Society's ChildS


Dominoes

After Charlottesville violence Kentucky to speed up relocation of Confederate monuments

John C. Breckinridge and John Hunt Morgan statues in downtown Lexington
© Brent Moore / Flickr / Daderot / WikipediaJohn C. Breckinridge and John Hunt Morgan statues in downtown Lexington.
The mayor of Lexington, Kentucky, is speeding up the relocation of Confederate statues in the wake of Saturday's violent clashes and a car-ramming incident in Charlottesville, in neighboring Virginia.

On Saturday, Lexington Mayor Jim Gray said that Confederate-era symbols - statues of Generals Breckinridge and Hunt Morgan - will be taken down from the historic courthouse in Lexington.

Attention

Virginia governor urged residents to 'stay away' from Charlottesville rally

burning torches Charlottesville rally
Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe urged Virginians to stay away in a statement released hours before a planned "Unite the Right" rally that could bring thousands of white nationalists, neo-Confederates, alt-right activists, and counter protesters to Charlottesville.

"In advance of [Saturday's] rally there have been communications from extremist groups, many of which are located outside of Virginia, who may seek to commit acts of violence against rally participants or law enforcement officials.

"In the event that such violent or unlawful conduct occurs, I have instructed state public safety officials to act quickly and decisively in order to keep the public and themselves safe," Governor McAuliffe's statement read. "I want to urge my fellow Virginians who may consider joining either in support or opposition to the planned rally to make alternative plans.

Comment: "Pit race against race, religion against religion, prejudice against prejudice. Divide and conquer! We must not let that happen here."
Eleanor Roosevelt


Pistol

Sweden - shooter at large after injuring 3

Swedish police
© TT News Agency / Reuters
Three people have been injured in a shooting in Sweden's third-largest city, Malmo. Police are currently searching for the shooter.

The shooting occurred in a building on Ystadvagen Street in Malmo overnight Saturday, according to a police statement. Two people suffered life-threatening injuries, one other was left with minor injuries.

Pistol

Cop films himself being shot in the neck with bodycam he had to buy himself

police shooting
© 14th Circuit Solicitor's Office / YouTubeThe officer managed to call for help after being shot.
A body-camera used to convict a suspect of attempted murder was described by the victim as the "best $30 I ever spent." Police Officer Quincy Smith wasn't provided a bodycam by Estill Police Department, South Carolina, but instead bought the device on Amazon.

"Dispatch please tell my family I love them," Smith can be heard saying in the footage released by his lawyer this week. The 19-minute video in which a gun can be seen being pulled on Smith was used to convict his shooter, Malcolm Orr, who was sentenced to 35 years in prison on Thursday.

Smith was shot four times by Orr after attempting to question him following reports Orr was attempting to steal groceries from a nearby store in January 2016. The Estill officer managed to get back to his patrol car, where he called for help.

Handcuffs

Ohio man charged with 2nd degree murder for ramming car into crowd of protesters at Charlottesville rally

James Alex Fields
© Charlottesville Police DepartmentJames Alex Fields
Police have identified James Alex Fields as the driver of the car that smashed into a crowd of anti-fascist protesters and another vehicle during Charlottesville rallies. Fields faces second degree murder charges for killing a woman and injuring 19 other people.

The 20-year-old man was taken into custody following the deadly crash on Saturday afternoon. The suspect has been charged with one count of second degree murder, three counts of malicious wounding and one count of failure to prevent a hit-and-run incident.

Although police have not disclosed any details concerning the prime suspect's identity, media reported that he was the owner of the grey Dodge Challenger, a vehicle that was filmed by the witnesses speeding up and plowing into the crowd of anti-fascist protesters who flocked to downtown Charlottesville on Saturday to oppose a large far-right rally there.

Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail Superintendent Martin Kumer told the media that the man was refused bail and is due to appear before Charlottesville General District Court on Monday.

Comment: Charlottesville protests: Car plows into crowd; 1 dead, several injured [Updates]


Attention

Charlottesville protests: Car plows into crowd; 1 dead, several injured [Updates]

Charlottesville rally
At least one person has been killed and 19 injured after a car has ran into protesters at the Charlottesville protests between Unite the Right and counter demonstrators. RT journalist on the scene said that there were "extremely heavy injuries" sustained during the incident.

The victim was identified by police as a 32-year-old woman. Charlottesville Police Department chief Al Thomas told a press conference that the woman was crossing the street as the "three-vehicle crash" occurred.

The detained driver of the car has been identified as James Alex Fields Jr., 20, according to Superintendent Martin Kumer, of the Albermarle-Charlottesville County Regional Jail, who briefed the media.

Fields Jr. faces charges of second-degree murder, three counts of malicious wounding and a failure to stop his vehicle.

Comment:
Update 1: One witness describes the incident as 'an intentional terrorist attack' and that the car did not have a license plate:


Update 2: A helicopter monitoring the scene crashed into the woods nearby, killing two people on board.
Virginia State Police identified the two people who died in the crash as the aircraft's pilot, Lieutenant H. Jay Cullen, 48, and Trooper-Pilot Berke M.M. Bates. Cullen left behind a wife and two sons.

The police later confirmed that the crashed helicopter "was assisting public safety resources with the ongoing situation in Charlottesville."

