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#and i went to an independent study high school bc of my mental health and let me tell you
prismatoxic · 5 months
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hanamusa artist: (puts screenshots of the wiki pages for jessie and delia under several comics to prove their ages are 25 and 29)
me: surely this isn't necessary. it's in your FAQ, and people can't really be--
me: (looks at the comments of one such post)
me: (look at the comments of yet another one)
me: i think i give the internet too much credit sometimes
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fmddevin · 5 years
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woosh !! so i was trying to keep my ooc identity a surprise until now, but apparently i was stupid and y’all found out before i could get this up so...yay!! anyways, i’ll try to keep this short and simple! i’m jada, and this is my second baby, and the last for a while - mr. daein “devin” kim! he’s 23, the lead vocal & lead dancer of impulse, and an overall mess. he’s got a lot to work out, but i’m excited to see what i can do with him and how he grows & develop! he’s a little more on the chaotic side than micha is, but don’t let it scare you off! i swear i’ve got a plot page coming really soon, like tomorrow, but in the meantime - here’s his profile & bio! i’m more than happy to plot with you, though, so like this for me to hop in your ims!! trivia & some hawaii event ideas / general plot ideas under the cut.~
ok let’s get this started!! i promise to try to make this short & sweet as possible (but you know i’m jada so-). but before i wrote daein’s profile i made like a....3 page bullet summary of what i wanted him to be, so i’m going to be inputting some of those here!! so if it sounds a bit rambly...you know why!
if you’re just here for the event thread ideas, scroll down towards the end, where hawaii event ideas is in bold! <3
born on march 24th, 1996!
parents koreans from seoul, korea. met through a study abroad program @ their college, fell in love with each other and the us! had baby daein, who got plopped in the middle of tampa, florida!
his whooooole childhood felt like he was living in isolation. being one f the only asian-american kids on the block, he definitely felt like an outsider. when he’d bring kimbap, kimchi, or tteokbokki for lunch, they’d always look at him all confused like?? what is that
it made him sad bc he always had felt like his different was a good thing, and he’d been raised to be proud of his culture, but apparently not??
as a sidenote kid misheard his name in middle school and was like “devin?” and he was like “sure that’s it” and started going by that outside of home ever since bc it made him feel more american 
just throughout his whole childhood he was ridiculed for being different, which was really the start of his obsession with other’s satisfaction and being like everyone else!
so he took matters into his own hands, but in the worst way possible. during this time, he went against everything his parents had taught him and essentially rejected his korean culture. he stopped bothering to learn the tidbits of korean they were trying to teach him, never brought up his culture, and kind of distanced himself from his parents. he always was trying to bring up some excuse for why they couldn’t come to events because he was always embarrassed about their english and how different they all looked compared to everybody else. just...not a good time and his parents were very upset w/him
anyways onto happy times!! middle school was when he discovered his passion for dance, hip hop in particular. he would always be so amazed by the dancers at the boardwalk performing and decided that’s what he wanted to do!!
sOooOo he originally started off as being self-taught through videos on youtube, but eventually his parents agreed to let him dance if he a.) promised it wouldn’t mess up his grades and b.) he paid for them his own
and he did!! it was Hard but he made sure his grades were in check & picked up a part-time job at the ice cream parlor near his house to get money. it was minimum wage and he had to wear a cheesy apron with this ice cream cone hat but anyways
he could only afford one lesson a week at the community dance center, but it taught him a lot!!! where he discovered his true passion for dance, and tbh spent more time there than anywhere else
eventually!! he joined a florida dance crew and that’s when his skills really blossomed and people started taking him seriously, basically was there until the beginning of high school
tw: drug and alcohol addiction!
and then high school is when it...all came crashing down. being such a people pleaser, he fell victim to peer pressure. he was scared of being looked down again, because by now he’d formed a name for himself and was pretty popular. so, to continue blending in, started getting heavily into drinking and drugs and just...not good, because he grew really dependent on it and started losing his enthusiasm for everything else. it’s something he continues to struggle with a lot, although it’s mostly drinking nowadays and the only drug he’s involved with on a regular basis is weed?? but he has relapsed and that’s a major reason he needs people around him to keep him stable!!
also the dance team wouldn’t let him back in bc he failed the drug test and his drug spiral just got worse because he had nothing else to focus his energy on.
it was the only thing that really made him feel something other than dance, and now that he was spending all of his money on it he couldn’t even do that.
tw: drug and alcohol addiction - end!
he partially discovered his love for singing after the months he had to go w/o dancing. he really started to enjoy it but only in private because he was Embarrased of what others would think so
his parents were tired of his bs because he was a junior now and they were basically like we’re tired of the people we hang around and you need to be around family, so for spring break they sent him to seoul!!
boy was hEated alr. like i said, wasn’t a fan of his culture, he had to leave his friends who were all going on fun trips, & he knew NOTHING - not the language, the people, anything.
but when he got there??? kind of actually enjoyed it. he got to meet family he’d never met before, picked up a little of the language, all of that. but hongdae??? - that’s what made him really excited.
he never thought of korea to be a very exciting place, until he went there. there were so many other talented dancers and he felt so at home, but unlike in florida, they looked like him!
so this is where it gets a little funny lmao. his family refused to fund his habits but he wanted to go to a club while he was there to have fun and impress girl??? so basically, he went to hongdae, and tried  busking for some extra cash. and he LOVED IT!! for a reference he freestyled to turn up the music by chris brown lol
and it was real fun!! he genuinely had a really good time - but right before he left some random ass man left him a little slip, and he was like ??? and then he asked him his name, and daein barely understood what he said and in english was like “hey i’m devin??” and when the man realized he was like yes!! and daein was like no??? but took the slip anyways and turns out it was an invitation to a gold star audition!!
the second daein read it said kpop he essentially was like “lmao no” and just threw it in his bag. so he went home, and kind of forgot about it all, until a few months after he got home. things weren’t really looking up for him and he really wanted to continue his dance career, he just didn’t know how. he didn’t get accepted to the college he wanted to because of that time his grades had plummeted, and it was hard to land a stable dance job. & his parents were like look if you don’t make this dance thing happen we’re going to throw you into a business job with a suit and tie u need money
and daein!! hates!! corporate!! so he was like hell no and decided to give this idol thing one last chance
so - he submitted a video audition to gold star, and low and behold!! he made it!!
even though this was his saving grace, he really didn’t know what to do about it. because i mean he loved tampa, and he didn’t want to leave?? but when his parents heard the opportunity they were ELATED because they knew dance was the only thing that really put his focus on good things & they wanted him to be in korea with his family and all that. so!! they were like DO IT. and he really had no other choice so he was like uhhhh i guess
flash forward to the end of may!! right after the end of his junior year of school in tampa, he moved to korea to start training. since he had a pretty good experience during spring break of the year before, he expected his life to be better than he’d expected!! but...it was really hard. since he had to live there, and he was only 16, he felt really lost w/o his parents, and his only real family there were his grandparents and cousins he barely every said hi to so that sucked
tw: depression and light substance abuse!
around this time was when he developed signs of depression, just as he started training. because it was when he really discovered that he couldn’t please everybody, something that he’d strived to do his whole life. 
he lacked a support system & didn’t have anyone really close to him to make the transition better, since his parents were back in florida and he could barely hold a conversation with his family in korea. this is a big reason he remained dependent on drinking especially, because it got him out of his funk and to temporarily forget about all that was going on.
because of it, daein started getting less sleep, eating less, and all that. gold star noticed it really soon and got him in touch with a psychiatrist, which, eventually diagnosed him with depression. but it’s not something he goes around telling everyone, he has some evident signs but he probably wouldn’t openly tell more than a couple really close & trusted friends. but gold star has been monitoring his mental health to make sure he’s okay mentally. he takes medication but?? it doesn’t do him much good but they’re always hounding him about it so 
like i said though, he’s a very independent person so he doesn’t like to feel like he’s a burden, which is why he doesn’t want others to know because he feels like they’re gonna pity him!!
tw: depression and light substance abuse! - end
bc of his more tan skin (back in the day from florida, not really anymore) and broken korean, he felt like a foreigner, but also people would mistake him for having korean nationality whenever they would talk to him. so he felt like he couldn’t really fit either mold, because he was out of place in korea and florida. but!! i digress
he felt like he was kind of thrust into who’s next: origin story because by the time it started he had only been a trainee for...4 months?? like it’s crazy & he clearly wasn’t ready, a major reason for him being on the losing end, but he had the loveable foreigner thing going on so he did get a good fanbase!! even though he was criticized for his short training period
i doubt he was a favorite among the trainees because he’s REEEEEALLY introverted,,, especially in social situations where he’s not the most comfortable with people in so i don’t think he was super talkative.
