250 years ago today, future president John Adams declared this was “one of the happiest Days of” his life. As he <a href="https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/01-02-02-0004-0006" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recorded in his journal:</a>
<blockquote>&#8220;This was one of the happiest Days of my Life. In Congress We had generous, noble Sentiments, and manly Eloquence. This Day convinced me that America will support the Massachusetts or perish with her.&#8221;</blockquote>
Why so happy? Because the First Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia and composed of respected Virginians like George Washington and Patrick Henry and Massachusetts natives Sam and John Adams, had endorsed the <a href="https://www.masshist.org/database/viewer.php?item_id=696&amp;img_step=1&amp;pid=2&amp;mode=transcript#page1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Suffolk Resolves</a>, a series of 19 resolutions written by defiant colonists from Boston’s surrounding counties.
Why was this so monumental?
In one sense, the Suffolk Resolves were not unique. Other localities throughout the colonies issued similar statements of resistance. American colonists had long governed themselves through their own institutions, assemblies, and charters. They resented Britain’s creeping interference and were preparing, as they would in the Declaration of Independence, to present to a “candid world” the principles of a new nation. And yet the Resolves stand out as a refined version of widespread conversations that had been occurring in the colonies about political principles and was an intellectual precursor to the Declaration.
The Declaration itself encapsulates the principles most central to the American national character. It did not spring suddenly from the singular pen of Thomas Jefferson. As <a href="https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Jefferson/98-01-02-5212" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jefferson himself wrote</a>, it was “an expression of the [A]merican mind,” and its “authority rests then on the harmonising sentiments of the day.” In voting to draft, finalize, and pass the Declaration, participants in various committees and associations, like the Committee of Five and the Continental Congress, had to come to an agreement. All told, the members of the conventions, committees, Congress, and the colonies achieved a consensus in “more than fifty separate instances at a minimum” as Dr. Danielle Allen demonstrates in &#8220;Our Declaration.&#8221;
Such a consensus was possible because, prior to the Declaration’s issuance, the American people had deliberated and united around a set of moral and political maxims. They did so in and through church pews, pulpits, and pamphlets. In a 1638 sermon, Reverend Thomas Hooker, who founded the colony of Connecticut, declared that “<a href="https://connecticuthistory.org/the-free-consent-of-the-people-thomas-hooker-and-the-fundamental-orders/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the foundation of authority is laid, firstly, in the free consent of the people</a>.”
Religious institutions were gathering places for the 70-80 percent of colonists who attended service on a regular basis, according to &#8220;We Still Hold These Truths&#8221; by Dr. Matthew Spalding. Likewise, Thomas Paine’s &#8220;Common Sense,&#8221; published in the early months of 1776, sold approximately 500,000 copies when the population was just four million.
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Public documents were a means of disseminating and discussing the ideas America would be dedicated to upholding. The Suffolk Resolves made clear that the actions of the British were not mere violations of man-made laws. Reaching back to first principles, Americans contended that infringements on the right of representation and self-government were, “gross Infractions of those Rights to which we are justly entitled by the Laws of Nature, the British Constitution, and the Charter of the Province.” Violations by the British of the laws of nature were the ultimate grounds for separation.
Natural laws are not about the physical laws of the universe, like gravity, but the moral laws that human beings do not author and cannot themselves change. For example, murder is and has always been wrong, despite it occurring in all human societies, and it would remain immoral even if Congress passed a law to make it legal.
Human beings have inherent equal dignity, a principle that is interwoven through America’s documents leading up to the Revolution and is resoundingly affirmed in the Declaration of Independence. Nine of the early state constitutions contained expressions of human equality in some form, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Political-Theory-American-Founding-Conditions/dp/1316506037/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2H20U7BN7TC4J&amp;dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.6qtc2rDHt-eUAnvUNOWGcHoydmfDDWYvpVCEfsosvd0EIwzTqv-kOfaQ2wvE-5-nivfxK_gCKiOydGmsvehF9Axk0jevsI92E_SVXYrSLJUYNZe3XhWYq_STdhR2rS39tf6XIAg2YjNKFwciDl3hhwOw1EZz9fff6X07sToEIl3o4L-5HKnbL19VO7vzSMmJwDDkHKzseLZQyv7OS9e7us9WCCeQH8xqMxjINBMzx6g.iz2h0xgI27hDriV1LLtgh5AlgL1thYUFaB6cToR16ug&amp;dib_tag=se&amp;keywords=the+political+theory+of+the+american+founding&amp;qid=1717520575&amp;s=books&amp;sprefix=the+political+theory+of+the+american+founding%2Cstripbooks%2C100&amp;sr=1-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">founding scholar Dr. Thomas West</a> notes.
The <a href="https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/virginia-declaration-of-rights" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Virginia Declaration of Rights</a>, adopted in June 1776, states that, “all men are by nature equally free and independent and have certain inherent rights.” And the Declaration of Independence memorialized this principle with the phrase, “all men are created equal.”
Men is a substitute for all human beings, regardless of sex or social status. As John Adams <a href="https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/04-10-02-0007-0007" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote, equality</a>:
<blockquote>&#8220;It really means little more than that We are all of the same Species: made by the same God: possessed of Minds and Bodies alike in Essence… All Men are Men and not Beasts…The Equality of Nature is a moral Equality only: an Equality of Rights and Obligations; nothing more.&#8221;</blockquote>
All species have their defining characteristics. Most essential to humanity is our capacity to reason and engage in self-government, not our physical features, like skin tone or size. Through reason, we can discern right from wrong rather than act on mere instinct. And human beings are capable of controlling their impulses, passions, and desires.
Such capacities mean it is unjust for people to rule over one another absent their consent. England had repeatedly violated those principles by dismissing elected colonial assemblies, rejecting colonial laws, and imposing their own without obtaining the consent of the colonists. Thousands of miles away, Parliament believed it could uphold the common good and represent Americans as subjects. But Americans had formed themselves into a new kind of people, united around the principles of human equality and consent of the governed, and the character of that people rebelled against being relegated to an inferior status.
Sustaining that character requires ongoing work. Each generation of Americans has to decide to recommit itself to the principles of the Declaration of Independence, and it is remarkable that we have the opportunity to do so. We can choose to govern ourselves now, both as individuals and as a nation, if we maintain the principled consensus of our past.
While today marks the anniversary of the Suffolk Resolves, we are rapidly approaching an even more crucial anniversary: the 250th of the Declaration of Independence. Will we resolve on that day to continue in the work we began on July 4, 1776, or will we depart from the intellectual heritage that made possible our ongoing experiment in self-government?
* * *
Brenda Hafera is the Assistant Director and Senior Policy Analyst at The Heritage Foundation&#8217;s Simon Center for American Studies.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