"There is no indication of foul play being a factor of the crash," the statement added.

Update 3: President Trump condemns the violence at the rally and offeres condolences:
"We condemn in the strongest possible terms this egregious display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides," Trump said in a Saturday address, adding that he has been "closely following" the events in Charlottesville.

"I just got off the phone with the governor of Virginia, Terry McAuliffe, and we agreed that the hate and the division must stop, and must stop right now," he said, adding, "We have to come together as Americans with love for our nation and true affection for each other."

"No matter our color, creed, religion, our political party, we are all Americans first," Trump said.
While Trump noted that the division "has been going on for a long, long time" he added that it "has no place in America."

Trump later offered condolences to the victim of an apparent car attack in Charlottesville, which has been identified as a 32-year-old woman. The car rammed through a crowd of people taking part in the opposing rallies of "Unite the Right" protesters and counter-demonstrators and hitting other vehicles. RT America's Alex Rubinstein reported that the people marching at the scene were anti-fascist demonstrators.

"Condolences to the family of the young woman killed today, and best regards to all of those injured, in Charlottesville, Virginia. So sad!"Trump tweeted.
While critics take issue with Trump for not directly condemning white supremacists:



Others have disagreed with the idea that the white nationalists were solely to blame, saying that both sides engaged in clashes throughout the day. Right-wing writer Mike Cernovich tweeted a photo of protesters with Confederate flags facing off with a black masked man holding an improvised aerosol can flamethrower, who is pointing the flame at the group of white nationalists. He argued that the critics of the far-right "ignore half of this picture."
Update 4: Virginia Governor Terry R. McAuliffe lashes out at white supremacists:
"You pretend that you are patriots - but you're anything but a patriot. You wanna talk about patriots, talk about Thomas Jefferson, George Washington - who brought our country together. Think about the patriots today who are putting their lives in danger - they are patriots - you are not," he said.

McAuliffe went on to stress that outsiders that had come to Virginia to promote hatred were less than welcome.

"Our message is plain and simple: Go home. You are not wanted in this great Commonwealth. Shame on you."

Referring to the US being a global melting pot, "the nation of immigrants" since it its early years, McAuliffe argued that"diversity, the mosaic tile of immigrants is what makes us so special."

"My message is clear - we are stronger than you. You have made our Commonwealth stronger. You will not succeed, there is no place for you here - there is no place for you in America," he said.



Bad Guys

Serial Rapist Pablo Cano with multiple victims discovered to be a cop

Louisville Metro Police Officer Pablo Cano
A Councilman in Louisville is now calling for a third party to investigate rape allegations against one of Louisville's finest after four women have come forward alleging he raped them.

The man in question is Louisville Metro Police Officer Pablo Cano. The first complaint was made public 12 days ago when it was revealed that a woman filed a report in June claiming she had been raped by Cano twice.

The woman claimed she first met Cano at a city park, and then he showed up at her house weeks later and raped her. After the rape, he came back the next day and did it again. He was allegedly in uniform the first time, and then in plain clothes the next day when he came to rape her again, but had a gun at the time of the crime.

Bizarro Earth

State of emergency declared in Charlottesville Virginia amid violence at 'unite the right' rally

Charlottesille va race protest
Fighting has broken out at a 'Unite the Right' rally in Charlottesville, Virginia between right-wing protesters demonstrating against the removal of a Confederate-era statue from Emancipation Park, and counter demonstrators.


Comment: Could this be a sign of a growing "black and white" color revolution in America? Whether it is or isn't, people certainly seem to be rapidly losing their minds.

For more information:


2 + 2 = 4

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos kicks off emotional battle over campus sexual assault rules

Betsy DeVos
© Yuri Gripas / ReutersBetsy DeVos
After barely surviving her confirmation battle and facing sporadic protests during visits to schools, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos could hardly have teed up a more fraught, emotional and divisive issue to launch her tenure: campus sexual assault.

Though almost no one is happy with the Obama administration's efforts to prod colleges and universities to more aggressively combat and investigate sexual assault on campus, there is little agreement on how to make things better.

Comment:
Betsy Davos and the Dept. of Education: What we're not being told


Attention

What's really happening in Venezuela from someone who knows

Mike Prysner and Abby Martin recovering from tear gas in Venezuela
Mike Prysner and Abby Martin recovering from tear gas in Venezuela.
Mike Prysner is a former US Army soldier turned documentary-maker, who produces and co-writes The Empire Files for Latin American broadcaster teleSUR English with Abby Martin. He was, until recently, in Venezuela covering the troubles there.

Mike generously gave the SKWAWKBOX his time for a lengthy interview from Los Angeles on the real situation in Venezuela from his first-hand experience. What he related is eye-opening.

And it's very different from the line we're being fed by the UK's press, broadcasters, pundits and right-wing MPs - and it's startling from the outset.

You've heard about attempts by the UK Establishment to weaponize Venezuela against Jeremy Corbyn?

When I heard that Jeremy Corbyn had condemned violence on both sides in Venezuela, I was angry at first - because 80% or more of the violence is being committed by anti-government protesters. Their violence has far surpassed anything committed against them - and what has been done to them has been deliberately provoked.

But then I began to recognize the skill in his statement - forcing everyone to confront the reality of what's happening on the ground there. The reality bears little resemblance to what's being presented to people.