 a big reason he has trouble on variety shows now!! it’s not that he doesn’t like but they’ve kind of turned it into a “mysterious” thing, which is fine to him if it mean he doesn’t have to talk as much
also he hated it because he constantly had to dodge staff & other trainees whenever he wanted to drink or smoke so he was probably always trying to find a way to sneak out when they had any kind of free time
he got a lotlotlot better at singing during training though, though they’re kind of forcing an unnatural tone for his voice which is making him strain and can’t be good for him in the long run but marketing!! so. anyways he loves singing a lot more than he did before, he’d always expected to be just a dancer but they unleashed his potential so!! that’s one thing he really enjoyed about training
basically he’s been marketed as the “sexy foreigner” and he kinda hates it ngl. because while he never was attached to his korean identity, the more he’s been here the more he’s just wanted to be the same as everybody else?? so that’s not helping with anything. he’s always kind of laughed at for being clueless when a joke flies over his head, made to say things in english ALL THE TIME, just all that. it really gets on his nerves bc nowadays he just wants to blend in and they’re not making it any better!!!
it may sound confusing but basically: as a teen he rejected his korean identity to blend in with everyone in florida, now he’s in korea and wants to be known as less of an american to blend it. it all comes down to him wanting to be like everyone else is nearly every aspect!! 
since he feels like he cheated & got to debut way too easy than some others, he’s been trying to develop his creative and performance skills so he can get more credit and make a name for himself due to his actual abilities rather than just,, him being american lmao!! also trying super super hard to get as good as he can at korean
tw: drug and alcohol addiction!
he still has some trouble getting around & he still feels lost, but he’s trying his best. struggling through his alcohol addiction, which bc is mildly aware about but really trying to keep quiet and he’s been on the verge of leaving more than a few times. but as quiet as he is about it, he really relies on his members a lot to keep himself afloat!! so he appreciates them putting through his shit a lot of the time more than he'll admit.
 tw: drug and alcohol addiction! - end
but rn he’s getting better, slightly, focusing more of his energy into music than anything. he really wants to get into the songwriting industry to get a name for himself on his own instead of just being known for impulse!!
just  as a fyi since it’s a bit confusing his birth name is daein, he went by devin when he lived in america, but he goes by daein again now that he’s in korea, but his stage name is still devin and that’s what his friends from america call him. he prefers to be called daein nowadays, though, so that’s probably the safest best!
also this has not been short at all but anyways
hawaii plots!
he likes to drink & get high way too much and what better place than to do that then on vacation?? he’s been trying to stop, but look, it’s vacation and he’s unwinding and if your muse is down they can both have fun!!
such. an. introvert. even more than micha, because 80% of his interactions by choice come from his group?? but i would love to get him some new friends (especially since he literally has none right now lol)
he’s a bit of a hoe ngl so!! hookups are accepted, that’s the one time he’s not afraid of striking up conversation!!
he’s in the red team so like micha, if you’re members in the red team he could use some buddies to be with!!
someone to explore the island with during the night!
general plots!
he lives in an apartment my himself atm, but a roommate would be lovely!! he needs someone to put him out of his funk, anyways. 
drinking buddies ofc
trainee friends? someone who wasn’t put off by him being super quiet and befriended it and he’s super grateful nowadays? 
give me all the angst & romance because he’s a handful, seriously, phew
besties!! someone that makes him soft and happy bc there are few people who make him super happy & excited, so someone fill in the gap!
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Take Your Medication
I’m a college freshman in my second semester. I’ve been struggling with depression and ADHD for who knows how long, but I was diagnosed(i think? idk if it was official) in my freshman year of high school and given medication for it sometime in my senior year.
I didn’t take the medication very often. I started off strong, taking the ADHD medication especially to get me through classes and make sure the dosage lasted me to sixth period, my worst class at the time. But over the summer I stopped because I decided that the positive effects didn’t make up for the side effects: a lack of appetite and dry mouth.
Below the keep reading is my experience with mental illnesses and medication. It’s long. tl;dr If you have access to medication, take it. It helps. And make sure the dosage is right for you
 I’ve never been a bad student. Aside from failing algebra 2 in freshman year (ive never been good at “advanced” math, it was an IB class so even worse, and even better students agreed that the teacher was awful), I’ve gotten at worst 1-2 C’s per year. But since middle school I’ve found myself unable to pay attention, preferring to think about the book I want to read or the game I want to play or even just something else I started learning about. I figured out how to get by with finished homework and average tests. But I took about 6 AP tests in high school and only passed one, because I couldn’t study well enough to retain all the information I learned and forgot over the course, or pay attention to the exam to finish the multiple choice, or have enough foundation in the subject to write an essay that mattered at all.
This point in my life has almost certainly been my worst, depression-wise. I only live about twenty minutes away from my parents’ house, and I go home every weekend so I’m not just alone in my apartment for three days straight, but I’m still isolated during the week. My friends that are still in high school are busy with classes and extracurriculars and meeting with friends they still see everyday and very few of them have their own cars to drive up to visit me, and my friends in college are all busier than ever, all going to school anywhere from 15 minutes to like four hours away. My bad days are worse and happen more often and can span into bad weeks. I tend to write at best 1 page of notes after about 2 1/2 hours of classes a week, and drain my phone battery down to the sixties because I don't pay attention in lectures on subjects I’m not interested in. 
In high school I couldn’t wait for college, because I could choose my classes and the times and had the opportunity to make friends! But I realized I’m bad at making friends; I made one friend in kindergarten, when times were simpler, and all my lasting relationships (aside from my online friends, whom I treasure dearly) can be attributed to that one friendship. (I actually made a flowchart during class when another student was presenting, and I had the energy and motivation because I actually took my meds today!)
All this personal information about my Bad Times™ is to make you understand how much I needed to take my medication. But I don’t have classes everyday, so I didn’t think that taking ADHD meds everyday was worth it, and I (incorrectly) recalled that taking the depression meds didn’t help me enough to validate taking it everyday, instead only when it got really bad, but that plan didn’t work because when my depression is bad I don’t even have enough energy to text back or walk like four steps total to get my laptop, let alone walk to the bathroom and get the pills. 
So I didn’t take it, besides from when I worked my first 8-hour shifts at my first job. And those side-effects were extreme, because my body wasn’t used to these meds that were incredibly high in dosage because that’s what I need. I felt nauseous and dizzy enough to faint and went to the back room like four times an hour for a drink of water and it was still way less than I wanted. And I still didn’t learn my lesson about how the side-effects would get easier to handle if I took them more, but worse if I only took them on worst-case bases. I was thinking more in the moment about how bad I felt then, rather than about how I could feel better in the future if I pushed through.
I had a series of awful days, just last week. I cried several tears with no clear cause, only my own thoughts and boredom and depression, which means a lot in relation to me because I don’t cry. I watched Dear Evan Hansen and The Prom live, both with the original cast, and only cried a total of five tears at most, despite how these musicals and their subject matters are very dear to me. It was a bad week that came out of nowhere, nothing extraordinarily bad happened. I did the same thing as always, if not more. But still, it was a very bad week, because I was experiencing the heavy depression and it didn’t go away after I fell asleep. I don’t have classes on Wednesdays this semester; I have a lab on Mondays, and three lectures in a row on Tuesdays and Thursdays because I learned last semester that having enough leisure time to chill in my apartment for several hours between classes only makes going to the later class way more tedious. I usually get picked up by one of my parents on Thursdays while whichever of them it is drives home from work that day. That week I was lucky to have my Thursday classes cancelled, so I got picked up a day early. 
Being home is good for my health, adding it all up. It makes me a bit insecure about being independent, but fuck that I’m only 18 and I love my parents, I don’t need to be completely independent yet. Being home only improved when @pointlessoressential moved in with me; having someone so similar to me in regards of being content sitting and doing our own thing without the expectation to have something to Do™  all the time. It’s good for me, to have someone around me so I don’t get too isolated, but also not too overwhelmed. I’m usually pretty open with my mom, too, so being with her during the weekend and being able to talk with her or watch some easy TV together is good. I’ve never been very good at opening up to people; my main characterization with friends I’m not as close with is sarcasm and puns and whatever other humor to distract both of us from personal issues. I’ve been trying to get better, with help and reminders from the aforementioned bee and mom, as well as my best friend (who yes my meeting of and bonding with can indirectly be connected to that kindergarten friend, if you were wondering) who is much more skilled at telling me about her feelings than I am. But I’m trying. So I told my mom about how I had been having a bad week, once I got home.
My mom has dealt with depression her whole life, too. Most of her life she thought she also had anxiety, but when I was diagnosed with ADHD, the psychiatrist who had prescribed me the medications I take explained to both of us that ADHD in afab people (I'd say women bc my mom is cis but I'm nonbinary, so afab people) can be misdiagnosed as anxiety bc it’s different from what TV shows it to be, and the reactive anxiety (as opposed to constant, causeless anxiety from an anxiety disorder) is a symptom of ADHD. She’s dealt with the same issues all her life, so I go to her often when I hit the wall.
She told me to take the medication. I said I didn’t like the side-effects. She bought me mouthwash that helps dry mouth and a box of Rice Krispies Treats so I can eat something small but filling when I lose my appetite. She reminded me that the side-effects would improve if I took the medication more often. I am privileged in that I had the opportunity to see a doctor for my issues and be able to afford (even if barely) my medication, and I should take advantage of that instead of taking it for granted.