john-adams-our-second-president

Why John Adams Called September 17 One Of ‘The Happiest Days’ Of His Life

Why John Adams Called September 17 One Of 'The Happiest Days' Of His Life

American Revolution

Declaration of Independence

Founding Fathers

Great Britain

John Adams

Massachusetts

Opinion

The Muslim Justice League announced it is holding a vigil for Caleb Gannon, the man who was shot in the stomach after he tackled a veteran at a peaceful pro-Israel protest on Thursday in Newton, Mass.
“Caleb, a lifelong Newton resident and a Jew committed to Palestinian liberation, was shot by a Zionist in Newton,” the group wrote. “Caleb confronted those defending genocide in his neighborhood.”
The group says that the vigil is for “all of our martyrs” and “all who resist.”
Gannon, sporting a Palestinian pin, ran through traffic and tackled 47-year-old Iraq War veteran Scott Hayes, who was carrying American and Israeli flags during a small protest. Gannon was shot by Hayes while on top of the veteran, a video obtained by The Daily Wire shows.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
BREAKING: Anti-Israel man shot in stomach after charging through traffic to tackle a man at a pro-Israel demonstration outside Boston in Newton, Massachusetts.
Footage obtained exclusively by <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KassyAkiva</a>: <a href="https://t.co/nsGN3MQVAO">pic.twitter.com/nsGN3MQVAO</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1834398206056100156?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
The vigil will also honor Matt Nelson, a man who <a href="https://www.jpost.com/international/article-820049">reportedly set himself</a> on fire Wednesday across from the Israeli consulate and Chabad house in Boston. In <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C_3OPvJuXBP/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;ig_rid=eb0602cf-1966-45f1-a249-9dce398bd799">a video</a> of his self-immolation shared by anti-Israel group BDS Boston, Nelson says he is calling on the United States government to “stop supplying Israel with money and weapons it uses to imprison and murder innocent Palestinians.”
Nelson survived and was taken to the hospital for severe burn wounds, according to the <a href="https://www.bostonherald.com/2024/09/12/man-sets-himself-on-fire-in-downtown-boston-police-say/">Boston Herald</a>.
“They both join generations of resistance to the violence of Zionism, from Palestine to Boston. Join us for a vigil in solidarity with those risking their lives to resist and for all of our martyrs.”
&nbsp;
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-797193" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-16-at-1.30.12%E2%80%AFPM-889x576.png" alt="" width="889" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-16-at-1.30.12%E2%80%AFPM-889x576.png 889w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-16-at-1.30.12%E2%80%AFPM-300x194.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-16-at-1.30.12%E2%80%AFPM-768x498.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-16-at-1.30.12%E2%80%AFPM-1536x995.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/09/Screenshot-2024-09-16-at-1.30.12%E2%80%AFPM.png 1864w" sizes="(max-width: 889px) 100vw, 889px" /></div>
The vigil is planned for Tuesday at 6 p.m. at the Boston Public Garden.
Hayes, of Framingham, was charged with assault and battery with a deadly weapon and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/iraq-war-vet-released-on-bail-after-being-charged-for-shooting-anti-israel-attacker">released on</a> $5,000 bail on Friday from the Newton District Court. He is required to wear a GPS ankle monitor and abide by a curfew that allows him to work, as conditions of his release. Hayes, who pleaded not guilty, must also stay away from Newton and Gannon and possess no weapons, the judge told him in court. 
At an arraignment attended by dozens of supporters, Hayes&#8217;s lawyer says the veteran was acting in self-defense. Hayes&#8217; firearm was legally owned, but his license to carry has been suspended following his arrest, according to authorities.
In another video after the incident, Hayes was seen telling bystanders to call 911 and tending to Gannon’s wound. Gannon suffered life-threatening injuries but is expected to survive, according to a spokesperson for Middlesex District Attorney Marian T. Ryan.
Police applied for a criminal complaint against Gannon for assault and battery.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
In another video, the man who fired the gun is seen providing medical care to the man who tackled him before first responders arrived. <a href="https://t.co/wMtoowakr9">pic.twitter.com/wMtoowakr9</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1834399006341918961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
Gannon’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/man-charged-with-assault-of-pro-israel-veteran-called-for-destruction-of-the-united-states">social media history</a> shows radical views including calling for the destruction of the United States, refusing to condemn Hamas, and <a href="https://x.com/KassyAkiva/status/1835729229914460282">calling</a> murdered American hostage in Gaza, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, a terrorist who “got what he deserved.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Caleb Gannon, the man who tackled Scott Hayes and was shot, has a X history of calling for the destruction of America and says he does not condemn Hamas. <a href="https://t.co/t11GcY5eFv">pic.twitter.com/t11GcY5eFv</a>
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/1834709152964268315?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
“The United States government is a rogue terrorist organization that does not represent its population. It must end,” Gannon wrote on X in August.
Gannon’s now-suspended X profile featured a Palestinian flag and the hashtag “#ActuallyAutistic.”
In another tweet, he called his family “ghouls” for having different political views.
“I don’t condemn Hamas. I condemn my family,” Gannon wrote about the terrorist group that killed, raped or took hostage over 1,000 citizens from Israel on October 7.
Gannon also retweeted several posts from radical anti-Israel accounts. 
“The correct response to zionists feeling unsafe on college campuses is to say ‘good, zionists should feel unsafe everywhere—no one who supports a genocidal ideology should ever feel safe from repercussions,’” reads one of the tweets Gannon reposted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Caleb Gannon, the man who tackled Scott Hayes and was shot, retweeted a post saying Zionists should feel &#8220;unsafe everywhere.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/boQ7OM3BOH">pic.twitter.com/boQ7OM3BOH</a>
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/1834718209758392807?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
Gannon’s father told police that his son is mentally unstable and possibly autistic, according to the <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/09/14/metro/newton-shooting-scott-hayes-caleb-gannon-israel-hamas-war/">Boston Globe</a>.
Supporters of Hayes gathered at the place he was protesting during the incident with Gannon on Sunday. 
More than $243,021 has been raised on a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-scott-hayes-legal-defense?attribution_id=sl:8772e9ff-da35-43bd-a6a4-6dfa501831ba&amp;utm_campaign=man_ss_icons&amp;utm_medium=customer&amp;utm_source=copy_link">GoFundMe</a> to assist with his legal fees as of Monday morning.
“We stand with Scott Hayes, who was defending himself after being attacked by a pro-Hamas maniac in Massachusetts,” The Republican Jewish Coalition <a href="https://x.com/RJC/status/1834651540272865596">posted</a> on X. 
In a <a href="https://x.com/ADL_NewEngland/status/1834443208719307223">statement on X</a>, the Anti-Defamation League New England called it “concerning” that “charges were immediately filed prior to completion of the investigation.”
Hayes frequently attends protests with a group of Iranians, Israelis, and American Jews who show their support for Israel and call for the release of 101 hostages currently held by Hamas in Gaza.

