying, but they took it to a new level yesterday and we are just now learning what he was going through. My husband is going to the sheriffs department now and I really hope these kids are held accountable.
&mdash; American Diaries (@AmericanDiaries) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmericanDiaries/status/1197906284206608384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Later that day she added, “Goodnight Twitter, Thank you for all your support! God Bless America!”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Goodnight twitter, Thank you all for your support! God Bless America! 🦅🇺🇸 <a href="https://t.co/Xs687aUThJ">pic.twitter.com/Xs687aUThJ</a>
&mdash; American Diaries (@AmericanDiaries) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmericanDiaries/status/1198010611076124674?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2019</a></blockquote>
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On November 23, she added, &#8220;The bus tape was reviewed and there is now a criminal investigation underway. I will continue to keep you all informed. Tyler is in a lot of pain today, very emotional and very upset. He wants to thank all of you for all the well wishes, as do I.&#8221;
On November 24, she explained, &#8220;For those of you who are asking why I can&#8217;t just put Tyler in another school&#8230;we literally have 1 elementary school &amp; 1 high school for all 519 square miles of this county, to put that into prospective, New York City is the largest city in America &amp; it&#8217;s only 469 square miles.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
For those of you who are asking why I can&#39;t just put Tyler in another school&#8230;we literally have 1 elementary school &amp; 1 high school for all 519 square miles of this county, to put that into prospective, New York City is the largest city in America &amp; it&#39;s only 469 square miles. <a href="https://t.co/yuslCdM4kY">pic.twitter.com/yuslCdM4kY</a>
&mdash; American Diaries (@AmericanDiaries) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmericanDiaries/status/1198805790745870343?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2019</a></blockquote>
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She added, &#8220;Now imagine if New York City had only one elementary school and one high school and no private schools.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Now imagine if New York City had only one elementary school and one high school and no private schools.
&mdash; American Diaries (@AmericanDiaries) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmericanDiaries/status/1198806152076808194?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2019</a></blockquote>
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She explained further. &#8220;And for those of you asking about homeschooling, I homeschool my 12-year-old daughter, but my son has ADHD (unmediated due to side effects) when I tried to homeschool him last year, neither my son nor myself could handle it. So instead I wrote a letter to the school &amp; asked them to place him into Hope Academy, an alternative option located in the same school but instead of teachers they do everything on the computer so he can move along at a much quicker pace.&#8221;
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And for those of you asking about homeschooling, I homeschool my 12-year-old daughter, but my son has ADHD (unmediated due to side effects) when I tried to homeschool him last year, neither my son nor myself could handle it. So instead I wrote a letter to the school &amp; asked&#8230;
&mdash; American Diaries (@AmericanDiaries) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmericanDiaries/status/1198809746469462017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2019</a></blockquote>
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them to place him into Hope Academy, an alternative option located in the same school but instead of teachers they do everything on the computer so he can move along at a much quicker pace.
&mdash; American Diaries (@AmericanDiaries) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmericanDiaries/status/1198811406709219329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2019</a></blockquote>
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President Trump Holds MAGA Rally

WATCH: Teens Violently Attack 14-Year-Old Boy On School Bus. Mother Claims It’s Because He Had Worn Trump 2020 Hat.

Donald Trump

A man from Deerfield Beach, Florida, faces a potential of five years in prison after being convicted for defying the state&#8217;s &#8220;red flag&#8221; law, which allows authorities to confiscate weapons from those deemed to be at high risk of committing a crime. The case is the first conviction under the state&#8217;s relatively new gun law, which was passed in part as a response to the horrific mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
Since the red flag law went into effect in March 2018, Florida has seized guns from over <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/crime/fl-ne-red-flag-law-review-20190921-ygedayoyybaczmpzrrsy7kssdu-story.html">2,000</a> residents of the state. But while the state has taken thousands of weapons, it has not convicted anyone for violating the law — until this week. As reported by the <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/crime/fl-ne-rpo-defiance-trial-20191206-ejkq5e6vwvbnpki4spp3jm7psy-story.html">Sun Sentinel</a>, after being charged in March 2018 under the law for refusing to hand over his firearms, Jerron Smith, 33, was convicted by a Broward Circuit court this week on charges carrying as many as five years in prison.
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&#8220;Smith was arrested in 2018, accused of shooting at a car driven by a friend with whom he was having an argument over a borrowed cellphone,&#8221; the outlet reports, noting that the victim was unhurt. In response, law enforcement officers issued a &#8220;risk protection order&#8221; requiring Smith to give up his weapons.
When the orders arrived at his home, Smith &#8220;did not fully understand how far his rights extended, or more significantly, how far they did not,&#8221; the Sun Sentinel reports. His defense lawyer, Jim Lewis, insists that Smith simply did not understand that the new law gave authorities the power to seize his weapons.
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&#8220;He never had an opportunity to understand what was going on,&#8221; said Lewis. “He thought he had a right to have an attorney present before the order was executed.&#8221;
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But prosecuting attorney Diana Chiorean maintains that Smith was clearly informed about the limits of his rights by the deputies who came to his home ordering him to hand over the weapons, an encounter, the Sun Sentinel notes, &#8220;was recorded on body cam and played back for the jury.&#8221; Chiorean also pointed out that Smith told officers unprompted that he had a concealed weapons permit, which, the prosecutor argued, demonstrates that he understands current gun laws in Florida.
Under Florida&#8217;s red flag law, once a judge approves the law enforcement-requested risk protection order, a defendant has two options: either hand the weapons over, or give them to someone else who can legally possess them and vows to keep the weapons away from the defendant.
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According to a report by <a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/08/21/752815318/florida-could-serve-as-example-for-lawmakers-considering-red-flag-laws">NPR</a>, by August 2019, Florida courts had approved nearly 2,500 risk protection orders since the red flag law went into effect in March 2018. &#8220;That&#8217;s nearly five every day, more than any other state,&#8221; NPR noted.
An early September report by <a href="https://www.politifact.com/florida/statements/2019/sep/03/dave-aronberg/explaining-how-floridas-red-flag-gun-law-works/">PolitiFact Florida</a> provided more specific numbers. Between March 2018 and July 2019, Florida judges approved 2,396 risk protection orders, including 378 in Polk County, 350 in Pinellas County, 327 in Broward County, 173 in Volusia County and 127 in Miami-Dade County.
PolitiFact explains that risk protection orders &#8220;require judges to take a different outlook than they would for a typical criminal case in which a judge is evaluating past behavior,&#8221; instead asking judges to predict a person’s future behavior — or as Broward County’s chief judge Jack Tuter put it, &#8220;whether the person is going to carry out the threat.&#8221;
The fact-check site also provides some details on how risk protection orders are secured. After law enforcement determines a person poses a risk to himself or others, an officer requests an order from the judge (formatting adjusted):
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<blockquote>A judge holds a hearing within 24 hours with the police officers who swear to the allegations. If the judge enters the temporary risk protection order, the judge will order a search of the respondent&#8217;s home to secure any firearms or ammunition. Within a couple of weeks, a judge holds a final hearing at which point a person can oppose the order. This is a civil process, so the respondent is allowed to hire a lawyer but there is no right to a court-appointed lawyer.</blockquote>
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<blockquote>Tuter estimated that in 90% of the cases, the orders are agreed to by the respondent. The order can last for up to a year and then law enforcement can seek to renew it. The person’s name is also entered into the national database to prevent federal dealers from selling the person a firearm.</blockquote>
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Gun Show

