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Left inflames tensions further, Muslim civil rights org calls for removal of ALL Confederate references throughout USA

Jon Street
The Blaze
Tue, 15 Aug 2017 17:27 UTC
© Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
The executive director of CAIR, the nation's largest Muslim civil rights organization, called for cities and states to scrub all Confederate references in light of the white supremacist terror attack in Charlottesville, Virginia.
America's largest Muslim civil rights organization is asking state and local governments across the country to remove or change the name of anything named after Confederate sympathizers.

Nihad Awad, national executive director at the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR, told the Daily Caller on Monday that doing so would be a "fitting response" to the deadly domestic terror attack that took place over the weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia.

In that attack, James Fields, an alleged white supremacist, plowed over a group of people on a pedestrian walkway in downtown Charlottesville, killing one woman, 32-year-old Heather Heyer, and injuring 19 others.

White supremacists showed up in Charlottesville to protest the removal of a statue of Robert E. Lee, a Confederate general.

Comment: It doesn't sound like the left is looking for peaceful resolution to the building tensions in the US, instead they're pouring gasoline onto a nasty fire.

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Bell

Charlottesville major declares city "capital of resistance" to Trump

Maggie Servais
The Cavalier Daily
Wed, 01 Feb 2017 12:12 UTC
© Maggie Servais | Cavalier Daily
Charlottesville Mayor Mike Signer said he wants Charlottesville to be a leading city in the resistance against President Trump's executive order.
Hundreds of people gathered on the Downtown Mall Tuesday for a rally in front of Charlottesville City Hall. The event, initiated by Mayor Mike Signer, was a response to President Trump's executive order, "Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States."

Signer declared Charlottesville "a capital of the resistance" against the Trump administration.

The executive order enacted last Friday halts the asylum program for refugees and prevents those who are not American citizens traveling from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Sudan, Somalia, Syria and Yemen from entering the U.S.

Signer, speaking as an individual member of City Council and not on behalf of the council as a whole, expressed his support for immigrants and refugees in Charlottesville. He announced his plans to protect the targeted members of the community, such as providing legal counsel for refugees and handling complaints of harassment.

"This weekend I spoke both with Senators Mark Warner and Tim Kaine and ... they both leaped at the chance to direct their staff to provide specific casework assistance to local refugees who urgently need help and guidance," Signer told the crowd. "I will ask the Charlottesville Human Rights Commission to discuss and address any complaints of xenophobia and religious and ethnic intolerance and harassment in our city."

Signer addressed the legal challenges the city may face in upcoming months and his plans to engage with other local officials to determine solutions.

Comment: Prophetic words?

More on the events in Charlottesville:

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USA

Mostly black group works to protect Confederate statues in Dallas

Jeff Paul
CBS DFW
Mon, 14 Aug 2017 19:32 UTC

Robert E. Lee statue
The debate about Confederate statues in Dallas intensified on Monday as a group made up of predominantly African Americans called for the monuments to remain standing.

Several cities across America have now begun to remove or talk about removing Confederate markers shortly after a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville turned deadly.

Former city council member Sandra Crenshaw thinks removing the statues won't help.

"I'm not intimidated by Robert E. Lee's statue. I'm not intimidated by it. It doesn't scare me," said Crenshaw. "We don't want America to think that all African Americans are supportive of this."

Crenshaw, along with some Buffalo Solider historians and Sons of Confederate Veterans are coming together to help protect the Confederate markers from toppling over in Dallas.

Comment: Hyper-activists target Confederate monuments across U.S. as Baltimore calls for them to be torn down

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Alarm Clock

Test run? Guam residents endure midnight danger alert amid North Korea standoff


RT
Tue, 15 Aug 2017 19:28 UTC
© Erik De Castro / Reuters
A view of Tumon tourist district at dusk on the island of Guam.
On midnight Tuesday, Guamanians were subjected to an emergency radio alert warning them of an unspecified "danger" against the backdrop of North Korean threats on the US territory. Officials revealed, however, that the warning was a false alarm and there was no imminent danger to the island.

The "civil danger warning" was broadcast by two radio stations, a music channel and a Christian network, at 12.25am, alerting listeners to an unspecified threat on Guam. The warning lasted 15 minutes but a statement from Guam Homeland Security and the Civil Defense office said it was a mistake and it was working to ensure "human error will not occur again".

"Residents and visitors are reminded to remain calm, even with the continued unconfirmed reports throughout the media,"said George Charfauros, Guam's Homeland Security Advisor.

"Remember there is no change in threat level, we continue business as usual and know there are US Department of Defense capabilities in place. We continue communication with our federal and military partners and have not received official statement warranting any concern for imminent threat to Guam or the Marianas."
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Clipboard

Swiss hotel accused of anti-Semitism for ordering Jewish guests to shower before swimming

Nina Larson
Yahoo News
Mon, 14 Aug 2017 19:20 UTC
© AFP Photo/Julian Stratenschulte
A Swiss hotel that posted signs telling Jewish clients to shower before using the pool and restricting their access to the facility's freezer has unleashed outrage and official complaints from Israel.

The Paradies apartment hotel in the Alpine village of Arosa in eastern Switzerland is being accused of anti-Semitism after an outraged guest posted to Facebook a picture of a notice plastered outside the hotel pool.

"To our Jewish Guests, women, men and children, please take a shower before you go swimming," it said, adding that "If you break the rules I'm forced to (close) the swimming pool for you."
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Bullseye

Boston's Holocaust Memorial attacked for the second time this summer; bystanders detain rock-throwing teen


RT
Tue, 15 Aug 2017 19:20 UTC
© Brian Snyder / Reuters
Workers clean up broken glass after the Holocaust Memorial was vandalized in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., August 14, 2017, days after a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia turned violent.
A glass panel on the Holocaust Memorial in Boston, Massachusetts, has been vandalized for the second time this summer. A 17-year-old boy is in custody after bystanders held him down until police arrived.