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Muslim Justice League To Host Vigil For Anti-Israel Extremist Shot After Tackling Veteran

anti-Israel

Hamas

A man who allegedly tackled a pro-Israel demonstrator has called for the destruction of the United States and refused to condemn <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hamas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hamas</a>, a review of his social media history reveals.
Assault charges are pending against Caleb Gannon, 31, after The Daily Wire <a href="https://x.com/KassyAkiva/status/1834398215333900487">released an exclusive video</a> that shows him charging across a street and tackling Scott Hayes, a pro-Israel demonstrator, in Newton, Massachusetts. Gannon knocked Hayes to the ground and attacked him before Hayes, whose lawyers say that he acted in self-defense, shot him in the stomach. Hayes immediately tended to Gannon until emergency workers arrived.
At first, it was unclear why Gannon chose to charge the small, peaceful stand-in. But a review of Gannon’s social media activity reveals that he has called for the complete destruction of the United States and has refused to condemn Hamas, the Islamic terrorist organization behind the October 7th terror attack on Israel.
“The United States government is a rogue terrorist organization that does not represent its population. It must end,” Gannon, who has been charged with assault and battery, wrote in one of his extreme posts on X. Gannon&#8217;s X profile also features a Palestinian flag and the hashtag &#8220;#ActuallyAutistic.&#8221;
“All police precincts, military bases, and government offices must be liquidated immediately, and all resources from them redirected back into their communities,” he went on to say in the post pinned to the top of his profile.
Gannon, who says that he uses the pronouns “he/they/any,” also expressed support for Hamas and refused to condemn them.
“No, I don’t condemn Hamas,” he wrote, instead saying, “I condemn my family,” because they have been unwilling to “recognize the blatant genocide that’s been occurring for months in Palestine.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Caleb Gannon, the man who tackled Scott Hayes and was shot, has a X history of calling for the destruction of America and says he does not condemn Hamas. <a href="https://t.co/t11GcY5eFv">pic.twitter.com/t11GcY5eFv</a>
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/1834709152964268315?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
Gannon also <a href="https://x.com/KassyAkiva/status/1834718209758392807">reposted</a> an X post from an account named “trans judeo-bolshevik,” who wrote, “the correct response to zionists feeling unsafe on college campuses is to say ‘good, zionists should feel unsafe everywhere—no one who supports a genocidal ideology should ever feel safe from repercussions.’”
Hayes was charged with assault and battery with a deadly weapon after he defended himself with a firearm. Hayes was <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/newton-pro-israel-rally-shooting-scott-hayes/">released from court</a> on a $5,000 bail and now must wear a GPS monitor and abide by a curfew.
Anti-Defamation League New England said in a <a href="https://x.com/ADL_NewEngland/status/1834443208719307223">statement on X</a> that it was “concerning” that “charges were immediately filed prior to completion of the investigation&#8221; into Hayes. Supporters have <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-scott-hayes-legal-defense?attribution_id=sl:8772e9ff-da35-43bd-a6a4-6dfa501831ba&amp;utm_campaign=man_ss_icons&amp;utm_medium=customer&amp;utm_source=copy_link">raised</a> nearly $168,000 for Hayes&#8217; legal defense on GoFundMe.

Anti-Israel attack

Man Who Assaulted Pro-Israel Veteran Called For Destruction Of The United States

Crime

Israel

Social Media

U.S.

Scott Hayes, 47, was arraigned and will be released on a $5,000 bail after he was arrested on Thursday for shooting a man with a pro-Palestinian pin who charged through traffic and tackled him in Newton, Massachusetts.
Hayes pleaded not guilty in the Newton District Court to the charge of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. He is required to wear a GPS ankle monitor and abide by a curfew that will allow him to continue working as a contractor.
Hayes spoke briefly in court, answering the judge’s question about how often he attends religious services, according to sources in the courtroom. Hayes’ lawyers requested he be allowed to attend religious services, work, and legal and medical appointments. 
The judge ordered Hayes, an Iraq War veteran, to stay away from Newton and the man who attacked him, and to possess no weapons.
Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan said Thursday night that Hayes would be charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and violation of a constitutional right causing injury, though only the first charge was brought during the arraignment.
Prosecutors said they requested a criminal complaint to be filed against the man who tackled Hayes, which is currently pending in the clerk’s office.
The man who attacked Hayes has been identified as Caleb Gannon. He sustained life-threatening injuries, according to authorities. 
In a video obtained by The Daily Wire, Ganon, wearing Palestinian pin stood on the opposite side of the street, yelling at a group of 10 protesters. He called them &#8220;sick&#8221; and accused them of &#8220;supporting genocide.&#8221;
Ganon then charged across the street in front of cars and tackled Hayes, who was preparing to leave before the attack. Moments later, while Gannon was on top of Hayes, the veteran shot him in the stomach. Video shows Hayes placing the gun behind him on the pavement after the shot.
In another video, Hayes, who was holding American and Israeli flags throughout the protest, is seen telling bystanders to call 911 while tending to Gannon&#8217;s wound.
Hayes legally owned the firearm he used during the altercation.
Support for Hayes has flown in, with a <a href="https://t.co/KfjyJyARf7">GoFundMe</a> for his legal defense raising over $130,000 as of Friday afternoon.
“We stand with Scott Hayes, who was defending himself after being attacked by a pro-Hamas maniac in Massachusetts,” The Republican Jewish Coalition <a href="https://x.com/RJC/status/1834651540272865596">posted</a> on X. 
Anti-Defamation League New England said it was “concerning” that “charges were immediately filed prior to completion of the investigation” in a <a href="https://x.com/ADL_NewEngland/status/1834443208719307223">statement on X</a>.
Hayes frequently attends pro-Israel protests and rallies around New England to show his support for Israel and to call for the release of the 101 hostages currently held by Hamas in Gaza.