First Red Flag Conviction In Florida After Man Refuses To Give Up His Guns

A contemporary art piece titled, &#8220;The Comedian,&#8221; which sold for a staggering $120,000 at Miami&#8217;s Art Basel festival this week, is now in a different artist&#8217;s stomach, according to reports.
&#8220;The Comedian&#8221; was an &#8220;installation&#8221; meant, ostensibly, to make fun of the art world&#8217;s obsession with banal and uninspired works, according to its creator, Maurizio Cattelan, but most viewers saw it as simply a rotting banana duct taped to a wall.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/modern-art-banana-taped-to-wall-sells-for-over-100k">The Daily Wire&#8217;s Amanda Prestigiacomo</a> reported earlier this week that the piece, presented at Art Basel &#8212; the American version of the avant garde Swiss art showcase &#8212; is one of three similar pieces showcased around the world, and the arist, Cattelan, prides himself on &#8220;mocking&#8221; the rest of contemporary art with his work. The banana is a follow-up to a 2017 installation &#8212; a &#8220;golden toilet&#8221; &#8212; that sold for $6 million, but is currently missing after a shocking art heist that took place in the UK earlier this year.
On Saturday, however, another contemporary &#8220;artist&#8221; decided to make his own show of the duct-taped banana, peeling the fruit off the wall and consuming it in front of a crowd of horrified onlookers.
&#8220;The work &#8230; was ripe for the picking,&#8221; <a href="https://www.cnn.com/style/article/banana-artwork-eaten-scli-intl/index.html#">CNN reported</a>, &#8220;and on Saturday, it was unceremoniously taken off the wall at the Art Basel Miami Beach, peeled, and eaten by a performance artist, amid a crowd of stunned onlookers, some of whom posted videos of the incident.&#8221;
The second &#8220;arist,&#8221; David Datuna, posted a video of his stunt to Instagram with the caption, &#8220;I really love this installation. It&#8217;s very delicious.&#8221;
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The $150,000 banana duct-taped to the wall at Art Basel was eaten by New York-based performance artist, David Datuna.
He said it was &quot;art performance,&quot; calling it &quot;Hungry Artist.&quot; More via <a href="https://twitter.com/business?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@business</a>: <a href="https://t.co/S8bekoBxDA">https://t.co/S8bekoBxDA</a> <a href="https://t.co/4nJopgR7r4">pic.twitter.com/4nJopgR7r4</a>
&mdash; QuickTake by Bloomberg (@QuickTake) <a href="https://twitter.com/QuickTake/status/1203715672745893888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Datuna titled his &#8220;work,&#8221; &#8220;Hungry Artist.&#8221;
It took some work for Datuna to find the banana. It was removed from public display after Art Basel concluded earlier this week and relocated to a gallery. But Datuna was also given incredible leeway for his stunt. According to CNN, he actually conversed with several patrons, who were treating Datuna&#8217;s efforts with utter seriousness, as if he truly were creating a work of art before their very eyes, as Datuna peeled and consumed the banana.
Cattelan worked on his art for a year, according to a press release from the gallery where Cattelan&#8217;s banana was being exhibited for sale, and the gallery claims it has sentimental value to the artist.
&#8220;Cattelan was thinking of a sculpture that was shaped like a banana,&#8221; a statement from the gallery read. &#8220;Every time he traveled, he brought a banana with him and hung it in his hotel room to find inspiration. He made several models: first in resin, then in bronze and in painted bronze (before) finally coming back to the initial idea of a real banana.&#8221;
But fortunately for Cattelan, it seems that, unlike a bronze, resin, or even painted banana, a real banana is actually quite easy to replace though the gallery isn&#8217;t clear on whether Cattelan plans to scrap the work altogether or start over with a new crop of fruit since Cattelan left no instructions on what to do with the banana once someone paid for it. The gallery did note to CNN&#8221; that any buyer would be confronted with a similar issue  &#8212; a missing or degrading banana &#8212; when the duct-taped item started to rot.

banana art

WATCH: A Performance Artist ATE That $120,000 Banana ‘Art’ Taped To A Miami Wall

Authorities say the man responsible for a mass shooting at a naval air station in Pensacola on Friday morning is a Saudi national who was attending flight school at the base. A few hours after the shooting, which officials say they are investigating as a potential terror attack, Saudi Arabia&#8217;s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud called President Trump to disavow the suspect&#8217;s &#8220;barbaric&#8221; actions.
Just before 7 a.m. on Friday morning, a gunman (whose name is here withheld according to Daily Wire policy on naming mass shooters) opened fire in a classroom in the center of the campus of Pensacola&#8217;s Naval Air Base. The suspect wounded ten people, three of whom died, before he was shot dead by sheriff&#8217;s deputies.
Amid reports that the shooter was a Saudi national, Trump tweeted out statements on the latest developments, including his conversations with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and with Saudi Arabia&#8217;s King Salman.
&#8220;Just received a full briefing on the tragic shooting at NAS Pensacola in Florida, and spoke to [Gov. DeSantis],&#8221; Trump tweeted a few hours after the attack Friday. &#8220;My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families during this difficult time. We are continuing to monitor the situation as the investigation is ongoing.&#8221;
Trump then retweeted a post from Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz providing updates on the situation. Gaetz has been giving the public updates on the situation throughout the day, including reports that the suspect was allegedly a &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-attacker-at-florida-military-base-was-member-of-saudi-military-was-an-act-of-terrorism-congressman-says">Saudi Arabian military official</a>.&#8221;
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NAS Pensacola is a huge source of pride for all of Northwest Florida. It is the home of naval aviation. It is the home of the Blue Angels. In our home, this is who we are.
Thank you for keeping Pensacola in your hearts and in your prayers as we deal with this difficult day. <a href="https://t.co/PcvS70GcQh">pic.twitter.com/PcvS70GcQh</a>
&mdash; Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMattGaetz/status/1202987933130743814?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2019</a></blockquote>
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About two hours later, Trump posted a pair of tweets summarizing his call with King Salman, who condemned the individual who committed the heinous crime and expressed his sympathy for the victims and their families.
&#8220;King Salman of Saudi Arabia just called to express his sincere condolences and give his sympathies to the families and friends of the warriors who were killed and wounded in the attack that took place in Pensacola, Florida,&#8221; Trump wrote. &#8220;The King said that the Saudi people are greatly angered by the barbaric actions of the shooter, and that this person in no way shape or form represents the feelings of the Saudi people who love the American people.&#8221;
Along with appearing on news outlets to discuss the shooting, Rep. Gaetz posted a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-attacker-at-florida-military-base-was-member-of-saudi-military-was-an-act-of-terrorism-congressman-says">video message</a> Friday citing reports that the shooter was a Saudi Arabian military official and calling for a more thorough vetting process for officials from other countries that could similarly pose a risk to Americans.
&#8220;Major news organizations are now reporting the information that we began to learn earlier this morning that it was a Saudi Arabian military official in Pensacola, in our community for training, who committed these murderous acts and this terrible, terrible violence at NAS Pensacola,&#8221; says Gaetz in the video post (below). &#8220;I think it’s important for us to know a little bit about why Saudi Arabian officials are in our community.&#8221;
&#8220;Training is a critical part of the mission that we engage in in NAS Pensacola,&#8221; he continues. &#8220;One way that we leverage that training is to ensure that our allies around the world are capable and familiar with U.S. systems, that they’re comfortable working with U.S. officers, and that we have an interoperability in our lexicon and in the way we engage in battle.&#8221;
&#8220;This event represents a serious failure in the vetting process and in the way in which we invite these people into our community,&#8221; he asserts. &#8220;So today, as we learn more as the investigation continues to unfold … I’m going to be very active in working with the Department of Defense and the Department of State to ensure that we have extreme vetting for the people that come into our country on our bases and in our communities.&#8221;
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We&#39;re learning a Saudi Arabian military member in Pensacola committed these murders.
I&#39;m working with the <a href="https://twitter.com/DeptofDefense?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DeptofDefense</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/StateDept?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@StateDept</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/DHSgov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DHSgov</a> to ensure there&#39;s extreme vetting for people who come to our country and train on our bases. <a href="https://t.co/LUhSE6UAHO">pic.twitter.com/LUhSE6UAHO</a>
&mdash; Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMattGaetz/status/1203019241626185730?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Trump Salman

Trump Posts Update On Call With Saudi King After Saudi National Opens Fire At Pensacola Base