This is a long post, sharing my personal story about having mental illnesses, and how medication helps. It may not feel like it took effect, but then it’ll wear off and you’ll realize the difference. It’s better to feel stable, to feel “normal” for most of the day, than to get used to feeling awful. I took my medication this morning before class; I’ve taken about five hours to write this whole thing, due to having begun it before one lecture started, then continuing it during another while also listening to my professor review the first five chapters of Return of the King and discuss it with us. And now I’m in my apartment, on my laptop, switching between ending this PSA and checking on due dates and reviewing my calendar and just being 10 times more productive than I ever am.
I don’t know if anyone will need this advice. I don’t know how many will even click the read more. But this is a blog site, and this is something I’m trying to learn and have it remembered. It’s something I needed to put into words, and now it is.
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realtalk-princeton · 3 years
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I'm a frosh who was planning on doing a course at a local university over the summer. My mental health is literally the worst it's ever been and at this point I feel it might just be more beneficial to take a break and not do anything over the summer. Would that be bad? Should I really push for that summer course or do some sort of independent studying/prep on my own or even get a job instead of taking a break?
Response from River:
only you can decide for sure what you can handle this summer, and if it’s doing nothing, then maybe that’s what you should do. i definitely know a couple people who just went home and hung out/went back to their old lifeguard/waitress/etc jobs for their freshman summer, and that was well before the pandemic. it wasn’t the end of the world for them, career-wise or anything-wise; you’re still only a frosh!
that said: i’m curious about what the class is and why you were planning on taking it. for example, if it’s a bse prereq (which comes to mind since you use the word “prep”), and the past year has adversely affected your mental health, i wonder if it might in fact be in your interest to take this class so that you don’t have to take the princeton version. the fact that it’s one summer course at a local university might mean that it will be less time-consuming than 3-5 intense courses in a princeton-length semester (so you might get breathing room this summer anyway, as compared to what this year has felt like), and presumably less challenging than the princeton version of the course (so you’d also be securing a little break for yourself during sophomore year). if you don’t feel like this applies to your situation feel free to ignore.
i also wonder if you might end up getting really bored over the summer/losing some productivity inertia with nothing to do. that certainly happened to me just transitioning from high school to college - i did nothing that summer bc i felt like it would be my last summer to truly do that, and getting back into school mode was difficult. do you think this could happen to you if you did absolutely nothing? sometimes the prospect of doing nothing is really inviting when you’re overwhelmed, but can lead to a new kind of distress when you’re in it (“what am i doing with my life?” kinda thoughts). if you think you might be prone to that, even if you don’t end up taking the class, would you want to find some part-time activity (a job, volunteering) to keep you occupied, accountable to someone other than yourself/your parents, and feeling somewhat “productive”?
these are just some thoughts i had, but of course, like i said, i also think it would be ok for you to do nothing this summer if that’s what feels right
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yyikeyike2 · 3 years
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I need a good rant
I AM SO FUCKING DONE WITH MY FAMILY!!
I get that I choose this life and choose the people I would call my flesh and blood but they're pathetic. No matter how much I try to be something they want I failed and now that I’ve reached the stage of not giving a fuck apparently I’m still failing. AND IT PISSES ME THE FUCK OFF. 
I won’t say that I’m the easiest to get along with bc I’m not but I don’t believe I’m the worst to get along with. I try so hard to avoid conflict or to keep myself out of unnecessary arguments that serve me no purpose but I really don’t give a damn anymore. I don’t want to finish my degree I don’t want to continue living with my Aunt and my mom or even my fucking grandma (tbh the only person I can tolerate but even she has a breaking point for me). 
All they've ever cared about is how I look and how much money I have to support them. My dreams to them are childish my own aunt thinks she's better than me because she has some internalized hatred for our family and acts like a mediator the funny part is I’m supposed to always give in. Not my mom who by the way constantly takes my money, hit me so much for “discipline”, and then to always put me down for not waddling in her fucking footsteps. 
I say this all the time but they expected an empty doll to dress up and to follow what they believe. I’m supposed to be whatever they want but the moment I set myself for a prize they don’t believe I can do it. They don’t want to see me fail that it makes me want to fail just to see the hatred they hide on their face. 
Its intoxicating, because I’m so self destructive since no one cared about my opinion or what I thought they all always assumed I was weak because I avoided conflict and kept quiet at their taunts. They assume I was weak because I never got down to there level. 
And. I’m. over. it. 
As soon as I get my apartment they better not expect anything from me. I don’t owe them a got damn thing because all I ever got is the bare minimum of respect and high expectation that I could never reach because I will never be the child they so wished for me to be. 
Whenever my Aunt introduces me to someone its either “she talks white doesn’t she” or she goes on a long rant about how I cut my hair and no longer wear makeup like I uses too. She believes I’m broken that the person she used to knew was the perfect version of me. 
But I’m not broken yeah I got a few cracks and my scars aplenty but I’m not broken they’ve never broken I have never given them the chance too. That person she so dearly misses was only a empty shell with pretty paint and glitter. The Person I am now feels more real than anything. I’ve never felt freer yeah I still have some kinks to work through but I feel a lot better than I was before. Before I kept silent bitting my tongue knowing that once I left the people who tormented me would present themselves in my life as useless. A distant memory waiting to be forgotten. I was tormented nearly everyday by strangers, by my own friends and even my own family. I felt like I had no one on my side but I was aways on theirs because I was so lonely having to be everything everyone wanted. 
My grandma called me and I told her how annoyed I was that my aunts treating me like her 24/7 maid service and all she could say is you could always come back here and after I told her I can’t because I'm trying to move out she responded the same way “whatever you want” and tho that may seem like a supportive answer its not. I know she like everyone else is in a disagreement of me striving for independence. Even when my mom called me earlier she talking about how we’ve reached the cap for me to get financial aide since she going to college at the same time. She tried to put the blame on me because my school so expensive but that's such bullshit. She knew I always wanted to go to art school she knew that no matter what I do I wasn’t going to try and be an artist and she knew that wouldn’t be cheap. 
I’m always to blame when something doesn't go right for them. I’m always to blame when they have to do something for me. It's crazy right that my family hides their distaste for having to support me in life. That its my fault my mother got pregnant and decided to keep me. That its my fault I needed food, love, and clothes to survive. It was like as soon as I turned 10 I was expected to string the stars for them that I was expected to be they're saving grace from poverty. 
I won't even dive into the fact that my mom tries to one up me at everything I do or tries to downplay it since she never got the chance to do it herself. I didn't;t get made at her for going to college during my highschool year or when she forced me to fly down during my finals to come support her for college. I didn't get mad when she constantly called for money even thought she had a full time job and lived in a way cheaper ecomeny than me when I went to school in New York. 
I didn't complain when my aunt only gave me $100 to survive off of for two weeks but refused to allow me to get a job. They didn't want me to work even though they knew how expensive it is to live in NYC. I was expected to make it work and to focus on my studies but how can you focus on life when your constantly never finished your meals because you don't know when the next will come. To have to beg your friends for food to then have them hate you because you never have money. 
And to then be hated because when your life was going to shit the only relief you had was a gram of weed because at least when you were high things where funny again and smiling didn't seem that hard. 
But to later be treated like an addict by your friends and them mad at you bc you never seem happy in life. How to find the words of happiness when hunger was around the corner and then those said friends tell you to get a job but no matter where you applied they never hired you. I couldn't find work and when I did I got bullied there too always told I wasn't doing a good job when I did my best. 
To then try to seek mental health but your financial aide screws you over and now your in $1000 worth of debt but all you wanted was to be happy again to bring some light in an empty shell. 
And when the world seemed to turn on me more the only escape my art soon turned its way against me. My professor and classmates going out fo they're way to not like my work because its now how they would do it. But to then either copy my idea and make it they're own. 
Its funny when people tell you your not good enough but still strive off your efforts what's the purpose of trying if you know that no one will see it and instead taught you for your failure but to steal from you and constantly receive the praise you thought you should get. 
To never be appreciated but to always be used. Like a doll ready to play house but always the most abused too were they don't want to play with you anymore they rather give you away. Because who wants to play with an old beat up doll.
Would you try to succeed in life when you where only met by failure yet you know deep in your soul that this isn't the way you should be living that you always knew that you where meant for more than this cheap dollhouse they call a home. 
I've never experienced a real home. I don't think I even know what that is, I don’t understand compassion or kindness or love or what's it like to have friends. I’m constantly being shoved into a light when I don't feel ready. 
Don’t even get me started on being ready. Everyone looks at me and expects I have the world in my hand some have called me manipulative a terrible person but even I don’t think of them as jealous or hate them for it because I'm constantly blaming myself for other peoples mistakes.
I’m living a life that I don’t even think I want anymore... but I promised myself I’d give it a year. If I couldn't change they way I live with in a year then I simply accept defeat and move on to the next life to try again. 
if I never get happy in this life or even better than what I was before than I hope in the next life I will have found some source of happiness that it wouldn't be this hard again. it can't be. 
Is this all that's left in my life is this my only purpose to be the front door mat for a bunch of assholes, to be used but never  respected. I hope not because I rather not be born to be someone servant. 