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Iraq War Vet Released On Bail After Being Charged For Shooting Anti-Israel Attacker

A man wearing a Palestinian pin was shot in Newton, Massachusetts Thursday evening after he charged across a street and tackled a pro-Israel veteran protester.
In a video shared with The Daily Wire, the man with the pin, sporting a surgical mask around his neck, stood across the street shouting at the group of 10 protesters, calling them “sick” and accusing them of “defending genocide.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
BREAKING: Anti-Israel man shot in stomach after charging through traffic and tackling a man at a pro-Israel demonstration outside Boston in Newton, Massachusetts. He was seen screaming at the demonstrators before his attack.
Footage obtained exclusively by <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KassyAkiva</a>: <a href="https://t.co/4imddZ1D7p">pic.twitter.com/4imddZ1D7p</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1834397622909518073?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
Scott Hayes, 47, of Framingham, Mass., was getting ready to leave when the assailant began yelling at the group, showing his middle finger and shouting at the protesters.
In the next video, the man charges across the street through traffic and tackles Hayes, an Iraq War veteran, who was carrying an American flag during the protest. Seconds later, the gun was discharged and the man was shot in the stomach during their tussle on the ground, another video angle shows. 
Hayes then places the gun on the sidewalk behind him as bystanders try to break the two apart. After the altercation, Hayes told bystanders to call 911, and tended to wounds of the man who tackled him, a video shared with The Daily Wire shows.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
In another video, the man who fired the gun is seen providing medical care to the man who tackled him before first responders arrived. <a href="https://t.co/wMtoowakr9">pic.twitter.com/wMtoowakr9</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1834399006341918961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan initially said Hayes would be <a class="c-link" href="https://www.wcvb.com/article/man-shot-newton-massachusetts-pro-israel-demonstration/62180049" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-stringify-link="https://www.wcvb.com/article/man-shot-newton-massachusetts-pro-israel-demonstration/62180049" data-sk="tooltip_parent">charged</a> with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and violation of a constitutional right causing injury, though the latter charge was not brought during his arraignment. Ryan said the veteran had full legal possession of the gun, <a href="https://www.boston25news.com/news/local/police-investigating-crime-scene-newton-street-corner/SMXRAVJRUBGJFHFBNFZTMRX6SA/?taid=66e3a66c4c4e2900018428c5&amp;utm_campaign=trueAnthem_manual&amp;utm_medium=trueAnthem&amp;utm_source=twitter">according</a> to Boston 25 News. The veteran’s fellow protesters say they were not aware he had a gun, but believe he was acting in self defense.
The man shot reportedly suffered life-threatening injuries.
Hayes was with a group of pro-Israel individuals hold American, Israeli, and Pahlavi Iranian flags in various parts of Massachusetts to raise awareness about the hostages and the troubles of the Iranian regime. Newton, a suburb of Boston and considered one of the most Jewish cities in the United States, with Jews comprising between 20-30% of the population, <a href="https://forward.com/news/409196/a-very-jewish-town-feuds-over-israel-like-only-jews-can/">according to Forward</a>.
Aidin, a pro-Israel Iranian who runs the From Boston to Iran group and was present at the altercation, told The Daily Wire that he was not sure how the gun was discharged. 
“I saw him bring his hand up to the veteran and I tried to go closer until I heard the shot fired.”
“We’ve been to standouts like this often and nothing like this has ever happened,” he said, declining to give his last name. “I was shocked when the man ran across the street and had no idea why he would do that.”
Aidin said he was not sure why the man charged Hayes instead of the other members of the group. He also said the person shot was in stable condition.
The Newton Police, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment, said they will increase police patrols around houses of worship following the incident.
Editor&#8217;s note, 9/17: This piece has been updated to reflect one of the charges against Hayes being dropped.

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EXCLUSIVE: Man With Pro-Palestinian Pin Shot After Tackling Pro-Israel Veteran

Anti-Semitism

Violence

Massachusetts’ largest teachers union is threatening to sue a group of Republican state lawmakers who condemned the group for tapping an anti-Israel activist to create learning materials about the Gaza war.
The Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA) said this month that it “will not hesitate to take legal action if warranted” against the Massachusetts House and Senate Republican Caucuses for a July letter objecting to the union tasking Ricardo Rosa with developing model curricula about Israel and “Occupied Palestine.”
The Republicans objected to Rosa — who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/turning-classrooms-into-arenas-of-radicalism-teachers-union-tasks-anti-israel-activist-to-create-curriculum-about-israel">has a record</a> of anti-Israel and anti-American rhetoric — developing the materials. The lawmakers observed that Rosa advocated for a “Free Palestine” in the days following October 7, called the United States a “settler colony,” glorified terrorist and plane hijacker Leila Khaled, and voiced his support for a professor who called Zionists “swine” and encouraged protests in Jewish neighborhoods.
In response, the MTA board of directors called the Republicans’ letter “reprehensible,” defended Rosa from the lawmakers’ criticism, and threatened legal action.
<div id="attachment_756447" style="width: 375px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-756447" class="size-large wp-image-756447" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/Screenshot-2024-06-27-at-4.26.08%E2%80%AFPM-365x576.png" alt="" width="365" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/Screenshot-2024-06-27-at-4.26.08%E2%80%AFPM-365x576.png 365w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/Screenshot-2024-06-27-at-4.26.08%E2%80%AFPM-190x300.png 190w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/Screenshot-2024-06-27-at-4.26.08%E2%80%AFPM-768x1211.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/Screenshot-2024-06-27-at-4.26.08%E2%80%AFPM.png 880w" sizes="(max-width: 365px) 100vw, 365px" />Ricardo Rosa&#8217;s posts of pro-Palestine protests.</div>
“Ricardo Rosa, MTA’s Director of Training and Professional Learning, has been reprehensibly attacked for simply performing his job at the MTA,” the MTA <a href="https://icanaction.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/BOD-Letter-to-MA-House-and-Senate-Republican-Caucus-Members-080524_COPY.pdf">wrote</a>,  in response to Republican lawmakers’ claim that Rosa’s inflammatory statements “demonstrate a clear commitment to a political agenda rather than educational integrity.”
The union, which represents 117,000 educators, came under fire for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/massachusetts-teachers-union-says-u-s-is-complicit-in-genocidal-assault-in-gaza">condemning</a> the United States for being complicit in a “genocidal assault” in the wake of Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel.
The lawmakers called for Rosa’s appointment to be revoked, lest his influence undermine the safety of Jewish and Israeli students and risk “turning classrooms into arenas of radicalism.” They pushed the MTA to instead focus on creating a healthy work environment for teachers and providing a quality education to students.
The union in response called Rosa a “respected scholar” and said they are “privileged to have him on staff.”
Rep. Steven Howitt, who organized the Republican letter, told The Daily Wire that he stands by the statement.
“Our office mobilized members of the Republican Caucus to issue a joint statement condemning the decision and called on the MTA to revoke Dr. Rosa’s appointment and pause the development of these educational materials,” Howitt said. “In response, the MTA issued a statement containing inconsistencies and have chosen to defend Dr. Rosa and the development of these materials. I stand by the original statement issued by our caucus.”
The MTA board of directors said it decided to respond to the lawmakers after ignoring other public criticism because the letter “encouraged unprovoked threats against our staff and our public schools and have forced us to report the most serious threats to the FBI and the Massachusetts Attorney General.”
The MTA  attempted to refute the lawmakers by noting that it held workshops about anti-Semitism and allowed for a “broad range of presenters” to speak in its workshops.
In March, the MTA faced criticism after Rosa’s department hosted a “The Struggle Against Anti-Palestinian Racism,” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/massachusetts-teachers-union-hosts-webinar-by-professor-who-praised-hamas-enraging-membership">webinar</a>, featuring a presenter who once praised Hamas terrorists for their “courage” on October 7. The webinar aimed to persuade attendees that there was no connection between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism.
“Holding such forums does not suggest MTA endorsement of each and every idea presented. Rather, it models the highest democratic value and exchange of diverse and at times competing ideas that is a hallmark of our labor union,” the group wrote.
It added that the MTA “does not develop curriculum” but instead “provide[s] research and resources” for its members to “critically review and utilize as they see fit in their professional development.”
After October 7, the MTA rejected an anti-Semitism workshop proposal from Jany Finkielsztein, a retired instructional coach for the Waltham Public Schools who has created many teacher training programs throughout her 17-year career.
“I believe my workshop proposal, titled ‘Jewish Ethnic and Cultural Diversity at a Time of Rising Anti-Semitism’ was likely declined due to a potential conflict with the narrative promoted by certain members of the MTA, including Rosa, who advocate for portraying Israel as a settler colonial enterprise and Jews as white oppressors,” Finkielsztein told The Daily Wire.
<div id="attachment_756437" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-756437" class="size-large wp-image-756437" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/Cover-images-26-1024x576.png" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/Cover-images-26-1024x576.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/Cover-images-26-300x169.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/Cover-images-26-768x432.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/Cover-images-26.png 1280w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Ricardo Rosa&#8217;s posts about Aaron Bushnell, a Houthi-run rally, and terrorist and plane hijacker Leila Khaled. (Photo: Instagram)</div>
In recent years, Rosa has taken to social media to <a href="https://archive.is/s2yvO">declare</a> that “Western humanity is a lie,” <a href="https://archive.is/u7Sxc">accuse</a> Israel of committing genocide, and post “Free Palestine” with an image of a <a href="https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20240308-thousands-of-yemenis-rally-in-support-of-gaza-in-houthi-held-sanaa/">Houthi-run</a> rally calling for supporting Gaza and increasing attacks.
Rosa also <a href="https://archive.is/9XVeY">advocated for</a> the reinstatement of Danny Shaw, a former John Jay College professor, who he described as a “good brother.” Shaw was dismissed after calling Zionists “Babylon swine,” encouraging protests in “their neighborhoods,” and pushing other anti-Semitic tropes, <a href="https://x.com/canarymission/status/1775897208895967331">according to Canary Mission</a>. Rosa also <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/C30_1xTvJYp/">praised</a> Aaron Bushnell, the U.S. airman who set himself on fire outside the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C., in February.
The MTA has not responded to a request for comment.