Saudi Arabia

Shooting

Top Democrats called for restricting Americans&#8217; constitutionally protected Second Amendment rights on Friday in response to an alleged Saudi Arabian military official opening fire and killing several people at a U.S. naval base in Florida.
Several of the 2020 Democrat presidential candidates, including a couple of the top-tier contenders, rushed to politicize the attack.
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<li>Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) <a href="https://twitter.com/ewarren/status/1202980913296089090">tweeted</a>: &#8220;Pearl Harbor. Pensacola. Not even our military bases are safe from gun violence. I&#8217;m heartsick for the victims and their families. We must end this epidemic and protect the lives of our service members.&#8221;</li>
<li>South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg <a href="https://twitter.com/PeteButtigieg/status/1202991768700100608">tweeted</a>: &#8220;While we wait for more information, my thoughts are with the victims and their families. Service members and the dedicated civilians who support them deserve nothing less than safety on American soil and communities free from gun violence. Enough.&#8221;</li>
<li>Former San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro <a href="https://twitter.com/JulianCastro/status/1203010902536138752">tweeted</a>: &#8220;Not even our military bases are safe from mass shootings. From Pearl Harbor to Pensacola, gun violence is destroying our communities. My deepest condolences to the grieving families. This can&#8217;t be the world we want our kids to grow up in. We must act.&#8221;</li>
<li>Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) tweeted: &#8220;The shooting in Pensacola has wounded several people and taken the lives of at least three victims. This is the second shooting to happen this week at a Navy base. As we learn more about the situation, there’s one thing we know: Gun violence just has to stop.&#8221;</li>
<li>Marianne Williamson, who is surprisingly still in the race, <a href="https://twitter.com/marwilliamson/status/1203003890804953088">tweeted</a>: &#8220;What will it take to wage peace? It will take outer work and it will also take inner work. It will take regulating our guns and it will also take regulating our hearts.&#8221;</li>
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In-depth profile pieces on the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates from Daily Wire Editor-at-Large Josh Hammer have previously highlighted the gun policies of the aforementioned candidates:
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<li><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/where-does-elizabeth-warren-stand-issues-heres-josh-hammer">Warren</a>:  Warren has frequently supported gun control policies that would infringe upon Americans’ Second American rights. She supports expanded background checks, limitations or bans on certain weapons and magazines that are currently in wide distribution, and supports controversial “red flag” gun legislation. Warren supports a ban on the undefinable sub-class of firearms referred to as so-called “assault weapons” — a line of thought that, if taken to its logical conclusion, could <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/42837/hammer-kamala-harriss-flirtation-banning-all-semi-josh-hammer">lead to the banning of all semi-automatic firearms in America</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/where-does-pete-buttigieg-stand-issues-heres-josh-hammer">Buttigieg</a>: Buttigieg supports “universal” background checks, thereby requiring a government intermediary for all private transfers of firearms. He is a member of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a consortium of pro-gun control mayors. Buttigieg supports a <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/buttigieg-endorses-nationwide-gun-licensing-system">national gun registry</a>, which is a longstanding policy nemesis of Second Amendment supporters. He supports banning the undefinable sub-class of firearms referred to as so-called “assault weapons” — a line of thought that, if taken to its logical conclusion, could <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/42837/hammer-kamala-harriss-flirtation-banning-all-semi-josh-hammer">lead to the banning of all semi-automatic firearms in America</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/where-does-julian-castro-stand-issues-heres-josh-hammer">Castro</a>: Castro has frequently espoused support for gun control policies that would infringe upon Americans’ Second American rights. He supports expanded background checks and limitations or bans on certain weapons and magazines that are currently in wide distribution. Castro <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/what-does-julian-castro-believe-where-the-candidate-stands-on-8-issues">supports a ban</a> on the undefinable sub-class of firearms referred to as so-called “assault weapons” — a line of thought that, if taken to its logical conclusion, could <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/42837/hammer-kamala-harriss-flirtation-banning-all-semi-josh-hammer">lead to the banning of all semi-automatic firearms in America</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/where-does-amy-klobuchar-stand-issues-heres-josh-hammer">Klobuchar</a>: Despite her representation of a largely rural state, Klobuchar has a historically poor record on Second Amendment issues. Klobuchar supports “universal” background checks, which often serve as a rhetorical euphemism for the government serving as an intermediary in all private firearms transfers. She <a href="https://amyklobuchar.com/issues/a-safer-world/">supports</a> a ban on the undefinable sub-class of firearms referred to as so-called “assault weapons” — a line of thought that, if taken to its logical conclusion, could lead to the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/42837/hammer-kamala-harriss-flirtation-banning-all-semi-josh-hammer">banning of all semi-automatic firearms in America</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/where-does-marianne-williamson-stand-issues-heres-josh-hammer">Williamson</a>: Williamson supports <a href="http://www.marianne2020.com/issues/gun-control">many policies</a> that would infringe upon Americans’ Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. She supports expanded background checks and limitations or bans on certain weapons and magazines that are currently in wide distribution. Williamson <a href="https://www.marianne2020.com/issues/gun-control">supports a ban</a> on the undefinable sub-class of firearms referred to as so-called “assault weapons” — a line of thought that, if taken to its logical conclusion, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/42837/hammer-kamala-harriss-flirtation-banning-all-semi-josh-hammer">could lead to the banning of all semi-automatic firearms in America</a>.</li>
</ul>
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) said in response to the attack that the attack was not merely murder, but &#8220;an act of terrorism.&#8221;
“If this were a murder, it would typically be investigated by NCIS … but this was not a murder,” Gaetz <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-attacker-at-florida-military-base-was-member-of-saudi-military-was-an-act-of-terrorism-congressman-says">said</a>. “This was an act of terrorism and as we speak the investigation is being handed over from the NCIS to the FBI, that is the signal that this will now be treated by our government as an act of terrorism, not a murder.”
“Major news organizations are now reporting the information that we began to learn earlier this morning that it was a Saudi Arabian military official in Pensacola, in our community for training, who committed these murderous acts and this terrible, terrible violence at NAS Pensacola,” Gaetz added. “This event represents a serious failure in the vetting process and in the way in which we invite these people into our community. So today, as we learn more as the investigation continues to unfold … I’m going to be very active in working with the Department of Defense and the Department of State to ensure that we have extreme vetting for the people that come into our country on our bases and in our communities.”

Elizabeth Warren

Democrats Call For Restricting Americans’ Freedoms After Saudi Military Official Attacks U.S. Military Base

2020 Election

Democratic Party

U.S. Navy

The news that the deceased suspect of this morning&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-active-shooter-at-pensacola-naval-air-base-at-least-5-rushed-to-hospital-shooter-confirmed-dead">horrific shooting spree</a> at Naval Air Station Pensacola was a Saudi aviation student here to <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/news/authorities-identify-pensacola-naval-base-shooter-as-saudi-national">train with the Saudi military</a> ought to serve as a wakeup call for American elected officials.
The suspect appears to have been a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-attacker-at-florida-military-base-was-member-of-saudi-military-was-an-act-of-terrorism-congressman-says">student officer</a> with the Saudi Air Force and, while it is unclear right now which U.S. visa he obtained to arrive here, an <a href="https://twitter.com/RMConservative/status/1203012127952449541">A-2 visa</a> — <a href="https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/other-visa-categories/visas-diplomats.html">described</a> by the U.S. State Department as appropriate for those &#8220;traveling to the United States on behalf of [his/her] national government to engage solely in official activities for that government&#8221; — is perhaps likely . As The Daily Wire has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-active-shooter-at-pensacola-naval-air-base-at-least-5-rushed-to-hospital-shooter-confirmed-dead">reported</a>, there are at least ten victims injured, including three dead.
There is a lot to unpack and unravel here — especially for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hammer-us-must-side-saudi-arabia-against-iranian-josh-hammer">those of us</a> who have generally encouraged closer U.S.-Saudi military ties in order to help deter the far greater Middle East terrorism threat, Iran. This developing story has many moving parts, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia ought to be prepared for a Jamal Khashoggi-level public relations blowback when even a stalwart pro-Israel/anti-Iran conservative such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has an <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCNightlyNews/status/1203029174753153025">immediate reaction</a> that the Saudi government &#8220;needs to [financially] make things better for these victims.&#8221; Indeed, it is hard to disagree with the governor.
But the focus here must be on immigration policy. As The Daily Wire&#8217;s Ryan Saavedra already <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-attacker-at-florida-military-base-was-member-of-saudi-military-was-an-act-of-terrorism-congressman-says">reported</a>, hardline conservative Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) has opined that today&#8217;s naval base tragedy &#8220;represents a serious failure in the vetting process and in the way in which we invite &#8230; people into our community.&#8221; Gaetz vowed to help &#8220;ensure that we have extreme vetting for the people that come into our country on our bases and in our communities.&#8221;
This is obviously correct. And it is important that this, and not a short-sighted hard diplomatic pivot away from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman at a time when the uniquely evil Iranian regime is yet again on the proverbial ropes and facing an increasingly restive population, become the preeminent takeaway from today&#8217;s horrific incident.
Why, as I <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hammer-never-forget-911-we-need-rethink-how-we-josh-hammer">lamented</a> on the most recent anniversary of the 9/11 jihadist attacks, has the U.S. continued to implement an exceedingly generous and lax immigration policy for prospective immigrants from the broader Islamic world? While there will always be dispensations for legal immigration from the Islamic world, why are we not starting from a default baseline level of effectively zero? Our much-ballyhooed &#8220;vetting&#8221; procedures are oftentimes, as was tragically the case today, revealed to be exceedingly inadequate. But hey, in fairness, <a href="https://twitter.com/josh_hammer/status/1203010783958982657">how would we ever have known</a> to keep a close eye on Saudi aviation students? It&#8217;s not like we&#8217;ve had <a href="https://twitter.com/Sultanknish/status/1203014470525542400">previous noteworthy incidents</a>, right?
Policymakers ought to heed the unassailable wisdom of the <a href="https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1213676/m1/6/?q=cornerstone">9/11 Commission Report</a>: &#8220;It is perhaps obvious to state that terrorists cannot plan and carry out attacks in the United States if they are unable to enter the country.&#8221; Heck, does anyone even remember that 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, according to former CIA contractor James Mitchell, <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/307362-9-11-mastermind-al-qaeda-to-use-immigration-to-end-us">allegedly believes</a> that &#8220;the &#8216;practical&#8217; way to defeat America [is] through immigration?&#8221;
Immigration policy is national security policy. And that extends to both illegal immigration and legal immigration. Our policymakers ought to not forget that.