-A
0 notes
dwdelaney-blog · 5 years
Text
apr2019
https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=1p2j-CCi3_fu7HnEvCHB9Am3hS7GGMnwm
timeline 2019
- intro - several sections - 2019 analysis
- mm sportstalkmans - dm nsa - hart basketball - greco baise vala - we knew it all along - addiction frame mental illness frame - they knew theyd lose - shark smere -  and see generally trump elected on a platform of fucking w/ me - note esp usccb pres named kurtz from louisville - baise leaves for ideas illinois - laffers silly - mark denzler - 2p - topaz - ii - whigs - wide awakes Timeline 2019 - brings new info into old sites - important links b/t pages Focus - "hot coffee" mcds poison - corp liability - chamber ic - cringeworthy - scrp says "treatment" - addiction frame - mental illness - 2019 analysis says they knew theyd lose - what does that mean - given the facts - scso jail etc - xa fop "enablers" and caths * wojcicki - this page links the others together - xa month named sites - esp month where it was suggested I won in court -and see esp 4 mo period without posting to web 2019 - Things to add from recent events - sanctuary cities - denver riggleman bigfoot porn - emoji the movie - roddavis & eric hall - dirt - bmsk - roger stones - trump cabinet perry et al - russian collusion -
Spk Spkattys - spkgop - inginspk - carlson
see generally link to slu spitzer - new guy at usccb - paprocki wojcicki - sheriffs - pence antique mall - fop - roth dragoo - vigilantism - color - shgfootball - xa carlson analysis links kaiser to tx - hurwitz seidl - hotubtom - note esp inginspk ovp - sere & 2019 update haspel rewarded destruction of video in spk - now dci - xa basketball analysis mark few Tx Tx22 - galveston - donna - texas
Updates - perry is dir - agricolae
Fla
Sd
California - sd - oclincs -
Spfld
xa street names - and see generally fox simpsons - ailes - cletus
Spfld is sang cty - big picture - scb - scrp - erve - libri - 33rd - ierc - chamber - cl&e - nabors - riggleman - dustin does porn - scso - spd - sfd 37 - xa political
Political
Scrping - ierc - spfldconsulting - youngrepublicans - scsodefendants - williamsonvicari - dirt - partisanbadgers - ilfopngaoi - teaparty - publicrelations -
Orgs
Orgs includes caths and other nationwide/regional influences involved in the background of the case - following - coordination - communication - recruitment - matls methods etc - and see esp fraternal orgs ie kc and po - fop - this would include gop but im placing that on a separate page
- caths - wal - mcds - wm - guards wackenhut - securitas - fop - labor liuna ibt et al - dod - Im thinking of making this its own page - I think a lot of people involved in this may be deps or reserve - big picture distinction b/t corp/dod and other - chamber
Legal
Big picture legal timeline -
I have to leave spk dec 03/jan 04 - very bad - I just start driving south - complained to faculty at gu - didnt help
Spring and summer in tx - galv area - spring 04 tried complaint at hou pd- went to galv - aug 04 tried to file in galv - no luck - have to go to spfld
Go to spfld - file case - pro se - ifp - Write questions - bring them the people I want to answer them - nothing - complaint at county starts 2005 runs to 2006
I appeal and the page mentions the time and place of the appeals as well as the docs themselves - appls run to about 2008 at ussc
See esp - Docs - consider also voice recorder - see also gmail and saved docs like interrogatories
Legal involves doj and my complaint - I may split these but im keeping this here til I start adding things to the page - importantly - 2006 seems to play a large role in legal situation - complaint filed in 2005 - usattys - goss bails - cofer black also leaves to work for fresh prince - cunningham - cifa - scooter
Political links to the locations and publicrelations and partisanbadgers - spfld is key - scrp - scso jail - scb - ierc - yrs - gopattys - burkhart -
Tx - 2004 ifp - usarec - ororke longies is gwb link - homicidal threats frame - perry - usss copeland - threats also gwb - xa spk link carlson - txgop johnson - sere guy - shark smear -
Spfld
Sites under spfld - scrping - ierc - scsodefendants - spdefendants -note irv moves to ftl - note spfld links to other places ie kevin vann in ft worth - hanson locations - carlyle in spi - chigop - spfldconsulting
This where I would point out that it wasnt til later that scso put me in jail for no reason - I dont remember the year but I think it was after my last legal appeal - paper notes start in tx in 04 - cant remember when page started - start page around time case - maybe later - they put me in jail after the case - if I could remember when they did that it might explain other events in the timeline
4/5
wpp - h/k - omnimedia - Omnicom - Fleischman Hillard - mercury public affairs - terry nelson - duane Gibson - wal - smiley - tlg - Garfield - Wilkinson - copper green - blessing swift - Ackermann - fl - brooks bros - duane the rock was at ftl - xa stone - irv - xa bc 04 - kjell - chigop - pr - wpp - inginspk - dod - Petraeus - petra - optics - troop surge - sere guy - rock man - paprocki - Charles Dutton - bonilla - Carlyle tx - longies - ororke - phone calls - terr frame - homicidal threats frame - perry is cabinet
4/8
Part of the 2019 add to the site is following some people
Starting w/ these 4 people rove cambone perry agag
The rove  stuff is linked at crossroads as reticle crosshairs and 24/7 - the new stuff is american crossroads which is a reference to  ac - operant
4/10
Denver riggleman
Denver eagleman - air force - forced air - hvac - operant cond - ann colder - academies - consent as legal strategy - they knew theyd lose - cringeworthy - ecole - kohls - ipi - baise - denzler - facio - make america - facere usa - xa boulder rock - mu - roddavis - eric hall - wojcicki - ilfopngaoi roth dragoo - rauner kingmaker - greco baise vala - dont piss on my head and tell me its rainin
Resistance to Trump vs. bipartisanship: Starkly different missions drive Virginia congressional hopefuls
Laura Vozzella Washingtonpost.com. (Sept. 21, 2018): Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 The Washington Post Listen Full Text: Byline: Laura Vozzella MADISON, Va. -- Democrat Leslie Cockburn vowed to resist President Trump while Republican Denver Riggleman promised "common sense" and bipartisanship as the rivals for the 5th Congressional District seat met for their second debate Thursday. Cockburn, a former "60 Minutes" producer, and Riggleman, a former Air Force intelligence officer and craft distillery owner, are political newcomers vying for the seat being vacated by freshman Rep. Thomas Garrett (R). Garrett announced in May that he is an alcoholic and would abandon his run for a second term so he could focus on recovery and his family. From her opening statement to her closing an hour later, Cockburn invoked Trump as the driving force behind her bid. "I am one of those women who stood up because Donald Trump came into office," she said at the outset. She wrapped up by declaring that "2018 is a blue wave, and it is a wave for women." Unless Democrats retake power, she said, "we are going to lose our democracy because we have people in power who have no respect for institutions." Riggleman took a markedly different tack, contending throughout the hour-long debate that he would bring a willingness to work across the aisle in Washington. Riggleman, who ran unsuccessfully for governor last year, traces his entry into politics to his battles with government bureaucracy and entrenched liquor interests as he opened Silverback Distillery in 2014. He said his goal was to make the system work for ordinary people. "Actually, Leslie and I agree on a few things," he said when the discussion turned to health care, noting that they both believe it is a primary issue. "I don't think we need an Obamacare. I don't think we need a Trumpcare. I think we need a 'Bipartisancare.'" As for Trump, Riggleman said he would support the president's policies when they benefit the district, and oppose them when they don't. He called Trump's tariffs a mixed bag -- benefiting some farmers but hurting others. The candidates appeared before a packed auditorium at Madison County High School, with supporters on each side sporting offbeat T-shirts that sought to make light of campaign controversies. Some Cockburn supporters wore shirts emblazoned with "Semites for Leslie," an attempt to push back on allegations, based on a book she co-authored that was highly critical of Israel, that she is anti-Semitic. Some of her backers also wore shirts that played off the slogan used by Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state who lost to Trump in 2016: "I'm with Leslie."
Some Riggleman fans wore shirts with an image of Bigfoot plastered on a Virginia map.
                "Riggleman '18," they read. "You have to believe!"
It was a reference to a satirical book that Riggleman wrote -- before running for office -- about the mating habits of Sasquatch. Riggleman and Cockburn are competing to represent a largely rural district that stretches from wealthy Washington exurbs to struggling communities on the North Carolina line. Trump won the 5th by 11 points in 2016, even as Clinton took the state by more than five points. Amid a blue wave the next year, Republican gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie won the district by nine points, even though Democrat Ralph Northam won Virginia overall by the same nine-point margin. Independent analysts rate the race as "leans Republican." The debate was moderated by Stephen Farnsworth, a University of Mary Washington political scientist and director of the Center for Leadership and Media Studies. Farnsworth would throw out a broad topic and then give each candidate the chance to speak for a few minutes. "What would you do to address education?" he asked at one point. Cockburn responded that if Democrats could flip control of the House, Rep. Robert C. "Bobby" Scott (D-Va.) would become chairman of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and that would improve "the education system." She called for universal pre-kindergarten, saying it would help narrow the achievement gap between low-income children and their more affluent peers. She also called for tuition-free community college. She did not put a price tag on the pre-K or college plan. Riggleman said children who attend underperforming schools should have the right to transfer to a better one, although he didn't explain how that would work. He also said he opposes linking education funding to standardized test scores -- a practice Congress ended three years ago. He said that he wants to offer tax credits to families that home-school their children and that the credit would equal the average per-student cost of education in the local school district. Asked after the debate if that would drain tax revenue used for public education, he said: "It would make the public schools have to be a little bit more competitive, wouldn't it? And really, not a whole lot of people home-school. I think we're talking about a very small slice of the population." Cockburn declined to take questions after the debate. "I'm not going to do an interview right now," she said.