Police were alerted at around 6:40pm Monday. The boy being accused of the damage will be charged with willful and malicious destruction of property.

When police officers arrived on the scene, they found the suspect being held down by two bystanders. According to witnesses, the accused had been seen throwing what appeared to be a rock at the memorial, according to a Boston Police Department report.

The BPD's Civil Rights Unit is also investigating the incident to decide whether or not additional charges will be filed.

Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) took to Twitter to weigh in on the situation.
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Sheriff

Deputies use nunchakus to deliver a beating to inmate's arm

Matt Agorist
The Free Thought Project
Tue, 15 Aug 2017 19:13 UTC
Two Denver Sheriff Department deputies have been suspended following an investigation into the use of excessive force on an inmate under their control. The deputies were seen on video using excessive force against their opponent - a single arm.

Deputy Daniel Trujillo, who's been with the department since 2014, received a 60-day suspension for his role in the incident. Deputy Matthew Hammernik, who has only been with the department since 2016, received an 18-day suspension.

The incident happened last October when deputies were distributing food to inmates. The inmate in question happened to be mentally ill, suicidal, and was known as a problem in the jail. When it came time to get him his food, the inmate stuck his arm through the door and refused to pull it back in.

As seen in the video, once the inmate had his arm through the door, a stand off between the cops and the arm began. Lasting over 5 minutes, the deputies resorted to multiple violent tactics - instead of simply stepping back, calling a supervisor, or just waiting.
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Pistol

Court rules that cop who shot woman in the face was justified

Matt Agorist
The Free Thought Project
Tue, 15 Aug 2017 19:07 UTC
The victim of a police shooting is devastated after the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the officer who shot her in the face for attempting to flee the scene of a traffic stop was justified.

The case has been ongoing for several years and the battle to hold the officer accountable has been uphill at best.

On Nov. 24, 2012, Kristin Biggs Johnson made the poor decision of getting intoxicated and driving her vehicle. The choice to drink and drive, lead police on a chase, and attempt to flee nearly cost her her life.

Johnson was blinded in her left eye when Sgt. Daniel Scott Peay fired into the cab of her pickup truck at the end of a 32-mile high-speed chase that ended in a cul de sac. Despite not have a reason, Peay made the decision to employ deadly force and shot Johnson in her face. Luckily, she was only blinded.

The dashcam video of the incident showed there was no reason to fire at all.
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Umbrella

Trump considering pardoning ex-sheriff Joe Arpaio


RT
Tue, 15 Aug 2017 02:55 UTC
© Carlo Allegri/Reuters
Ex-Sheriff Joe Arpaio, 'America's toughest sheriff'
President Donald Trump is considering pardoning ex-Sheriff Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County, Arizona. Arpaio was convicted of disregarding an Arizona judge's ruling on the policing of undocumented immigrants.

Trump expressed that he didn't agree with the way the ex-sheriff had been treated in regards to his conviction. And on Sunday night, Trump told Fox News, "I am seriously considering a pardon for Sheriff Arpaio. He has done a lot in the fight against illegal immigration. He's a great American patriot and I hate to see what has happened to him," Trump said. "Is there anyone in local law enforcement who has done more to crack down on illegal immigration than Sheriff Joe? He has protected people from crimes and saved lives. He doesn't deserve to be treated this way," Trump added.

The ex-sheriff said he was surprised the president was aware of his legal problems when asked about the possible pardon. "I am happy he understands the case," Arpaio told Fox News. "I would accept the pardon because I am 100 percent not guilty."

On July 31, Arpaio, 85, was convicted of the misdemeanor of contempt of court by US District Judge Susan Bolton. Bolton's ruling stems from the 2011 decision by a federal judge, which stated that Arpaio needed to stop traffic patrols targeting undocumented immigrants. The 2011 ruling also stated latinos were specifically being targeted by Arpaio's policies. Arpaio refused for 17 months to stop the illegal practices while he was still sheriff, which has now led to his conviction. He eventually lost his bid for reelection as sheriff in Maricopa County, Arizona in November 2016.

Comment: Trump's idyllic view of Arpaio does not negate the sheriff's disregard of the law at the time. Perhaps immigrants broke US law and deserved some penance. By not abiding within his legal and civil constraints, Arpaio did so as well.

See below for just a sampling of reports on 'America's Toughest Sheriff:'

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Eye 1

Silicon Valley and the far right - The ideological war

Rob Lever
PhysOrg
Sun, 13 Aug 2017 17:08 UTC

Google and other Silicon Valley giants are increasingly being targeted by the extreme right amid efforts to crack down on what is described as hateful speech
Silicon Valley is finding itself entrenched in battle with the far right over ground rules for the digital world, a conflict that mirrors the polarization of American politics in recent years. The recent firing of a Google engineer for questioning the internet giant's diversity efforts, which ignited a backlash from the "alt-right" and fueled charges of hypocrisy, is just one example.

Facebook has been accused of suppressing conservative voices and skewing information presented in its news feed.

Twitter has banned accounts from far right activists for violating its terms on "hate" speech.

Paypal refused to transmit donations to a group in Europe seeking to turn back refugees, claiming it does not support activities that promote "hate" or "violence."

And even Airbnb canceled accounts ahead of a white nationalist rally for promoting discrimination in violation of the terms of the home-sharing platform.
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