US visa, vintage map and passport background

HAMMER: REMINDER: Immigration Policy IS National Security Policy

Immigration

Matt Gaetz

Muslim Immigration

National Security

Radical Islam

Radical Islamic Terror

Ron DeSantis

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) said on Friday that the individual who opened fire at Naval Air Station Pensacola was a member of the Saudi military and that the attack &#8220;was an act of terrorism.&#8221;
The foreign national attacker killed at least <a href="https://www.pnj.com/story/news/2019/12/06/breaking-active-shooter-reported-base-nas-pensacola/4351773002/">three</a> people and injured several others who were sent to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Gaetz responded to the attack by calling for &#8220;extreme vetting&#8221; of those who are allowed into the United States and who train at U.S. military bases.
&#8220;Major news organizations are now reporting the information that we began to learn earlier this morning that it was a Saudi Arabian military official in Pensacola, in our community for training, who committed these murderous acts and this terrible, terrible violence at NAS Pensacola,&#8221; Gaetz said. &#8220;I think it&#8217;s important for us to know a little bit about why Saudi Arabian officials are in our community.&#8221;
&#8220;Training is a critical part of the mission that we engage in in NAS Pensacola,&#8221; Gaetz continued. &#8220;One way that we leverage that training is to ensure that our allies around the world are capable and familiar with U.S. systems, that they&#8217;re comfortable working with U.S. officers, and that we have an interoperability in our lexicon and in the way we engage in battle.&#8221;
&#8220;This event represents a serious failure in the vetting process and in the way in which we invite these people into our community,&#8221; Gaetz continued. &#8220;So today, as we learn more as the investigation continues to unfold &#8230; I&#8217;m going to be very active in working with the Department of Defense and the Department of State to ensure that we have extreme vetting for the people that come into our country on our bases and in our communities.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
We&#39;re learning a Saudi Arabian military member in Pensacola committed these murders.
I&#39;m working with the <a href="https://twitter.com/DeptofDefense?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DeptofDefense</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/StateDept?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@StateDept</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/DHSgov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DHSgov</a> to ensure there&#39;s extreme vetting for people who come to our country and train on our bases. <a href="https://t.co/LUhSE6UAHO">pic.twitter.com/LUhSE6UAHO</a>
&mdash; Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMattGaetz/status/1203019241626185730?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2019</a></blockquote>
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In a subsequent tweet that featured a video of Gaetz appearing on CNN, Gaetz wrote: &#8220;This was not a murder. This was an act of terrorism.&#8221;
&#8220;If this were a murder, it would typically be investigated by NCIS &#8230; but this was not a murder,&#8221; Gaetz said. &#8220;This was an act of terrorism and as we speak the investigation is being handed over from the NCIS to the FBI, that is the signal that this will now be treated by our government as an act of terrorism, not a murder.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This was not a murder. This was an act of terrorism. <a href="https://t.co/AJfTQOOE68">pic.twitter.com/AJfTQOOE68</a>
&mdash; Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMattGaetz/status/1203025382632546305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The U.S. Navy confirmed on Twitter that the attacker, who was an aviation student, is dead.
Heavy.com <a href="https://heavy.com/news/2019/12/mohammed-saeed-alshamrani/">noted</a> some of the history surrounding the military base, with respect to past incidents involving terrorism:
<blockquote>In the aftermath of the attacks on 9/11, Newsweek reported that three of the hijackers had the addresses on their driver’s licenses listed as being at NAS Pensacola. The article notes that Naval Air Station Pensacola is known as the “Cradle of U.S. Navy Aviation.”
The Navy Times reported in February 2016 that NAS Pensacola officials had increased security measures at the base, after the base had been known was “unusually open” for years.
The Pensacola News Journal reported in September 2019 the “new, top-secret classrooms” had been built on the base to counteract the threat caused by cyber terrorism.</blockquote>
UPDATE: This report has been updated to accurately state that the alleged attacker killed three individuals, not four. The fourth person who was killed was the alleged attacker.

Shooting On Naval Air Station Pensacola Leaves Multiple Dead And Injured

Attacker At Florida Military Base Was Member Of Saudi Military, ‘Was An Act Of Terrorism,’ Congressman Says

A piece of modern art featured at a Miami gallery that merely consisted of a banana duct-taped to a wall just sold for a stunning $120,000.
According to a <a href="https://miami.cbslocal.com/2019/12/06/banana-duct-taped-to-wall-maurizio-cattelan-sells-for-120k-at-art-basel/">CBS affiliate</a> in Miami, the piece, called &#8220;The Comedian,&#8221; was created by artist Maurizio Cattelan. It was presented at the 2019 Art Basel fair.
“You can do anything and once you’re established you can get away with it,&#8221; art enthusiast Weezie Chandler told the outlet.
The banana art apparently &#8220;represents the art world and its gaping wealth inequalities,&#8221; said CBS.
“It’s mocking the art world,&#8221; another art enthusiast claimed. &#8220;That’s what Maurizio Cattelan does.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Banana art piece fetches staggering amount of money at Miami’s Art Basel.<a href="https://twitter.com/HarrySmith?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HarrySmith</a> has the story. <a href="https://t.co/odcFbKuggp">pic.twitter.com/odcFbKuggp</a>
&mdash; NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt (@NBCNightlyNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBCNightlyNews/status/1202799826469044225?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Art has, uh, really progressed in theses modern times. In 2013, for example, modern performance art called &#8220;Art School Stole My Virginity&#8221; featured audience members &#8220;penetrating&#8221; the artist&#8217;s mouth with a banana.
&#8220;The 120 audience members didn’t end up watching [Clayton David Pettet] engaged in his first &#8216;sexual&#8217; experience; instead, they were asked to <a href="http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/19437/1/clayton-pettet-art-school-stole-my-virginity-what-actually-happened-interview" target="_hplink" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-ylk="subsec:paragraph;cpos:38;elm:context_link;itc:0" data-rapid-parsed="slk">&#8216;penetrate&#8217; the artist’s mouth with a banana</a>,&#8221; <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/worst-performance-art_n_5512731">The Huffington Post</a> reported.
“I think if people were expecting something else, it shows what they really wanted,” Pettet told Dazed Digital. “They didn’t want an art piece, they wanted to see me have sex. If they came for the art, they wouldn’t be as disappointed — they’d know there were things to read between the lines for.”
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According to The Huffington Post, Pettet, then a 19-year-old from Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design, initially announced that he was going to &#8220;have sex with an anonymous male partner&#8221; in front of audience members at a gallery. Instead, viewers of “Art School Stole My Virginity&#8221; got to shove bananas in his mouth.
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There is always the theory that Cattelan is messing with the art world, as one art viewer suggested.
In 2016, 17-year-old TJ Khayatan played the ultimate prank at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
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&#8220;Khayatan took his glasses off and placed them on the floor next to a wall as if it were an art piece to be appreciated. To his and his friends’ surprise, people actually fell for it,&#8221; <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/teenager-just-played-greatest-prank-history-art-chase-stephens">The Daily Wire</a> reported.
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LMAO WE PUT GLASSES ON THE FLOOR AT AN ART GALLERY AND&#8230; <a href="https://t.co/7TYoHPtjP8">pic.twitter.com/7TYoHPtjP8</a>
&mdash; TJ Fly (@tjohntailor) <a href="https://twitter.com/tjohntailor/status/734951316095533057?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 24, 2016</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Upon first arrival we were quite impressed with the artwork and paintings presented in the huge facility,&#8221; Khayatan told BuzzFeed. &#8220;However, some of the &#8216;art&#8217; wasn&#8217;t very surprising to some of us.&#8221;
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&#8220;We stumbled upon a stuffed animal on a gray blanket and questioned if this was really impressive to some of the nearby people,&#8221; the teen said.
Lovers of the arts fell for the prank. In multiple photos taken by Khayatan, folks inquisitively stared at the eyeglasses placed on the floor as if it were an exhibit.
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&#8220;I can agree that modern art can be a joke sometimes, but art is a way to express our own creativity,&#8221; the Bay Area teen told the outlet.
&#8220;Some may interpret it as a joke, some might find great spiritual meaning in it. At the end of the day, I see it as a pleasure for open-minded people and imaginative minds,&#8221; he added.
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Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/teenager-just-played-greatest-prank-history-art-chase-stephens">A Teenager Just Played The Greatest Prank In History on ‘Art Experts’ in San Francisco</a>

Ripe bananas on blue background, flat lay.