Congressman Denver Riggleman elected to serve on two Financial Services Subcommittees US Official News. (Feb. 4, 2019): Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 Plus Media Solutions Listen Full Text: Washington: Office of the MP Denver Riggleman has issued the following news release: Congressman Denver Riggleman (R-VA) was elected to two subcommittees on the House Committee on Financial Services this morning. Congressman Riggleman was named Vice-Ranking Member for the Subcommittee on National Security, International Development, and Monetary Policy and will also serve on the Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Financial Institutions. "It is an honor to be selected to serve on these prestigious subcommittees," said Congressman Riggleman. "I will use my position on these committees to fight for 5th district consumers and small businesses. As a small business owner, I understand the burden unnecessary regulation can cause and I plan to help push legislation through that promotes economic freedom." Congressman Riggleman is the only freshman Republican to be named a ranking member on a subcommittee, which puts him in a good position to produce legislation to help the 5th district. The Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Financial Institutions is considered one of the most prestigious subcommittees on the
Financial Services Committee.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition) "Congressman Denver Riggleman elected to serve on two Financial Services Subcommittees."
Congressman Denver Riggleman Recommended to House Financial Services CommitteeTargeted News Service. (Jan. 17, 2019):Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 Athena Information Solutions Pvt. Ltd.http://targetednews.com/Full Text: WASHINGTON, Jan. 16 -- Rep. Denver Riggleman, R-Virginia, issued the following news release:
Yesterday, Congressman Denver Riggleman (VA-05) was recommended by the Republican Steering Committee to serve on the House Financial Services Committee, one of only four exclusive Committees in Congress.
"I am honored by this appointment and thankful for the opportunity to serve the 5th district on the House Financial Services Committee," said Congressman Riggleman. "As a small business owner, I learned firsthand the problems that are caused by overreaching government regulation. On this committee, I will fight for the economic freedom of consumers and small businesses across the 5th district."
Ranking Republican Member Patrick McHenry said, "As a business owner, Denver can provide critical input and expertise to the Financial Services Committee. I'm glad to see him, and his fellow freshman members, recommended to join so we can continue to build on the gains we've already achieved for hardworking taxpayers. I thank him for his continued service to our country and look forward to working alongside him in the 116th Congress.
4/11
ICYMI: CHENEY: DEMOCRATS SHOULD STAGE AN INTERVENTION WITH THE SPEAKER States News Service. (Jan. 24, 2019): Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 States News Service Listen Full Text: WASHINGTON -- The following information was released by House Republican Conference Chairmen Liz Cheney: Chris Martin Today, House Republican Conference chair
Liz Cheney called on House Democrats to stage an intervention with Speaker Nancy Pelosi over her irrational, destructive actions
and her refusal to negotiate an end to the shutdown: Republican Conference Chair Liz Cheney: "We are here, as you all know, still in shutdown mode, still in a situation where the Democrats won't even talk It is absolutely untenable and unreasonable for them not to even come to the table and I really hope that the Democrats will recognize soon the damage that Speaker Pelosi's doing to their party, that she's doing to this institution, that she's doing to the House of Representatives, and to the United States by absolutely refusing to negotiate, by doing something nobody's ever done before, cancelling the State of the Union appearance of the President. I think it's time for the Democratic party to have an intervention with the Speaker and ask her to do what's right for the nation, what's right for their party, and what's right for this institution. We hope they will come to the table, but we have not seen any indication that they're even willing to be
4 12
Whos extortng who
The excuse theyre using is the addiction frame. They have to claim consent. Thats what they claimed at trial and its why I write this page. They know its not true. they say I consent and wont listen when I say I dont. For years theyve tried to gather evidence to support their claim. All efforts have failed. Instead the evidence has shown the chem and theother actions of the defs arent trying to help
4/13
Its the same argument they lost so badly at trial. All this time - since the trial. I guess there was a trial. Theyve continued to do the same thing that constituted the basis of the original claim. A lot of happened around 2005 - 2006. That fits the legal timeline of my first complaint - as ive talked about - they say I consent - I dont. 953. no means no. For all the effort that is spent watching me - following me everywhere I go. When I say something specifically about whether I consent to their "treatment" - they dont want to hear it. How many pages how many years is it going to take
Apr17
Riggleman denzler
cheney comment re intervention & extortion - addiction frame - issue at trial - cringeworthy - usattys - rove - agag - legal timeline of my complaint - note esp handwritten notes - offered in person - made while in spfld - 2004 - 2005 - 2006 - complaints made in writing and brought to cdil office in person - complaints also made at spfld fbi office - I couldnt get anyone to answer my questions - that I sent as interrogatories - I asked for people to investigate my complaint - as early as 2004 - see also complaint at hpd and complaint at spd dia - note esp guys running dia - stone at kopec at kopec stone - link to about schmidt - pbpa5 - links from po to mp - 233 - 183 fw - fuel specialists - denver eagle man - ecole - ipi - lincoln era gop - ierc - wide awakes - link from ing to scrp - austin is adj genl - apptd by - cellinis wife - I cant make this stuff up - 404 chem batt is celleti - cl&e - kcs are - gk karl kemme - how to train your dragon - terr frame - op - sleep deprivation - mrt addictionframe - dirt - nix alums - thompson alums - springfieldconsulting - cellini blessac ift - xa hardy pisano liuna isea 2002 - deposition for dennispmoore collision - hardy caruso steil durako - veseling - xa shgfootball - blagoliuna - schaive anda herr cutt - nethercutt - kaiser carlson - gallatin seidl hurwitz - hotubtom - pesticides - op tyle man - paprocki at ipi - mustache - liuna furman milburn - furman schuh - wojcicki - hendren - sheriffs - ilfopngaoi - roth dragoo - tea party - xa h/k usccb spk - spkattys - spkgop - timeline - james elmer mitchell - swimmers - sharktopus - panther - samuel charles - sharmin at the y - ad - riggle waivering - torriceli - wharton - carnduff - ecks - bw - lrs cis - bw is busted hard - xe - citic - note esp joe cofer hire afterdo job and job at state - he fits timeline - so does the goss bail -
Opioid is a reference to me - op is dod talk for chem - organophosphates - its the same stuff thats in pesticides and insecticides - bobentomology - hotubtom - huizenga servicemaster - chemlawn - xa terminix team nix - team mack - steering comte puts riggle man on financial services - liz gets a job in ldrshp - thats the 2019 analysis - theyre not sorry - are they - they knew I wasnt a terrorist - and they know im not addicted to drugs or alcohol -
Whos extorting who
Congressman Denver Riggleman, Rep. Trone Announce Freshmen Working Group on Addiction US Official News. (Feb. 16, 2019): Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 Plus Media Solutions Listen
Full Text:
Washington: Office of the MP Denver Riggleman has issued the following news release: Congressman Denver Riggleman announced today that he would be joining the Freshmen Working Group on Addiction, a bipartisan group working to find and promote policies that will help end the opioid addiction crisis in this country. Started by Democratic Rep. David Trone of Maryland, the group is a place where freshman members have come together in an effort to find workable policies that can help make a difference in the fight against opioid addiction. The group is made up of 36 members of the newly-elected freshman class, including members from both parties and all corners of the nation. "The crisis of opioid addiction affects all people, regardless of race, sex, religion, ethnicity, financial status or political party affiliation. Fighting to end the scourge of opioids isn't a political issue, it's a human issue," said Congressman Riggleman. "I am proud to be in this working group of freshman members who are committed to taking real steps to address this crisis in a bipartisan and actionable way." Congressman David Trone, the group's founder added: "Over a third of the freshman class has joined this bipartisan group that understands the importance of coming together to fight the addiction problem in our country. With 192 deaths every day, my colleagues and I are ready to fight back. I'm looking forward to working with Congressman Riggleman to bring fresh eyes and new ideas to take action against this epidemic." As part of the working group, Members will meet on a regular basis to hear from experts and stakeholders, make site visits to institutions focusing on research and treatment, and promote legislation in order to tackle the epidemic. Current members of the Freshmen Working Group on Addiction include Reps. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND), Tim Burchett (R-TN), Gil Cisneros (D-CA), Ben Cline (R-VA), TJ Cox (D-CA), Angie Craig (D-MN), Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), Jason Crow (D-CO), Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Antonio Delgado (D-NY), Lance Gooden (R-TX), Deb Haaland (D-NM), Jahana Hayes (D-C), Katie Hill (D-CA), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ), Susie Lee (D-NV), Mike Levin (D-CA), Ben McAdams (D-UT), Dan Meuser (R-PA), Chris Pappas (D-NH), Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA), Denver Riggleman (R-VA), Max Rose (D-NY), Donna Shalala (D-FL), Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ), Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), Bryan Steil (R-WI), Van Taylor (R-TX), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI),
Lori Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition) "Congressman Denver Riggleman, Rep. Trone Announce Freshmen Working Group on Addiction."