Cover images-25

Teachers Union Threatens To Sue Critics After Putting Radical Activist In Charge of Israel Curriculum

Teachers Unions

The percentage of black students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has plummeted in the wake of the end of affirmative action.
The incoming freshman class this fall is only 5% black, down from an average of 13% in recent years, MIT <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-08-21/mit-reports-drop-in-black-student-enrollment-for-incoming-class?cmpid%3D=socialflow-twitter-billionaires&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_content=billionaires&amp;utm_campaign=socialflow-organic&amp;utm_medium=social" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Wednesday.
Hispanic students are also down to 11% from 15%, the school said.
Previously, about 25% of MIT undergraduates were black, Hispanic, Native American, or Pacific Islander, but that number has dropped to 16% for the incoming class.
Meanwhile, Asian American students are up to 47% from 41%, making up nearly half of the entire class of 2028. The percentage of white students stayed about the same at 37%.
Last summer, the Supreme Court declared considering race in admissions unconstitutional in a landmark ruling that targeted the affirmative action admissions programs at Harvard and the University of North Carolina.
Students for Fair Admissions, the group that sued over affirmative action, pointed to the high test scores of Asian-American and white applicants who were rejected.
MIT’s dean of admissions, Stu Schmill, said Wednesday that the school has expanded its recruitment and financial aid initiative to &#8220;further improve access to the Institute for students from all backgrounds.&#8221;
&#8220;Despite these initiatives, and as we expected, there was still a decline in the proportion⁠ of enrolling first-years from historically under-represented racial and ethnic backgrounds⁠,&#8221; the dean said.
&#8220;If MIT cannot find a way⁠ to continue to draw on the full range of human talent and experience in the future, it may threaten the qualitative strength of the MIT education, both by a relative reduction in the educational benefits of diversity and by making our community less attractive to the best students from all backgrounds,&#8221; Schmill <a href="https://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/mit-after-sffa/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> in a blog post.
A majority of Americans, 62%, oppose race-based college admissions, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/most-americans-think-college-admissions-should-not-consider-race-reutersipsos-2023-02-15/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to a Reuters poll last year.
Around the time of the court&#8217;s decision, universities scrambled to find other ways to diversify their student bodies.
Some schools moved away from using standardized test scores in the admissions process as the argument that standardized testing harms minority students picked up steam. Previously, a low SAT or ACT score meant automatic elimination at most top-tier schools.
Last year, Columbia University <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/universities-scrap-sat-scramble-to-stay-diverse-ahead-of-affirmative-action-ruling" target="_blank" rel="noopener">became</a> the first Ivy League school to permanently scrap its standardized test requirement, allowing hopeful applicants to skip the dreaded SAT and ACT.
Some schools are also <a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-affirmative-action-college-admissions-1d37af28939a533551cff45fa577ceb0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">considering</a> requiring more essays for admission to get a better idea of a student’s background, while others plan to recruit students from minority areas or admit more students transferring from community colleges.
Back in 1995, the University of California System Board of Regents banned affirmative action so UC <a href="https://edsource.org/2020/dropping-affirmative-action-had-huge-impact-on-californias-public-universities/642437" target="_blank" rel="noopener">adopted</a> roundabout ways of trying to identify minority students, such as through poor neighborhoods and family income.