Modern ‘Art’: Banana Taped To Wall Sells For Over $100K

This article has been updated to include the latest information.
An individual identified as an aviation student from Saudi Arabia who opened fire at a naval air base in Pensacola, Florida, has been confirmed dead, while at least ten victims have been transported to nearby hospitals after suffering injuries related to the shooting. At least three of the shooting victims have died.
According to the <a href="https://www.pnj.com/story/news/2019/12/06/breaking-active-shooter-reported-base-nas-pensacola/4351773002/">Pensacola News Journal</a>, a spokeswoman from Escambia County Sheriff&#8217;s Office (ECSO) confirmed Friday morning that the active shooter who opened fire at Naval Air Station Pensacola is dead. &#8220;ECSO spokeswoman Amber Southard confirmed the shooter was dead just before 8 a.m. Friday,&#8221; the Journal reports.
In an update on the developing story, the <a href="https://apnews.com/1102076110d04018176b4f7f12017347">Associated Press</a> reports that a U.S. official says the suspect &#8220;was an aviation student from Saudi Arabia and authorities are investigating if the shooting was terrorism-related.&#8221; (UPDATE: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-attacker-at-florida-military-base-was-member-of-saudi-military-was-an-act-of-terrorism-congressman-says">Attacker At Florida Military Base Was Member Of Saudi Military, ‘Was An Act Of Terrorism,’ Congressman Says</a>) 
Authorities say the shooting took place in a classroom building on the base and was first reported at 6:51 a.m.
According to Sheriff David Morgan, a total of 11 people were injured, four of them, including the shooter, having died from the wounds.
A spokesperson for Baptist Hospital has confirmed that seven patients who suffered injuries related to the shooting are being treated at the hospital. Early reports that some of the victims were transported to Sacred Heart Hospital were incorrect.
&#8220;Two ECSO deputies are among those injured and are hospitalized,&#8221; the Journal reported in a 9:45 a.m. update. &#8220;One was shot in the arm and one was shot in the knee. The deputy who was shot in the knee is undergoing surgery.&#8221;
The updates follow earlier reports that at around 7:00 a.m. authorities were working to &#8220;take down&#8221; an active shooter on the base, as the Journal first reported.
&#8220;Amber Southard, spokeswoman for the ECSO, said little information is available at the moment, but shots have been fired on base and a heavy law enforcement presence is there to eliminate the threat,&#8221; the outlet reported in a 7:30 a.m. update to its original report. &#8220;Scanner traffic for Escambia County Fire and Rescue indicated 10 patients are being transported to local hospitals.&#8221;
&#8220;Three medical helicopters are in route and several military ambulances have also been seen in the area,&#8221; the Journal noted.
A spokesman for NAS Pensacola confirmed to <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/12/06/pensacola-shooter-nas-pensacola-base-locked-down-florida/4351814002/">USA Today</a> that the active shooter was reported around 7 a.m. Friday, prompting both gates to be closed and the base to go on lock down.
&#8220;The reports come two days after a <a class="gnt_ar_b_a" href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/12/04/pearl-harbor-shooting-naval-shipyard-injured-lockdown-lifted/2615172001/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-t-l="|inline|intext|n/a">U.S. Navy sailor shot three people</a>, then killed himself at Pearl Harbor,&#8221; USA Today notes.
According to NAS Pensacola&#8217;s <a href="https://www.cnic.navy.mil/Pensacola">website</a>, the base employs more than 16,000 military and 7,400 civilian personnel.
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<div class="container transparent">This is a developing story. This article has been updated to include the latest information.</div>
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Twin Engine U S Navy T 39 Sabreliner Sits On The Tarmac

UPDATES: Pensacola Naval Air Base Shooting Suspect From Saudi Arabia; Officials Investigating If Terror-Related

Newly released poll results show that Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis is wildly popular in the state as the majority of voters in all age, gender, race, and political demographics strongly approve him.
Reporter Ryan James Girdusky highlighted new poll results from New Saint Leo University, which found that DeSantis had a 68% approval rating compared to only a 20% disapproval rating.
Here is the breakdown of DeSantis&#8217; approval rating:
<ul>
<li>Republican: 87%</li>
<li>Democrat: 57%</li>
<li>Independent: 65%</li>
<li>Hispanics: 67%</li>
<li>White: 71%</li>
<li>Black: 63%</li>
<li>Male: 71%</li>
<li>Female: 66%</li>
<li>Age 18-35: 66%</li>
<li>Age 36-55: 65%</li>
<li>Age 56+: 83%</li>
</ul>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Just spoke w/ St. Leo&#39;s poll, they gave me the breakdown for the approval rating: GOP: 87% Dem: 57% Indies: 65% Hispanics: 67% White: 71% Black: 63% (!!!) Male: 71% Female: 66% 18-35: 66% 36-55: 65% 56+: 83%
&mdash; Ryan James Girdusky (@RyanGirdusky) <a href="https://twitter.com/RyanGirdusky/status/1201956843234439174?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2019</a></blockquote>
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National Review Senior Writer David Harsanyi noted this week that DeSantis is far from the outlier in terms of a Republican being wildly popular as a governor; in fact, DeSantis is not even ranked among the top-10 most popular governors in the United States — all of whom are Republicans.
&#8220;When it comes to governorships, Florida isn’t an outlier. The last time the Morning Consult poll tabulated a list of the most popular governors, the top 14 — and 18 of the top 20 — were Republicans. These Republicans govern in states that have highly diverse electorates, from Alabama to Vermont,&#8221; Harsanyi <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/if-the-republican-party-is-dying-why-are-their-governors-so-popular/">wrote</a>. &#8220;Which is weird, because this very week, progressives at the New York Times and the Atlantic were assuring us that the GOP was so reviled nationally — and its agenda so toxic to the average American — that the party has been compelled to hide from &#8216;democratic accountability.'&#8221;
DeSantis beat far-left Democrat gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum, who was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/busted-gillum-lied-accepted-tickets-undercover-fbi-ryan-saavedra">tangled up</a> in an FBI corruption investigation, in November 2018 by approximately 33,000 votes.
Last week, President Donald Trump campaigned in Florida, which is his new home state, where he was greeted by DeSantis, who also briefly spoke at the rally.
&#8220;Let me just say, Mr. President, given your change of registration, welcome home to Florida,&#8221; DeSantis <a href="https://factba.se/transcript/donald-trump-speech-kag-rally-sunrise-florida-november-26-2019">said</a>. &#8220;And why not come to Florida, we have one of the lowest tax burdens of any state in the country. You see some of these states that are going bankrupt. We have over a $5 billion in reserves with our budget, and I see some of these cities and states with lawlessness.&#8221;
&#8220;When I came into office, I was proud to sign a bill banning sanctuary cities in the state of Florida,&#8221; DeSantis continued. &#8220;With your support, we are in the process of eliminating Common Core, and as soon as I came into office, I was able to replace on our state supreme court three Liberal justices with three conservative constitutional, and I&#8217;ve got to thank the President for his support of Florida.&#8221;
DeSantis then transitioned into highlighting to Florida residents the different things that the president has done for the sunshine state.
&#8220;So, we&#8217;re really lucky in that regard in Florida, but let me tell you about the President,&#8221; DeSantis said. &#8220;When we had a hurricane hit in Northwest Florida, a lot of people had forgotten about that. Those folks were really, really in dire straits. I went up to the Oval Office and even though a lot of people told them don&#8217;t do anything, just let it go. He was right there standing behind the people of Northwest Florida.&#8221;
&#8220;He has helped rejuvenate that area. He saved Tyndall Air Force base,&#8221; DeSantis continued. &#8220;It&#8217;s going to come back bigger than ever, very important for our military. When we were trying to get Floridians access to cheaper prescription drugs, we had an avenue to let people buy them in Canada because it&#8217;s about a third of the price a lot of times, and everyone said, no, you can&#8217;t do it. You can&#8217;t do it. I went out and met with the President. He said no, no, no, we&#8217;re doing it, and so, they&#8217;re in the process of putting that through right now.&#8221;
&#8220;President Trump has stood with our communities in South Florida, Cuban-Americans, Venezuelan-Americans, stand for freedom in this hemisphere and stand against a dictatorship in places like Caracas and Havana, and the President has stood, where one of the most military and veteran-friendly states in the country,&#8221; DeSantis concluded. &#8220;He has stood by our veterans and he has stood by our military. And so, our success in Florida, obviously, we&#8217;ve got a lot of great people in this state, but we have a President who not only understands Florida, he supports what we&#8217;re doing here. I got him, bug him now about maybe locating the Space Command in Florida, at some point, I know the Air Force doesn&#8217;t want it. But you know, he makes his own decisions, as we&#8217;ve seen so. So, Thank you, Mr. President, for being a good friend to Florida, and God bless you.&#8221;