US Official News, 16 Feb. 2019. Infotrac Newsstand Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 Plus Media Solutions Full Text:
Washington: Office of the MP Denver Riggleman has issued the following news release: Congressman Denver Riggleman announced today that he would be joining the Freshmen Working Group on Addiction, a bipartisan group working to find and promote policies that will help end the opioid addiction crisis in this country. Started by Democratic Rep. David Trone of Maryland, the group is a place where freshman members have come together in an effort to find workable policies that can help make a difference in the fight against opioid addiction. The group is made up of 36 members of the newly-elected freshman class, including members from both parties and all corners of the nation. "The crisis of opioid addiction affects all people, regardless of race, sex, religion, ethnicity, financial status or political party affiliation. Fighting to end the scourge of opioids isn't a political issue, it's a human issue," said Congressman Riggleman. "I am proud to be in this working group of freshman members who are committed to taking real steps to address this crisis in a bipartisan and actionable way." Congressman David Trone, the group's founder added: "Over a third of the freshman class has joined this bipartisan group that understands the importance of coming together to fight the addiction problem in our country. With 192 deaths every day, my colleagues and I are ready to fight back. I'm looking forward to working with Congressman Riggleman to bring fresh eyes and new ideas to take action against this epidemic." As part of the working group, Members will meet on a regular basis to hear from experts and stakeholders, make site visits to institutions focusing on research and treatment, and promote legislation in order to tackle the epidemic. Current members of the Freshmen Working Group on Addiction include Reps. Kelly Armstrong (R-ND), Tim Burchett (R-TN), Gil Cisneros (D-CA), Ben Cline (R-VA), TJ Cox (D-CA), Angie Craig (D-MN), Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), Jason Crow (D-CO), Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Antonio Delgado (D-NY), Lance Gooden (R-TX), Deb Haaland (D-NM), Jahana Hayes (D-C), Katie Hill (D-CA), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Ann Kirkpatrick (D-AZ), Susie Lee (D-NV), Mike Levin (D-CA), Ben McAdams (D-UT), Dan Meuser (R-PA), Chris Pappas (D-NH), Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA), Denver Riggleman (R-VA), Max Rose (D-NY), Donna Shalala (D-FL), Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ), Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), Bryan Steil (R-WI), Van Taylor (R-TX), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), Lori Gale Document Number: GALE|A575420634 Copyright and Terms of Use: https://www.gale.com/terms-of-use
4/18
someone stole my tablet last night. I sleep with it next to me, physically touching it. it was in a purple bag with a portable battery and some other stuff. it was cheap and old. the stuff ive been gathering lately is about winston and thompson. in particular the relationship between rove and winston and doj around the time period of usattys - i think thats when my case was. ill have to write without the tablet. things will take longer and the stuff on the table that wasnt backed up is gone. i dont have anything of value, but the tablet, and thats gone now
4/27
ackerman mcqueen - xa ackerman senterfitt - danaloesch - cam & co - NRATV - IGOLD
usatoday - cimperman - you keep it cold in here peg
Wall Street Journal: NRA chief executive says he was pressured to resign by group's president CNN Wire. (Apr. 27, 2019): Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 CNN Newsource Sales, Inc.
http://news.blogs.cnn.com/tag/the-cnn-wire/
Listen Full Text: Byline: Kate Sullivan, CNN (CNN) -- The chief executive of the National Rifle Association told the group's board he is being extorted and pressured to resign by the organization's president, the Wall Street Journal reported Friday. Wayne LaPierre, who has been the head of the NRA for decades, wrote in a letter to NRA board members on Thursday that he refused a demand to resign by Oliver North, the recently installed president of the association. LaPierre wrote in the letter,
"the exhortation was simple:
resign or there will be destructive allegations made against me and the NRA." North also sent a letter to the board on Thursday, according to the Journal, in which he said his actions were in the best interest of the NRA and he was forming a crisis committee to look at the organization's finances. North had previously sent a letter to the board's executive committee accusing LaPierre of more than $200,000 in wardrobe purchases that were charged to a vendor, the Journal reports. LaPierre wrote that North called his office to relay that unless he resigned, advertising agency and NRA contractor Ackerman McQueen Inc. was prepared to release a damaging letter to the NRA board, the Journal reports. "I believe the purpose of the letter was to humiliate me, discredit our Association, and raise appearances of impropriety that hurt our members and the Second Amendment," LaPierre wrote. "The letter would contain a devastating account of our financial status, sexual harassment charges against a staff member, accusations of wardrobe expenses and excessive staff travel expenses." The feud between the two high-profile conservatives comes in the middle of the NRA's annual meeting in Indianapolis. The NRA's full 76-member board is set to meet on Monday, and insiders tell the Journal they expect the issue to come to a head then. It is not clear whether North has the support to oust LaPierre, The New York Times reports. The NRA presidency has previously been a ceremonial post, but the Times reports North has asked for it to be a paid position. Contributions to the NRA are lagging, The New York Times reports, and the organization is facing an increasingly well-financed opposition movement in the wake of several mass shootings. The dispute between LaPierre and North originated in part from a dispute between the NRA and Ackerman McQueen Inc., the Journal reports, which resulted in a lawsuit filed earlier this month by the NRA. In the lawsuit, the NRA claimed Ackerman McQueen did not justify its billings with records, according to the Journal. Ackerman McQueen called the lawsuit "frivolous" and "inaccurate," the Journal reports.
Wall Street Journal: NRA chief executive says he was pressured to resign by group's president
REMARKS BY VICE PRESIDENT PENCE AT THE NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION LEADERSHIP FORUM / INDIANAPOLIS, IN
States News Service. (Apr. 26, 2019):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 States News Service
Listen
Full Text:
WASHINGTON -- The following information was released by the White House:
Lucas Oil Stadium Arena
Indianapolis, Indiana
11:40 A.M. EDT
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, hello, NRA! (Applause.) Thank you, Chris, for that great introduction. Chris and I have been friends for a lot of years. I have great respect for him. But he knows the introduction I prefer is a little bit shorter: I'm a Christian, a conservative, and a Republican, in that order. (Applause.)
And as Vice President of the United States, it's my great honor to be back home again in Indiana with so many freedom-loving Americans at the annual meeting of the National Rifle Association. Welcome to the Hoosier State. (Applause.)
It really is great to be here with so many friends. Chris, and Ollie North, and Wayne LaPierre, and, really, with some outstanding leaders that we respect greatly and admire every day, like Governor Eric Holcomb of Indiana (applause) Governor Matt Bevin of Kentucky, and so many distinguished members of the United States Congress, including the House Minority Whip, the courageous Steve Scalise. (Applause.)
And speaking of friends of mine, it's especially great to be here with another friend, a great champion of freedom who I can tell you personally gets up every day and fights to keep the promises that he made to all the American people. I can't wait to join you to welcome the 45th President of the United States of America, President Donald Trump (applause) back to the Hoosier State.
You know, the President and I stand with the NRA because, like all of you, we stand for freedom. And the right of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms is a freedom that is at the heart of the American story.
Our Founders won our independence with the power of their ideas and with the powder in their muskets. Our pioneers won the West with their daring, their courage, and their Springfields, Winchesters, and Colts.
Our forebears have fought our nation's wars and defended our way of life with the skills they learned on the rifle range, in a deer stand, at the knee of a father, a mother, or a grandparent back home.
And in our own day, there are no greater champions of America's tradition of responsible gun ownership than all of you and the 5 million proud men and women of the NRA. Thank you for your stand. (Applause.)
And I'm here today to tell you: We're with you. President Trump and I are with the NRA today, and tomorrow and always, because the National Rifle Association stands for freedom.
Nowhere is this ongoing struggle for freedom more visible every day than in the struggle to defend the Second Amendment. Firearms in the hands of law-abiding citizens don't threaten our families, they protect our families. (Applause.) And we know that firearms in the hands of law-abiding citizens make our communities more safe, not less safe. (Applause.)
You know, at this podium, nearly two decades ago, Charlton Heston said those famous words, and I quote, "I'll give you my gun when you pry it from my cold, dead hands." (Applause.)
Well, I'll make you a promise: Under this President and this Vice President, no one is taking your guns. (Applause.) Under this President and this administration, the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. (Applause.)
And the truth is, from the first day of this administration, President Trump has been fighting for freedom, and you all know that. And, really, I couldn't be more proud to be Vice President to a President who fights every day not just for freedom but for those who defend it.
I mean, think about it: This President stood with those who defend our freedom when he signed the largest increase in our national defense since the days of Ronald Reagan. (Applause.)
Thanks to the President's leadership, we're once again giving our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Coast Guard the resources and the support they need to accomplish their mission and come home safe. (Applause.)
And this President has stood with those who defend our freedom her at home, who protect and serve on the Thin Blue Line. And under President Trump's leadership, we're giving all the men and women of law enforcement at every level the resources and the respect that they deserve every single day as they protect our families. (Applause.)