In this photo illustration, Massachusetts Institute of

MIT’s Share Of Black Students Plummets After Affirmative Action Struck Down

MIT's Share Of Black Students Plummets After Affirmative Action Struck Down

Affirmative Action

Biden Administration

Education

higher education

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

Supreme Court

A 26-year-old Haitian man who was allowed into the U.S. under the Biden administration’s controversial migrant parole program has been captured after he was accused of raping a teen girl and released on bail – an allegation his attorney says is false.
Cory Alvarez was captured Tuesday morning by Boston Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after he had been released on bail in June, Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin reported.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
SCOOP: Per law enforcement sources, this morning, ICE Boston found &amp; arrested the Haitian migrant who was released on $500 bail in June after being charged w/ raping a 15 y/o girl in a migrant hotel. He flew into the US via Biden mass parole program in ‘23<a href="https://t.co/77HVjVvpst">https://t.co/77HVjVvpst</a>
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillMelugin_/status/1823384996964671509?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Alvarez <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/haitian-migrant-who-entered-u-s-under-biden-parole-program-charged-with-rape-of-teenage-girl-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was charged</a> in March with the rape of a 15-year-old girl at a Massachusetts hotel being used as a migrant shelter. In July, he was released on $500 bail even though ICE had requested he be transferred into its custody, Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/migrant-accused-raping-teen-released-500-bail-despite-ice-calls" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
It all began on March 13, when police received a report of a sexual assault at a hotel in Rockland, Massachusetts, being used to house migrant families, Boston 25 <a href="https://www.boston25news.com/news/local/man-living-rockland-hotel-housing-migrants-charged-with-child-rape-da-says/VXO4QFDEGFDDLN5E3Y5PWDL3FE/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The alleged teenage victim is also a Haitian migrant and told police through an interpreter that she went to Alvarez’s room so he could help her with a tablet, but he forced himself on her.
“I asked him to leave me alone, but he didn’t stop,” the girl told authorities.
Alvarez’s attorney suggested the allegations against his client were false, citing surveillance footage.
&#8220;No injuries were found on the alleged victim. The video surveillance depicts her going into the room and coming out eight minutes later, her clothing undisturbed and walking by two members of the National Guard without comment,&#8221; attorney Brian A. Kelley told Fox.
<a href="http://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1723312978172000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1Kuw7_CFpxtIaxl4Gay5PU">WATCH THE TRAILER FOR ‘AM I RACIST?’ — A MATT WALSH COMEDY ON DEI</a>
Alvarez was initially held without bail, but in late June, he was released on $500 bail. ICE said in a statement at the time that Boston’s branch of Enforcement and Removal Operations had filed a retainer on Alvarez, meaning they believed he was subject to deportation. Fox reported that the detainer was ignored since Alvarez was in a “sanctuary” jurisdiction.
Prosecutors had asked for $25,000 bail, but a judge set the bail at $500 with stipulations that Alvarez confine himself to his home and submit to monitoring.
Alvarez <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/haitian-migrant-charged-rape-15-year-old-girl-entered-controversial-parole-program-sources" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> flew to New York&#8217;s John F. Kennedy International Airport in June 2023 after being sponsored by a person in New Jersey as part of President Joe Biden’s parole program for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans (CHNV). This program has allowed up to 30,000 migrants to fly into the U.S. each month. The Biden administration’s use of this program has allowed more than one million migrants to enter the U.S., with more than 138,000 Haitians alone.

Cory Alvarez

Haitian Migrant Allowed Into U.S. Under Biden And Accused Of Raping Teen Girl Captured: Report

Child Abuse

Haitian immigrants

Rape

Vice President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kamala-harris" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kamala Harris</a>&#8216; Secret Service detail was caught on video committing crimes against a local business owner during a Harris campaign event late last month in Massachusetts, according to a report.
Alicia Powers, owner of Four One Three Salon in Pittsfield, said that she would have been more than happy to let the Secret Service use her business as a comfort station during Harris&#8217; event in the city on Saturday July 27 if they had simply asked her permission.
“I&#8217;m the kind of person that would have set up coffee and doughnuts for them had they asked me for permission,” said Powers.
&#8220;Instead, they taped over a security camera on the back porch, broke into the salon, helped themselves to the bathroom, ate the mints on the counter and left without tidying up the bathroom or locking the back door on the way out,&#8221; according to <a href="https://www.berkshireeagle.com/news/central_berkshires/salon-owner-secret-service-apology/article_8eef0cca-5677-11ef-899f-c34aa019b3da.html">The Berkshire Eagle</a>, a local newspaper.
The Secret Service agents never contacted her or her landlord to ask permission to enter the building.
Powers had decided to close her business for the remainder of the day on the 27th because the agents were doing intense bomb sweeps in the area and things became &#8220;a little bit chaotic.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
The U.S. Secret Service is apologizing to a Massachusetts salon owner after an agent covered her security camera with duct tape and broke into her salon by picking the lock so that its bathroom could be used by various people for a two-hour period.
After the two-hour period,… <a href="https://t.co/s4qSFtebn0">pic.twitter.com/s4qSFtebn0</a>
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) <a href="https://twitter.com/yashar/status/1822446668333416826?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2024</a></blockquote>
The Pittsfield Police Department has been supportive of her efforts to get accountability after what Harris&#8217; agents did.
The Secret Service claims that they never would have entered the business if they were not given permission. Powers said that she did not give them permission and she feels violated, angry, and disrespected, the report said.
<a href="http://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1722714742764000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1XzmEsRwzti1RFNuISwYgd">WATCH THE TRAILER FOR ‘AM I RACIST?’ — A MATT WALSH COMEDY ON DEI</a>
“When they cleaned up and they left the tape on my camera and they left my back door completely unlocked,&#8221; she said. &#8220;What could have happened in that hour and a half or two hours that you guys left the building unlocked?”
Brian Smith, the building&#8217;s landlord, told Business Insider that he did not give the Secret Service permission to enter.
&#8220;Me and my dad own the building, and I have a crazy eccentric guy that lives upstairs,&#8221; Smith told BI. &#8220;And he didn&#8217;t tell the Secret Service they could use it, and I didn&#8217;t tell them, and my father didn&#8217;t tell them, and they had no permission to go in there whatsoever.&#8221;
Powers had other cameras set up that alerted her that people were coming in and out of her business for two hours.
“From the communication I&#8217;ve heard from the EMS workers, somebody dressed in all black was telling them to come in and use the bathroom all afternoon,” she said.
When she spoke to the New York Secret Service office, she said that they denied their agents would act that way and then tried to guilt her into letting go of the issue.
&#8220;And he kind of ended the conversation with telling me, &#8216;Do you think we need to deal with this right now with what we have going on?&#8217; And my response was, ‘Sir, I&#8217;m not trying to be rude but I don&#8217;t deserve to deal with this right now either,’” she said.
Powers told Business Insider that the head of the Secret Service&#8217;s Boston-based field office caller her and apologized after Business Insider published its report.
&#8220;He said to me everything that was done was done very wrong,&#8221; Powers said. &#8220;They were not supposed to tape my camera without permission. They were not supposed to enter the building without permission.&#8221;

Kamala Harris And Running Mate Continue Battleground State Tour

Kamala Harris’ Secret Service Covers Up Security Cameras At Private Business, Breaks Into Building: Report