New Poll Numbers Show Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis Is A Smash Hit

I recognized that look in their eyes. It was the same look I received several times throughout my service with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in Judea and Samaria. A look that showed the trauma of years of anti-Semitic indoctrination. When I was a soldier, I understood that look. After all, these Palestinian teens in Judea and Samaria had been, throughout their entire lives, led to believe that Jews were European colonialists who had no connection to the land and had orchestrated the displacement of the Palestinian people in 1948. I could at least understand the logic behind that look.
Receiving it by nearly one hundred students in the University of Florida on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/958292104537679/">November 19th</a> completely disoriented me. A similar look, with the only difference being that it was driven by the adoption of false information about the conflict and not necessarily blatant anti-Semitism.
These students did not know me. They did not know my story, and they were definitely not interested in dialogue. Had they been interested in a discussion filled with opportunities to challenge my premises, perhaps they would have stayed and listen to my ultimate message:
We need to humanize Palestinians. The way we will humanize Palestinians is by making a very clear distinction between the people and the leadership. Then we can hold the leadership accountable for repressing its own population for decades and refusing to abandon the rejectionist attitudes towards peace with a Jewish state. An attitude that, if abandoned, could have granted the Palestinian people a state as far back as 1937 with the <a href="https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-peel-commission">Peel Commission</a>. That is what my presentation, “Why There is No Palestinian State,” sought to discuss.
As the majority of students participated in the protest and walked out of the room, nearly thirty students stayed behind, eager to find out more. Among the students who stayed were two reporters for the school’s newspaper, The Independent Alligator, and I rejoiced. I thought perhaps those who decided to walk out of the room because the content of the presentation would challenge their preconceived notions would discover that my intentions were to use objective historical truths to engage in meaningful dialogue.
The protestors decided to hold a vigil for Palestinians who had died in Gaza after Israeli air attacks during armed escalation that was recently ended by a temporary ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Had the protestors stayed for the Q&amp;A session, they would have learned about how civilians in Gaza are used as human shields. They would have learned that Israeli airstrikes only served as a form of retaliation against a terrorist organization that was targeting Israeli civilians indiscriminately with a barrage of over 350 <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-hits-islamic-jihad-launchpads-as-over-200-rockets-fired-into-israel/">rockets</a>.
But the role of the Palestinian leadership as an obstacle to peace is an inconvenient truth.
I offered the reporters a full interview after my speaking engagement. I answered all their questions with the outmost transparency; after all, they were professional enough to stay throughout my entire presentation and listen to what I had come to say. I was questioned about my experience in the army and the message I sought to leave the audience with my presentation. After a long night, I returned to my hotel and woke up early the next morning to see the article: “Hundreds protest Israel Defense Forces speaker at Little Hall Tuesday night,” <a href="https://www.alligator.org/news/hundreds-protest-israel-defense-forces-speaker-at-little-hall-tuesday/article_c8698c78-0b4a-11ea-92d7-e7720dcad3b9.html">published</a>. The title, blatantly inaccurate, set the tone for a piece of writing that violated basic journalistic ethical norms. Not only were my quotes largely ignored or cut in half, but the article was dedicated to quoting the students who decided to storm out of the room without hearing a word out of my mouth.
Twelve thousand dollars. That is the average amount paid by students at the University of Florida for <a href="https://www.ufl.edu/">tuition</a> after financial aid is applied. Nearing $50,000 per bachelor’s degree, one has to wonder — what type of education are the students who walked out interested in receiving? Do they want to remain in a social bubble that will continue to serve as an echo chamber for all their preconceived notions — even if they are erroneous?
More importantly, did the newspaper achieve its purpose of shedding light unto a story or did it perpetuate darkness and ignorance by refusing to publish the content of the presentation they had come to hear? The authors of this horrendous article not only failed to uphold journalistic ethics, but they also failed their own student body.
Towards the end of my interview with The Independent Alligator, I was asked:
“What message would you like to give to all those students who walked out in the protest?”
Despite the clear attempts to silence my message, I will answer that question now.
My message to the nearly one hundred students — not hundreds, as it was inaccurately described by the paper — who walked out is simple:
If you are planning to go into debt for at least five to ten years after you complete your undergraduate education, at least have the courage to challenge your own positions. Your conviction was not proven by your decision to preemptively exit the room before I began speaking; rather, it would have been proven if your positions would have remained the same after hearing everything I came to say.
I would hope that the school’s administration might consider the negative implications of this protest and take this as an opportunity to encourage its students to accept the principal factor guiding all of academia: Open-mindedness.
&nbsp;
<a style="font-style: italic;" href="https://yonimichanie.org">Yoni Michanie</a> is a former IDF Paratrooper and has a MA in Diplomacy and International Security from IDC Hertzeliya. He is an Israel advocate, public speaker, Middle East analyst, and is campus advisor and strategic planner for the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (CAMERA).

Florida Gators logo

MICHANIE: I Was Just Protested At The University Of Florida For Being A Zionist

First Amendment

Free Speech

Israel

Israel Defense Forces (IDF)

Palestinians

Protest

Students for Justice in Palestine

Everyone knows about that big impeachment thing going on in Washington, D.C., but there&#8217;s another presidential impeachment looming at &#8230; the University of Florida?
&#8220;The student body president of the University of Florida is facing impeachment calls for alleged misuse of funds to bring Donald Trump Jr. and presidential campaign adviser Kimberly Guilfoyle to campus last month, according to reports,&#8221; the <a href="https://nypost.com/2019/11/13/university-of-florida-student-president-faces-impeachment-after-funding-trump-jr-s-visit/">New York Post</a> reports.
The student president, Michael C. Murphy, was served with a formal <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/6547791-Michael-Murphy-Impeachment-Resolution.html">impeachment resolution</a> on Tuesday, signed by more than 100 students and alumni. The resolution says that in this year&#8217;s fall session, Murphy &#8220;colluded with Trump Victory National Financial Consultant Caroline Wren to expend $50,000 of mandatory student fees to further enrich Donald Trump, Jr., and Kimberly Guilfoyle through the ACCENT Speakers Bureau.&#8221;
&#8220;By using student fees to advance his own expressed political beliefs at the expense of the … Student Government writ large, Mr. Murphy not only endangered students marginalized by the speakers’ white nationalist supporters, but also abused his power to advance a particular political party at the expense of the students he should represent,&#8221; the impeachment resolution states.
President Trump&#8217;s oldest son and girlfriend Guilfoyle visited the Gainesville campus on October 10.
&#8220;Questions have been raised about the legality of the visit, as Murphy agreed to pay the pair $50,000 in publicly funded student activity fees and the law says public funds cannot be used to support political campaigns,&#8221; the <a href="https://www.tampabay.com/news/education/2019/11/12/uf-student-president-faces-impeachment-threat-over-trump-jr-visit/">Tampa Bay Times</a> wrote.
&#8220;[A]n email surfaced, as first reported by UF’s independent student newspaper, The Alligator, showing Murphy worked to set up the event with Caroline Wren, national finance consultant for Trump Victory, a fundraising committee for the president’s campaign,&#8221; the paper wrote.
<blockquote>Wren declined to be interviewed for this story, instead releasing a statement that she met Murphy for the first time in the summer, &#8220;when he expressed interest in bringing Donald Trump Jr. to campus.&#8221;
“I followed up with him via my private email in my personal capacity and mistakenly forgot to remove my Trump Victory signature,” she wrote. “After an initial call to discuss a potential visit, University of Florida representatives were connected to Donald Trump Jr’s office.”</blockquote>
Murphy, though, told the student newspaper that because the visit by Trump Jr. and Guilfoyle was not an official campaign stop, it did not violate university rules.
Henry Fair, head of the ACCENT Speakers Bureau, an arm of the student government, also told <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/florida-students-object-as-trump-jr-speaks-on-campus--for-a-50000-fee/2019/10/10/4a123a88-eb82-11e9-85c0-85a098e47b37_story.html?tid=lk_inline_manual_15" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Washington Post</a> last month that “this event is a campus speaking engagement, not a campaign event.”
But the Times quoted one student body senator saying the event was political.
<blockquote>“Public records show that Michael Murphy colluded with a member of the Donald Trump campaign,” student senator Ben Lima said during a student government meeting last week. Lima is leading the impeachment charge.
“If this was not a campaign event, then why was the student body president in communication with the Trump campaign to bring these speakers to campus?” he asked.</blockquote>
Student senators will soon vote on his impeachment. &#8220;If at least two-thirds of the group votes in favor,&#8221; The Times wrote, &#8220;Murphy will be immediately suspended. Then the other half of the senate will take a final vote on whether to permanently remove him from office.&#8221;