I know there's a lot of law enforcement members who are here today, who have taken time to be at this convention. Why don't you all just show them how much we appreciate the men and women who serve on the Thin Blue Line and protect our families every day? (Applause.) God bless you all.
And this President has stood for freedom in the American economy as well. President Trump has already cut more federal red tape in the last two years than any President in American history. We've unleased American energy. And President Trump signed the largest tax cuts and tax reform in American history. (Applause.) And the results are in: Businesses large and small have created 5.5 million new jobs. More Americans are working than ever before. And it was just reported this morning: The American economy grew by 3.2 percent in the first quarter of 2019. (Applause.)
And beyond our security and our prosperity, this President has also strengthened the very foundation of our freedom. At this point, President Trump has already appointed to our federal courts more principled conservatives in the last two years than any President in American history. And they are all conservatives who will uphold the God-given liberties enshrined in our Constitution like the freedom of speech, the freedom of religion, and the right to keep and bear arms. (Applause.) It's an incredible group.
But despite the fact that this President has faced unprecedented opposition, obstruction, and resistance, I believe that when this President's story is written, when he finishes his term in office, six years from now (applause) I believe history will record: No other President in all the modern era has done so much for so many in so little time. President Donald Trump has delivered. (Applause.)
So, under the President's leadership here at home and around the world, America is winning again. But to keep on winning, I came here today to say that we need you to stay in the fight. Because the truth is, we live in a time when freedom is under assault. And it's not just the freedom that the NRA so nobly defends, but the freedom to live, to work, and to worship God are all being threatened by the radical Left every day. It's true.
And the same people who threaten your right to self-defense want to stifle our economy by raising taxes and increasing regulation. The same people who want to take away your unalienable rights routinely denigrate the faith of millions of Americans and advocate late-term abortion and even infanticide.
But I'll make you a promise: Under this President and this administration, we will stand without apology for the sanctity of human life. (Applause.)
But our freedom is under assault every day in other ways. The same blue states and cities that are trying to bankrupt the NRA have become sanctuaries for illegal immigrants, including dangerous gang members and human traffickers. And the same people who want to restrict the right to keep and bear arms of law-abiding citizens believe the Boston Marathon bomber should be given the right to vote on death row.
AUDIENCE: Booo
THE VICE PRESIDENT: I got news for you, Bernie: Not on our watch! (Applause.)
Violent convicted felons, murderers, and terrorists should never be given the right to vote in prison not now, not ever. (Applause.)
You know, I heard the other day that another Vice President actually said that "we're in a battle for the soul of our nation." And, for once, I agree with him but not for the reason he thinks. We are in a battle. We're in a battle for the soul of America, but it's a battle between liberty and tyranny. As the President has said before, it's a battle between independence and government control. And, ultimately, it's a battle between freedom and socialism.
You know, under the guise of the Green New Deal and Medicare for All, the same Democrats who want to take away your freedom openly advocate a failed economic system that has robbed the liberty and impoverished millions of people around the world.
But let's be clear: It was freedom, not socialism, that gave us the most prosperous economy in the history of the world. (Applause.)
It was freedom, not socialism, that ended slavery, won two world wars, and stands today as a beacon of hope for all the world. (Applause.)
It was freedom, not socialism, that's moving us beyond the prejudices of the past to create a more perfect union and extend the blessings of liberty to every American, regardless of race or creed or color.
And it was freedom, not socialism, that gave us the highest quality of life, the cleanest environment, and improved the health and wellbeing of millions around the world.
You know, what Medicare for All really means is quality healthcare for none. And the only thing green about the so-called Green New Deal is how much green it's going to cost all of us if they ever sign it into law. (Applause.)
You know, Margaret Thatcher probably said it best: "The trouble with socialism is [you] eventually run out of other people's money." (Applause.)
So I say, from my heart, to all of you freedom-loving Americans gathered here: The moment America becomes a socialist country is the moment America ceases to be America. And as President Trump said in his State of the Union Address, so we must say with one voice: "America will never be a socialist country." (Applause.)
So, men and women of the NRA, the stakes have never been higher, but the choice has never been clearer.
It won't be enough just to win the next election; we've got to win the next generation. And this is our challenge. It won't be easy. But it never has been.
Thomas Paine explained, during the American founding, that the battle for freedom is always arduous. As he said, quote, "The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph." And then Thomas Paine added, "What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly" and that "Heaven knows how to put a [proper] price upon its good[s]; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated."
It's really about freedom that we gather here today, and preserving the freedom that's at the heart of America. But as you'll hear in just a few minutes, President Donald Trump and I are ready for the fight. (Applause.) We are ready to stand with all of you and fight to defend and expand freedom for every American. (Applause.)
But we can't do it alone so keep doing your part. Talk to your neighbors and friends and tell them what we've been able to accomplish over the last two years. And tell them about the challenges that we face, and tell them what the opposition offers. I mean, tell them this President and this administration have been fighting for all the liberties you hold dear. Tell them we're setting things right in Washington, D.C. Tell them we're draining the swamp (applause) because we are. (Applause.) And tell them the forgotten men and women of America are forgotten no more, because it's the God's honest truth. (Applause.) Go tell them.
So thank you for the opportunity to be with you today. Thank you for coming here to the Hoosier State and giving me a chance to be home.
You know, it's amazing for me to think about the journey that my wife and I have been on. Five years ago, when I was governor of the state of Indiana, I stood at this podium in that role. And I have to tell you, for this small-town boy from southern Indiana, the grandson of an Irish immigrant, it's hard to describe how humbling it is to have the privilege. So I want to I want to thank you for the honor of serving as your Vice President. And I want to thank you for your support. (Applause.)
And because of your support of this President, his Vice President, and this administration, I'm proud to report America is standing strong again. America is prospering again.
The Second Amendment of the Constitution of the United States is secure again. And freedom is winning all across America. (Applause.)
And I know we're going to keep on winning. I know we're going to keep on winning because I have faith faith in this President I serve alongside every day. I mean, I got to tell you, somebody said to me the other day, "Tell the President to keep on going, keep on fighting." And I said to them, "That's not something you got to tell him." (Laughter.)
You know, as we say here in the Hoosier State, all the reverse is stripped out of that pickup truck. It is straight ahead, straight forward. He's bringing the energy, the leadership, and the fight for the American people. And I promise you we're going to do it every day in the next two years. (Applause.)
But I got faith in my friend. I got faith in conservative leaders that you've helped elect all across this country, who have been standing with us for the principles and the ideals that we hold dear.
And lastly, I've got faith in all of you. As I travel across this country, I see Americans every day who are standing with us, encouraging us. I meet them at grocery stores. I meet them on rope lines at airports. I meet them at rallies and in diners. And they're folks just like you and me who always knew that we could be strong again; who knew that we could be prosperous again; who knew that we could be standing tall again. And they're standing with us every step of the way.
And so, for their sake, I just want to encourage all of you: Be confident as we go into the days that lie ahead in the next year and a half. Because I have faith that if we hold the banner of freedom high, if we put into practice those words inscribed on the Liberty Bell to "proclaim liberty throughout all the land [and] unto all the inhabitants thereof," those same Americans will rally to our cause again and we'll keep on winning a great victory for the American people.
And remember, as you leave Indiana and go to your homes, and all of you that are looking on from afar, remember that when we fight for freedom, we do not fight alone because where the spirit of the Lord is, there's freedom. (Applause.) And that means freedom always wins. (Applause.)
So thank you for the honor. Thank you for the honor of addressing you today. Thank you for the stand that you've made and the stand that each one of you take. We're proud to stand with you.
And I truly do believe that with your continued support, with President Donald Trump in the White House for four more years (applause) with freedom-loving leaders serving at every level all across this nation, and with God's help, we'll finish what we've started. We will make America safe again. We will make America more prosperous than ever before. And as I know you'll hear in just a few minutes, we will make America great again.
FULL TRANSCRIPT: PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S SPEECH FIRES UP THE NRABY
MICHELE GORMAN
ON 4/28/17 AT 5:45 PM EDT
President Donald Trump delivers his remarks at the National Rifle Association Leadership Forum at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta on April 28. He was the first president to do so in 34 years, when President Ronald Reagan last addressed the gun group in
1983.
JONATHAN ERNST/REUTERS
Below is the full transcript of his Friday remarks from the Georgia World Congress Center​ in Atlanta, per the White House.​
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, Chris, for that kind introduction and for your tremendous work on behalf of our Second Amendment.  Thank you very much.  (Applause.)  I want to also thank Wayne LaPierre for his unflinching leadership in the fight for freedom. Wayne, thank you very much. Great. (Applause.)
I'd also like to congratulate Karen Handel on her incredible fight in Georgia 6.  (Applause.)  The election takes place on June 20th. And, by the way, on primaries, let's not have 11 Republicans running for the same position, okay? (Laughter.) It's too nerve-shattering.  She's totally for the NRA and she's totally for the Second Amendment.  So get out and vote. She's running against someone who's going to raise your taxes to the sky, destroy your healthcare, and he's for open borders—lots of crime, and he's not even able to vote in the district that he's running in. Other than that, I think he's doing a fantastic job, right?  (Laughter.)  So get out and vote for Karen.