General

Kamala Harris

Secret Service

Tim Walz

Karen Read, the Massachusetts woman accused of killing her police officer boyfriend, will face a second jury on January 2025 after her first trial ended in a mistrial.
The new trial date was set for January 27, 2025, and comes just a couple of weeks after a jury couldn’t decide whether Read killed her boyfriend by drunkenly backing into him with her vehicle or whether she was framed by her boyfriend’s colleagues, People Magazine <a href="https://people.com/karen-reads-new-trial-date-set-8681424" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
During the hearing to determine the new trial date, <a href="https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/karen-read-live-stream/3434142/">broadcast</a> by Boston 10, the defense brought up its motion to dismiss the charges against Read, but the judge ruled that a hearing for that motion would take place on August 9.
Read, 44, has maintained that she did not kill her boyfriend but that he was killed by fellow Boston police officers who then framed her. A jury couldn’t come to a conclusion one way or the other after five days of deliberation, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/karen-read-boston-police-murder-trial-abc6d1ea75a39d00b731ee4e76676d3a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>, so Judge Beverly Cannone declared a mistrial.
John O’Keefe was a Boston police officer who lived in Canton, Massachusetts, since 2014 to raise his niece and nephew, who had been orphaned after O’Keefe’s sister died of a brain tumor and her husband died of a heart attack shortly after. Read, an adjunct professor at Bentley University, lived in Mansfield, Massachusetts, but had been dating O’Keefe since 2020 and regularly staying in Canton to help O’Keefe with the children, Boston Magazine <a href="https://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/2023/09/27/canton-karen-read/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
On January 28, 2022, Read and O’Keefe <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/karen-read-is-on-trial-for-allegedly-killing-her-cop-boyfriend-but-is-she-being-framed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">traveled</a> to the Waterfall Bar &amp; Grille in Canton after drinking at another pub. At the Waterfall, O’Keefe saw some of his friends and joined them with Read in tow. Chris Albert, O’Keefe’s neighbor and the town selectman, along with Chris’ brother Brian, another Boston Police Department officer, and Jennifer McCabe, Brian’s sister-in-law.
The five chatted and drank until midnight, when the bar was about to close, and Brian suggested they all go to his house. O’Keefe wanted to go, but Read was tired and tipsy and unsure about continuing the party. She agreed to at least drive O’Keefe to Brian’s house. After dropping him off, she decided to go home but said that she woke up alone at 4:30 a.m. and worried about where her boyfriend was. She didn’t have McCabe’s number, so she woke up O’Keefe’s then 14-year-old niece to ask her to call McCabe’s daughter, with whom she was friends. McCabe said she didn’t know where O’Keefe was and called Chris Albert’s wife to see if O’Keefe had passed out at their house, but she said he hadn’t. At the same time, Read called O’Keefe’s friend Kerry Roberts, who also had not seen O’Keefe.
Read, McCabe, and Roberts met up to look for O’Keefe, with Read in the backseat of Roberts’ car screaming about how O’Keefe was missing, Boston Magazine reported. A blizzard had rolled through town the night before, and it was still snowing as the women drove in the darkness.
They drove to Brian Albert’s home, and Read immediately said she saw O’Keefe and jumped out of the car to rush to his side, even though it was completely dark outside. O’Keefe was lying in the snow, ice-cold, and Read began performing CPR. He had blood on his face and two black eyes, while his hat and shoes were missing. McCabe brought blankets to warm him up and called 911. It was 6:04 a.m.
Read cried and repeatedly asked if she had hit O’Keefe. An ambulance took O’Keefe to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:50 a.m.
Read was soon arrested and taken to jail, charged with manslaughter for allegedly hitting O’Keefe with her Lexus when she dropped him off at Brian’s house. The original charges stemmed from the belief that Read accidentally hit O’Keefe with her car.
But four months later, the charges were increased to second-degree murder. Part of the change came from the allegation that Read admitted to hitting O’Keefe on the morning she found him, which was overheard by first responders and police.
Read <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/karen-read-denies-killing-boston-police-officer-john/story?id=102165997" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> ABC News last year, however, that she was questioning whether she could have hit him by accident.
“I said, ‘I hit him’? It was preceded by a ‘Did,’ and preceded by a question mark,” she said. “What I thought could have happened was that, did I incapacitate him unwittingly, somehow, and then in his drunkenness [he] passed out?”
Read’s attorney, David Yannetti, reviewed the charging documents with her and questioned whether Read really could have caused all the injuries to O’Keefe just by backing into him with her car. A medical examiner found that O’Keefe had abrasions on his right arm, two black eyes, along with cuts on his face, and a laceration to the back of his head, CNN <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2023/12/10/us/john-okeefe-boston-police-death-cec/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. He also had several skull fractures.
Police found red and clear bits of plastic near O’Keefe’s body, consistent with Read’s broken taillight. When police seized the vehicle, they found damage to the right rear tailgate.
This information led police to believe Read was intoxicated and backed into O’Keefe before driving away.
Soon, a tipster called Read’s attorney, Yannetti, and claimed that O’Keefe was “beaten up by Brian Albert and his nephew.”
“They broke his nose, and when O’Keefe didn’t come to, Brian and a federal agent dumped his body on the front lawn,” the tipster added, Yannetti told Boston Magazine.
An attorney for that tipster, however, denied Yannetti’s version of the tip to the outlet.
After this call, Yannetti and Read began looking into whether O’Keefe could have been killed at the party and left out in the cold to die. Read then learned that the lead detective on the case, State Trooper Michael Proctor, was friends with the Albert family.
Read already believed O’Keefe was actually beaten up at the party, but now she believed Proctor was helping to frame her, including an alleged period where Proctor had access to Read’s vehicle and may have planted evidence.
Read hired Alan Jackson, another famous criminal defense attorney who had once represented Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey.
With Jackson’s help, the defense’s theory was able to sway enough jurors to question whether she was actually guilty.

Karen Read

Woman Accused Of Killing Cop Boyfriend Gets New Trial Date After First One Ended In Mistrial

Murder

Police

Archeologists announced on Tuesday that they had discovered five musket balls in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/massachusetts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Massachusetts</a> likely fired by Patriot forces at the British during the first battle in America’s war for independence. 
The National Park Service <a href="https://www.nps.gov/mima/learn/news/nps-discovers-nearly-250-year-old-musket-balls-from-shot-heard-round-the-world.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that the musket balls were found at the North Bridge Battle site in Concord, Massachusetts, part of the Lexington and Concord battlefield. According to the archeologists, the musket balls were fired by members of a colonial militia that had mustered on April 19, 1775, to confront the British who were in Concord to confiscate a colonist ammunition store. 
&#8220;It&#8217;s incredible that we can stand here and hold what amounts to just a few seconds of history that changed the world almost 250 years ago,&#8221; said Minute Man Park Ranger and historic weapons specialist Jarrad Fuoss. &#8220;These musket balls can be considered collectively as &#8216;The Shot Heard Round the World,&#8217; and it is incredible that they have survived this long. It is also a poignant reminder that we are all stewards of this battlefield and are here to preserve and protect our shared history.&#8221;
The discovery was made as archeologists made preparations for new improvements and restorations at the Minute Man National Historical Park. According to the National Park Service, the musket balls were found on the side of a river where the British were stationed. The musket balls were fired from the other side of the river where the colonists were coming from, according to analysis from the archeologists. 
&#8220;Pulling one of those out of the ground, being able to hold it in your hand knowing the last person to touch this musket ball was ramming it down the barrel of their gun on the morning of April 19, 1775 is incredible,&#8221; Fuoss told <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/shot-heard-round-the-world-concord-massachusetts-musket-balls/">CBS News</a>.  
On April 19, about 200 British soldiers arrived in Concord looking to confiscate ammunition and artillery pieces they believed to be stored at the home of Col. James Barrett. The British had just come from Lexington where they had fired upon a group of militiamen who had gathered on the town&#8217;s green after an unknown person fired the first shot of the war. 
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Once in Concord, the British were again challenged by more militiamen after the colonists believed their homes had started being put on fire. The militiamen started marching toward the North Bridge where they were fired upon by the British and returned fire. The skirmish lasted less than three minutes with the gunfire becoming known there as “the shot heard round the world.” Even more British were killed as they retreated away from Concord. 
At the end of the day, 93 Americans and 300 British <a href="https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/lexington-and-concord" target="_blank" rel="noopener">were dead</a> after what would become recognized as the first major battle of the American Revolutionary War. 
Tourists to Concord will be able to see the musket balls on display on July 13.