Trump Jr. Guilfoyle

Student Body President Faces Impeachment For Bringing Trump Jr. To College Campus

Impeachment

Business owner Irina Vilariño, an immigrant who fled communist Cuba with her family as a young girl, has launched a Republican bid for the U.S. House of Representatives in Florida’s 26th District, saying that she was inspired to run after seeing that &#8220;the same policies that wrecked my world in Cuba were beginning to take hold in the Democrat Party.&#8221;
In an exclusive interview with The Daily Wire, Vilariño highlighted the issues that she cares about the most and what she sees in the Democrat Party that reminds her of communist Cuba.
Vilariño, 43, is the co-owner of Las Vegas Cuban Cuisine restaurants, the first of which &#8220;opened in 1984 in Hollywood after her family fled Cuba, and at least a dozen locations are now spread around South Florida,&#8221; The Miami Herald reported.
Members of Vilariño&#8217;s family, including her father, were locked up as political prisoners in communist Cuba and, at just 4-years-old, Vilariño and her family arrived in Florida during the Mariel Boatlift, an event where a large number of Cubans escaped to the U.S. during 1980.
&#8220;My grandparents emigrated to Cuba from Spain to escape socialism. My parents came to the United States from Cuba to escape communism,&#8221; Vilariño said. &#8220;If we don’t fight to preserve our freedoms here, there is no place left in the world for my daughter to go. We must preserve the American Dream. This is the cause that will define the success of our generation, and I urge you to join with me on this mission.&#8221;
Vilariño <a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/elections/house/FL/26/2020/">raised</a> more than three times more than the next highest Republican candidate for the seat, bringing in over $370,000 during the first few months of her candidacy.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Irina is one of us and will fight for us, not the special interests that are looking to advance their own agendas. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/irinaforcongress?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#irinaforcongress</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/yovotoporirina?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#yovotoporirina</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Republican?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Republican</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Woman?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Woman</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hispanic?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Hispanic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Latina?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Latina</a> <a href="https://t.co/190Hhp3EhU">https://t.co/190Hhp3EhU</a>
— Irina Vilariño (@irinavilarino) <a href="https://twitter.com/irinavilarino/status/1167922803686830080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 31, 2019</a></blockquote>
Vilariño has made numerous media appearances prior to announcing her run for Congress and was featured at the White House in September 2018 for Hispanic Heritage Month, where she charmed President Donald Trump.
Vilariño is challenging freshman Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D-FL), who has voted with socialist Democratic Reps. <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/M001207-debbie-mucarsel-powell/compare-votes/O000172-alexandria-ocasio-cortez/116">Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez</a> (NY) and <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/represent/members/M001207-debbie-mucarsel-powell/compare-votes/O000173-ilhan-omar/116">Ilhan Omar</a> (MN) 95% of the time while in Congress.
Mucarsel-Powell knocked off Republican Rep. Carlos Curbelo in 2018, who was viewed by many Republicans as being weak and ineffective.
&#8220;Vilariño — a party loyalist with a sharp-tongued presence on social media — provides an interesting contrast with Curbelo, who frequently broke with Trump and often kept the president at a distance while representing a district that is both majority-Hispanic and left-leaning,&#8221; The Miami Herald added. &#8220;After Curbelo lost, Trump mocked him during a press conference and blamed his loss on his reluctance to embrace the president.&#8221;
The Daily Wire&#8217;s exclusive interview with Vilariño is featured below:
1. What inspired you to get into politics?
My family and I arrived to the U.S. when I was 4 years of age. My father and uncle had both been political prisoners in Cuba. For much of my adult life, I somewhat felt that politics in the U.S. were on some sort of autopilot. However, during the McCain-Obama election I saw a division and a radicalized rhetoric that started to change the United States. I began to fear that the same policies that wrecked my world in Cuba were beginning to take hold in the Democrat Party here. That is what compelled me to get involved in politics and take a more active role. I believe the best thing that I can bring to the process is perspective. I am an America that loves freedom, and I want to see it preserved for future generations.
2. As a person who fled communist Cuba and who knows firsthand the horrors of communism, do you see any similarities between the Democrat Party and the oppressive regime that you escaped?
The Democrat Party is [not a communist party]; however, the trend toward socialism and repressive policies embraced by the Democrats is a starting point, and I am deeply concerned about it. If there is any similarity, it’s in the smear tactics to scare and silence those that oppose and obstruct their path to power.
3. With the rise of socialism in the Democrat Party, are you also concerned about the Democrats’ continued push to curtail the freedoms of U.S. citizens?
Of course. Even in the name of good policy, any time we look to government to intrude itself, we lose freedom.
4. What do you say to other Latinos who listen to publications like CNN and believe that the president is racist and that enforcing immigration law and securing the border is racist?
Securing the border and embracing a policy of national self-defense is not racist. It is what is expected of any government.
5. Are you a Trump supporter? If so, can you explain what about the president you support?
I am my own person, but I support the President and his policies. I am for any president that promotes American exceptionalism, prosperity and individual liberties. He has done a good job of taking on the Washington establishment and of implementing free market policies that have revitalized our economy.
6. Why should minorities vote Republican and how should the party reach out to them?
To me the Republican Party encompasses the values of the country we aspired to live in when we fled communism: personal accountability, order, respect, justice, and freedom from an encroaching government. We should represent love of family, respect for the individual and the American dream and with that prosperity and stability.
7. Why should younger voters vote Republican and what are you going to do to reach them?
My family and I are a testament to what the individual can accomplish in a country that promotes personal accountability and freedoms versus government intrusion and entitlement. Upward mobility is only possible when we have a transparency and true public servants, not a top-heavy government and bureaucrats.
8. How should the GOP respond to some of the issues, like healthcare and student debt, that Democrats propose addressing with socialist policies?
There is a saying that socialist governments work only so long as there is enough of other people’s money to pay for everything. We are $22 trillion in debt. More free giveaways are going to bankrupt the country and empower our foreign enemies. We need to lower the cost of healthcare and pharmaceuticals. It is abusive that a pill that costs $15 elsewhere costs an American hundreds of dollars.
9. How should Republicans respond to the Democrats becoming the party of identity politics?
By calling it out for what it is. Democrats want to divide us by the color of our skin. Republicans want to unite us by the colors of our flag. All of us should want the best for our country and want only from our country the freedom to pursue our dreams.
10. What do you view as the greatest threat the United States both from a foreign and a domestic standpoint?
Right now, the single biggest threat to our existence is our national debt. We must get serious about cutting up the federal credit card. The very idea that the Democrats want to put us into more debt is one of the most anti-American, un-patriotic policy proposals that I can think of. Our middle class has to continue being the largest economic bloc to ensure our political stability and viability well into the future.
11. If elected, what do you hope to accomplish with respect to policy?
We must stop the over-spending. We need to be honest with our constituents and create awareness of the issues that are threatening our republic, institutionalized corruption being at the forefront. If I can be a part of the leadership team to achieve this, I will feel that my term of service is worthwhile.
12. The Democrat Party, with the help of the media, have really taken control of the narrative surrounding climate change. Many Republicans in your state, Florida, care about addressing climate issues. How does the Republican Party start to win over people who are concerned about the climate?
We are all concerned about our quality of life and about preserving our environment. I believe that we are already in the driver’s seat in many ways on this issue as our Governor Ron DeSantis has taken great steps to outline an aggressive agenda for water preservation, and I will be happy to be an advocate for him in Congress. The environment is a human issue not a political one.
13. A lot of the narrative surrounding the climate has come from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and her proposed “Green New Deal,” which her former chief-of-staff even admitted was about implementing socialism. The “Green New Deal” is a socialist vision that the Democrat Party is trying to sell to America. How do you counter that? What is your vision for America?
The Green New Deal would be an economic wrecking ball for America. It is impractical and subjects our consumers and small businesses to financial penalties beyond their capacity. I will expose these bogus social[ist programs for what they are].
14. What do you believe is the cause of the increasing political polarization in the U.S. and how do you plan on helping to unite the country?
We need to unite the country around universal truths and around our common belief in God and the American Dream. Government will never be able to solve every ill, but people standing together can solve anything. Many on the Left look for any problem in America to demonize our success and prosperity. We need to start looking at our prosperity compared to the rest of the world and think of ways to protect the freedom and free markets that have created more prosperity and opportunity for more people than at any time in the history of the world. Both parties need to do what is right by the country and not by special interests. People need to have a fair chance without have the deck stacked against them.
15. What are your thoughts on Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) and the rise of anti-Semitism in the Democrat Party?
This is tragic, and more importantly, my opponent Debbie Murcasel-Powell has done nothing to condemn this new wave of radical anti-Semitism, and she should pay an electoral price for it.
16. In what areas do you think your opponent Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (D-FL) is weak and has she let your district down?
She has embraced the rise of radical socialism in her own party, been the lap-dog for Nancy Pelosi, and had her campaign funded by Washington insiders and special interests. She represents her party ideology instead of working in unity to bring about positive results for our community and country as a whole.
17. What are the top three issues for voters in your district and how do you plan on addressing those issues? What issues are the most important to you?
My top three issues are the national debt, healthcare, and our environment. The most important, I feel, is the national debt because if we do not address that, there will not be enough financial resources in the world to deal with the other two issues. Strengthening the middle class is a priority. If Americans don’t feel they can make ends meet that allows socialists to tout their entitlement agenda. Once people get on that train it will be too difficult for them to get off of it.
19. What areas of the Republican Party’s platform do you think needs to be addressed, and/or changed?
The Republican Party platform for 2020 is probably in its earliest drafting phase. The last one from 2016 was a great outline of what we hoped to achieve. I am happy that we have been able to deliver on tax cuts and increased funding for our national defenses. However, there is still much work to be done.
20. What do you hope to inspire in other elected officials and future leaders to help make America a better place?
A greater sense of appreciation for this land of the free because of the brave. We can never forget those that gave their lives to free other countries from the peril of socialism and to maintain our independence and freedom. We must above all continue to be a grateful national. With our story as a family and community, I hope to remind Americans what the alternative looks like.
21. How has being a successful business owner prepared you for running for Congress?
It has helped me understand what people are dealing with in their personal lives every day. Another insider deal, another government lobbying team, and another big government idea is not going to help them. What will help them is if we let them keep more of their hard-earned money and keep government out of their way.
22. When you are not working, what do you do for fun?
When you have your own business you don’t get a lot of free time so I value spending time with family. My daughter is my priority. That’s my hobby.

Irina Vilarino

Cuban Business Owner Who Fled Communist Cuba Launches GOP Congressional Bid, Dominates GOP Primary Field In Fundraising

Cuba

Irina Vilariño

Republican Party

When Francis Scott Key emerged from the hold of the HMS Minden the morning after the bombardment of Fort McHenry, he made an appropriate decision that would impact our history down to today. Seeing “Old Glory” wave atop the battle-tested fort moved him to pen what we know today as the “Star Spangled Banner.”
Since then, the National Anthem stirs our hearts with patriotism, signals the start to ball games, and moves grizzled veterans to tears. It’s also the source of our National Motto, something not everyone thinks is appropriate.
Key felt the weight of the historical moment. It was the War of 1812 — what some call our “Second War for Independence.” The fledgling nation that would become an international superpower faced off for the second time in fifty years against the superpower that would become its eventual ally in freedom. But all was not certain the night Key spent aboard the HMS Minden.
Seeing the “dawn’s early light” against what “so proudly we hailed at twilight’s last gleaming” must have produced confidence that this experiment in democracy might just work. Years later, the nation would grab an oft-forgotten line from the fourth verse of that hymn, adapting, and then adopting, it officially as our National Motto: “And this be our Motto: ‘In God is our trust.’”
Imagine how certain Key must’ve been to write those words? A young nation, having fought for its independence, weathered multiple Constitutional Conventions, and seen the election of at least three presidents, was divided and uncertain over a great many things, but united in the thought that the freedom to do right must be grounded in acknowledging trust in God.
It was wholly appropriate. King George had overstepped. His many “injuries and usurpations” painted an unflattering picture that King George’s government believed it possessed the rights and privileges of citizenship. Our Declaration said otherwise, locating the giver of our freedoms — our “certain unalienable rights” — in the hands of humanity’s Creator.
So it is appropriate for the nation to not only have “In God We Trust” as our motto, but to display it: On coins, bills, and buildings. The state of Georgia displays it on its state flag. Recently, several states have mandated the display of the mottos in the schools, perhaps sensing a need to remind the next generation of its enduring truth. The state of Florida officially adopted “In God We Trust” as the state’s motto.
It should be entirely unsurprising and, therefore, fully appropriate that a state official would cause the motto of both a state and country to be displayed on his department’s vehicles.
That is precisely the thinking of <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/florida-sheriff-god-atheist-complain">Sheriff Wayne Ivey</a> of Brevard County, Florida. His cruisers now include the motto. He joins a growing number of law enforcement vehicles around the country proudly displaying Key’s adapted phrase.
But one group sent a letter to Sheriff Ivey attempting to bully him into reversing his decision. Why? Because the display of the national (and state) motto is, they said, “inappropriate.”
Appropriateness is all they could possibly cite in their vain attempt to question Ivey’s decision because both our history and the law is stacked against them. The Supreme Court of the United States has rejected every challenge to the National Motto sent its way, including one this past June. Every federal appellate court to have heard a challenge to the constitutionality of “In God We Trust” has agreed that the phrase is consistent with our longstanding history and tradition.
That history and tradition, Justice Samuel Alito wrote earlier this year in The American Legion v. AHA, “begun by the First Congress stands out as an example of respect and tolerance for differing views, an honest endeavor to achieve inclusivity and nondiscrimination, and a recognition of the important role that religion plays in the lives of many Americans.”
That seems to be what Francis Scott Key had in mind in Baltimore harbor. Rather than fight against such a history and tradition, perhaps those that find the motto to be “inappropriate” might follow the example of the First Congress in showing “respect and tolerance.”
That seems appropriate to me.
&nbsp;
Jeremy Dys (@JeremyDys) is Special Counsel for Litigation and Communications for First Liberty Institute, a non-profit law firm dedicated to defending religious freedom for all Americans. Read more at <a href="https://firstliberty.org">FirstLiberty.org</a>.

American flag wood

DYS: Display Of National Motto More Appropriate Than Ever

A college in Florida had an interesting idea: build a replica of a segment of the infamous Berlin Wall that separated East and West Germany for 44 years. The wall was scheduled to be destroyed with sledgehammers by students on Friday to mark the 30th anniversary of the fall of the actual Berlin Wall.
But the professor who organized the project at New College in Florida, Lauren Hansen, apparently has another message she also wants to impart. According to <a href="https://www.sarasotamagazine.com/articles/2019/11/7/remembering-the-berlin-wall">Sarasota Magazine</a>, she wants the fall of the wall to represent “national and international experiences of separating groups of people, cities and countries.”
Hansen stated about the replica wall, “It has become a place where students and faculty from the entire university can come to discuss borders and the divisiveness we encounter today in the U.S. and other parts of the world.”
Sarasota Magazine reported:
<blockquote>The project was organized by professor Lauren Hansen, who is currently teaching a course called The Berlin Wall in German Literature and Film. In January, Hansen led an independent study about the portrayal of the Berlin Wall in German literature, and the idea for the replica wall was created by her small group of students. While other universities have created replica walls in the past, New College students also reenacted historical speeches, presented film screenings, and held graffiti sessions and poster presentation sessions. Creating the wall also turned into a timely project about national and international experiences of separating groups of people, cities and countries, notes Hansen.</blockquote>
The replica stands eight feet tall and 16 feet wide and was placed so that students would be forced to walk around it to get to class. As radio host Rod Thomson <a href="https://therevolutionaryact.com/mangling-truth-berlin-wall/">cogently noted </a>regarding the college&#8217;s project:
<blockquote>Germany was formally divided in 1949 and the wall went up in 1961. The East German communist party never had popular support, distrusted its citizens and ruled with an iron fist. Refugees left East Germany for economic and political reasons, causing a brain drain. In the intervening years, more than 3 million East Germans “voted with their feet” by moving to West Germany.
To equate that wall to our border wall would have meant the West Germans would have put up the Berlin Wall to keep the East Germans out. But it was the East Germans who did so, to stem the flow out of East Berlin. There’s a fundamental difference between a wall that locks people in like a prison wall and the Berlin Wall, and a wall that protects and establishes legal borders, such as movie theaters, sporting events, Disney and national borders.</blockquote>
The New College of Florida states on its <a href="https://news.ncf.edu/news/with-public-event-new-college-students-will-commemorate-the-fall-of-the-berlin-wall/">website</a>:
<blockquote>New College of Florida has educated intellectually curious students for lives of great achievement since its founding in 1960. As the State of Florida’s designated honors college, New College provides an exceptional education that transforms students’ intellectual curiosity into personal accomplishment. The 110-acre campus on Sarasota Bay is home to more than 800 students and 80 full-time faculty engaged in interdisciplinary research and collaborative learning.</blockquote>

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