MixCollage-10-Jul-2024-02-50-PM-1743

Archeologists Find Musket Balls Fired By Patriots During First Battle Of American Revolution

American History

National Park Service

Revolutionary War

A mistrial was declared in the case of Karen Read, a Massachusetts woman accused of killing her police officer boyfriend, after a jury failed to agree on a verdict.
Read, 44, maintained that she did not kill her boyfriend, but that he was killed by fellow Boston police officers who then framed her. A jury couldn’t come to a conclusion one way or the other after five days of deliberation, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/karen-read-boston-police-murder-trial-abc6d1ea75a39d00b731ee4e76676d3a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>, so Judge Beverly Cannone declared a mistrial.
Prosecutors have said they intend to retry the case.
John O’Keefe was a Boston police officer who lived in Canton, MA, since 2014 to raise his niece and nephew, who had been orphaned after O’Keefe’s sister died of a brain tumor and her husband died of a heart attack shortly after. Read, an adjunct professor at Bentley University, lived in Mansfield, MA, but had been dating O’Keefe since 2020 and regularly staying in Canton to help O’Keefe with the children, Boston Magazine <a href="https://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/2023/09/27/canton-karen-read/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
On January 28, 2022, Read and O’Keefe <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/karen-read-is-on-trial-for-allegedly-killing-her-cop-boyfriend-but-is-she-being-framed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">traveled</a> to the Waterfall Bar &amp; Grille in Canton after drinking at another pub. At the Waterfall, O’Keefe saw some of his friends and joined them with Read in tow. Chris Albert, O’Keefe’s neighbor and the town selectman, along with Chris’ brother Brian, another Boston Police Department officer, and Jennifer McCabe, Brian’s sister-in-law.
The five chatted and drank until midnight, when the bar was about to close and Brian suggested they all go to his house. O’Keefe wanted to go, but Read was tired and tipsy and unsure about continuing the party. She agreed to at least drive O’Keefe to Brian’s house. After dropping him off, she decided to go home, but said that she woke up alone at 4:30 a.m. and worried about where her boyfriend was. She didn’t have McCabe’s number, so she woke up O’Keefe’s then 14-year-old niece to ask her to call McCabe’s daughter, with whom she was friends. McCabe said she didn’t know where O’Keefe was, and called Chris Albert’s wife to see if O’Keefe had passed out at their house, but she said he hadn’t. At the same time, Read called O’Keefe’s friend Kerry Roberts, who also had not seen O’Keefe.
Read, McCabe, and Roberts met up to look for O’Keefe, with Read in the backseat of Roberts’ car screaming about how O’Keefe was missing, Boston Magazine reported. A blizzard had rolled through town the night before, and it was still snowing as the women drove in the darkness.
They drove to Brian Albert’s home, and Read immediately said she saw O’Keefe and jumped out of the car to rush to his side, even though it was completely dark outside. O’Keefe was lying in the snow, ice-cold, and Read began performing CPR. He had blood on his face and two black eyes, while his hat and shoes were missing. McCabe brought blankets to warm him up and called 911. It was 6:04 a.m.
Read cried and repeatedly asked if she had hit O’Keefe. An ambulance took O’Keefe to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:50 a.m.
Read was soon arrested and taken to jail, charged with manslaughter for allegedly hitting O’Keefe with her Lexus when she dropped him off at Brian’s house. The original charges stemmed from the belief that Read accidentally hit O’Keefe with her car.
But four months later, the charges were increased to second-degree murder. Part of the change came from the allegation that Read admitted to hitting O’Keefe on the morning she found him, which was overheard by first responders and police.
Read <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/karen-read-denies-killing-boston-police-officer-john/story?id=102165997" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> ABC News last year, however, that she was questioning whether she could have hit him by accident.
“I said, ‘I hit him’? It was preceded by a ‘Did,’ and preceded by a question mark,” she said. “What I thought could have happened was that, did I incapacitate him unwittingly, somehow, and then in his drunkenness [he] passed out?”
Read’s attorney, David Yannetti, reviewed the charging documents with her and questioned whether Read really could have caused all the injuries to O’Keefe just by backing into him with her car. A medical examiner found that O’Keefe had abrasions on his right arm, two black eyes, along with cuts on his face, and a laceration to the back of his head, CNN <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2023/12/10/us/john-okeefe-boston-police-death-cec/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. He also had several skull fractures.
Police found red and clear bits of plastic near O’Keefe’s body, consistent with Read’s broken taillight. When police seized the vehicle, they found damage to the right rear tailgate.
This information led police to believe Read was intoxicated and backed into O’Keefe before driving away.
Soon, a tipster called Read’s attorney, Yannetti, and claimed that O’Keefe was “beaten up by Brian Albert and his nephew.”
“They broke his nose, and when O’Keefe didn’t come to, Brian and a federal agent dumped his body on the front lawn,” the tipster added, Yannetti told Boston Magazine.
An attorney for that tipster, however, denied Yannetti’s version of the tip to the outlet.
After this call, Yannetti and Read began looking into whether O’Keefe could have been killed at the party and left out in the cold to die. Read then learned that the lead detective on the case, State Trooper Michael Proctor, was friends with the Albert family.
Read already believed O’Keefe was actually beaten up at the party, but now she believed Proctor was helping to frame her, including an alleged period where Proctor had access to Read’s vehicle and may have planted evidence.
Read hired another attorney – famous criminal defense attorney Alan Jackson, who had once represented Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey.
With Jackson’s help, the defense’s theory was able to sway enough jurors to question whether she was actually guilty.

She Was Accused Of Killing Her Cop Boyfriend But Said She Was Framed. A Jury Couldn’t Decide Who Was Right.

Boston

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