Also, my friend—he's become a friend, because there's nobody that does it like Lee Greenwood.  Wow.  (Applause.)  Lee’s anthem is the perfect description of the renewed spirit sweeping across our country.  And it really is, indeed, sweeping across our country.  So, Lee, I know I speak for everyone in this arena when I say, we are all very proud indeed to be an American.  Thank you very much, Lee.  (Applause.)
No one was more proud to be American than the beloved patriot—and you know who I'm talking about—we remember on gatherings like today, your former five-term President, the late Charlton Heston.  How good was Charlton?  (Applause.)  And I remember Charlton, he was out there fighting when maybe a lot of people didn’t want to be fighting.  He was out there for a long time.  He was a great guy.
And it's truly wonderful to be back in Atlanta, and back with my friends at the NRA.  You are my friends, believe me.  (Applause.)  Perhaps some of you remember the last time we were all together.  Remember that?  We had a big crowd then, too.  So we knew something was happening.  But it was in the middle of a historic political year, and in the middle of a truly historic election.  What fun that was—November 8.  Wasn’t that a great evening?  Do you remember that evening?  (Applause.)  Remember that?  (Applause.)
Remember they were saying, "We have breaking news: Donald Trump has won the state of Michigan."  They go, "Michigan?  How did that"—"Donald Trump has won the state of Wisconsin, whoa."  But earlier in the evening, remember, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, all the way up—we ran up the East Coast.  And, you know, the Republicans have a tremendous disadvantage in the Electoral College, you know that.  Tremendous disadvantage.  And to run the whole East Coast, and then you go with Iowa and Ohio, and all of the different states.  It was a great evening, one that a lot people will never forget—a lot of people.  (Applause.)  Not going to forget that evening.
And remember they said, “There is no path to 270.”  For months I was hearing that.  You know, they’re trying to suppress the vote.  So they keep saying it, so people say, you know, I really like Trump, he loves the Second Amendment, he loves the NRA; I love him, but let’s go to the movie because he can’t win.  Because they’re trying to suppress the vote.
But they’d say—I mean, hundreds of times I heard, there is no—there’s no route.  They’d say it, “There is no route to 270.”  And we ended up with 306.  So they were right:  Not 270, 306.  (Applause.)  That was some evening.  Big sports fans said that was the single-most exciting event they’ve ever seen.  That includes Super Bowls and World Series and boxing matches.  That was an exciting evening for all of us, and it meant a lot.
Only one candidate in the General Election came to speak to you, and that candidate is now the President of the United States, standing before you again.  (Applause.)  I have a feeling that in the next election you’re going to be swamped with candidates, but you’re not going to be wasting your time.  You’ll have plenty of those Democrats coming over and you’re going to say, no, sir, no thank you -- no, ma’am.  Perhaps ma’am.  It may be Pocahontas, remember that.  (Laughter and applause.)  And she is not big for the NRA, that I can tell you.
But you came through for me, and I am going to come through for you.  (Applause.)  I was proud to receive the NRA’s earliest endorsement in the history of the organization.  And today, I am also proud to be the first sitting President to address the NRA Leadership Forum since our wonderful Ronald Reagan in 1983.  (Applause.)  And I want to thank each and every one of you not only for your help electing true friends of the Second Amendment, but for everything you do to defend our flag and our freedom.
With your activism, you helped to safeguard the freedoms of our soldiers who have bled and died for us on the battlefields.  And I know we have many veterans in the audience today, and we want to give them a big, big beautiful round of applause.  (Applause.)
And, like I promised, we are doing a really top job already—99 days—but already with the Veterans Administration, people are seeing a big difference.  We are working really hard at the VA, and you’re going to see it, and you’re already seeing it.  And it’s my honor.  I’ve been telling you we’re going to do it, and we’re doing it.  (Applause.)  Thank you.
The NRA protects in our capitols and legislative houses the freedoms that our servicemembers have won for us on those incredible battlefields.  And it’s been a tough fight against those who would go so far as to ban private gun ownership entirely.   But I am here to deliver you good news.  And I can tell you that Wayne and Chris have been fighting with me long and hard to make sure that we were with you today, not somebody else with an empty podium.  Because believe me, the podium would have been empty.  They fought long and hard, and I think you folks cannot thank them enough.  They were with us all the way, right from the beginning.  (Applause.)
But we have news that you’ve been waiting for for a long time:  The eight-year assault on your Second Amendment freedoms has come to a crashing end.  (Applause.)  You have a true friend and champion in the White House.  No longer will federal agencies be coming after law-abiding gun owners.  (Applause.)  No longer will the government be trying to undermine your rights and your freedoms as Americans.  Instead, we will work with you, by your side.  We will work with the NRA to promote responsible gun ownership, to protect our wonderful hunters and their access to the very beautiful outdoors.  You met my son—I can tell you, both sons, they love the outdoors.  Frankly, I think they love the outdoors more than they love, by a long shot, Fifth Avenue.  But that’s okay.  And we want to ensure you of the sacred right of self-defense for all of our citizens.  (Applause.)
When I spoke to this forum last year, our nation was still mourning the loss of a giant, a great defender of the Constitution:  Justice Antonin Scalia.  (Applause.)  I promised that if elected, I would nominate a justice who would be faithful and loyal to the Constitution.  I even went one step further and publicly presented a list of 20 judges from which I would make my selection, and that’s exactly what we did.
And, by the way, I want to thank, really, Heritage.  And I want to thank also all of the people that worked with us.  Where’s Leo?  Is Leo around here?  Where is he?  He’s got to be here.  Where is he?  He has been so good.  And also from Heritage, Jim DeMint.  It’s been amazing.  I mean, those people have been fantastic.  They’ve been real friends.  (Applause.)  The Federalist people—where are they?  Are they around here someplace?  They really helped us out.
I kept my promise, and now, with your help, our brand-new Justice—and he is really something very special—Neil Gorsuch, sits on the bench of the United States Supreme Court.  (Applause.)  For the first time in the modern political era, we have confirmed a new justice in the first 100 days.  (Applause.)  The last time that happened was 136 years ago, in 1881.  Now, we won’t get any credit for this, but don’t worry about it, the credit is in the audience, right?  The credit is in the audience.  (Applause.)  All of those people.  They won’t give us credit, but it’s been a long time, and we’re very honored.
We’ve also taken action to stand up for America’s sportsmen.  On their very last full day in office, the previous administration issued an 11th-hour rule to restrict the use of lead ammunition on certain federal lands.  Have you heard about that, folks?  I’m shocked to hear that.  You’ve all heard about that.  You’ve heard about that.  On his first day as Secretary of the Interior, Ryan Zinke eliminated the previous administration’s ammunition ban.  (Applause.)  He’s going to be great.  Ryan is going to be great.
We’ve also moved very quickly to restore something gun owners care about very, very much.  It’s called the rule of law.  (Applause.)  We have made clear that our administration will always stand with the incredible men and women of law enforcement.  (Applause.)  In fact, countless members of law enforcement are also members of the NRA, because our police know that responsible gun ownership saves lives, and that the right of self-defense is essential to public safety.  Do we all agree with that?  (Applause.)
Our police and sheriffs also know that when you ban guns, only the criminals will be armed.  (Applause.)  For too long, Washington has gone after law-abiding gun owners while making life easier for criminals, drug dealers, traffickers and gang members.  MS-13—you know about MS-13?  It’s not pleasant for them anymore, folks.  It’s not pleasant for them anymore.  That’s a bad group.  (Applause.)  Not pleasant for MS-13.  Get them the hell out of here, right?  Get them out.  (Applause.)
We are protecting the freedoms of law-abiding Americans, and we are going after the criminal gangs and cartels that prey on our innocent citizens.  And we are really going after them.  (Applause.)
As members of the NRA know well, some of the most important decisions a President can make are appointments—and I’ve appointed people who believe in law, order, and justice.  (Applause.)
That is why I have selected as your Attorney General, number one, a really fine person, a really good man, a man who has spent his career fighting crime, supporting the police, and defending the Second Amendment.  For the first time in a long time, you now have a pro-Second-Amendment, tough-on-crime Attorney General, and his name is Jeff Sessions.  (Applause.)
And Attorney General Sessions is putting our priorities into action.  He’s going after the drug dealers who are peddling their poison all over our streets and destroying our youth.  He’s going after the gang members who threaten our children.  And he’s fully enforcing our immigration laws in all 50 states.  And you know what?  It’s about time.  (Applause.)
Heading up the effort to secure America’s borders is a great military general, a man of action:  Homeland Security Director [sic], John Kelly.  (Applause.)
Secretary Kelly, who used to be General Kelly, is following through on my pledge to protect the borders, remove criminal aliens, and stop the drugs from pouring into our country.  We’ve already seen -- listen to this; it never happened before, people can't even believe it.  And, by the way, we will build the wall no matter how low this number gets or how this goes.  Don't even think about it.  Don't even think about it.  (Applause.)
You know, they're trying to use this number against us because we've done so unbelievably at the borders already.  They're trying to use it against us.  But you need that wall to stop the human trafficking, to stop the drugs, to stop the wrong people.  You need the wall.  But listen to this:  We've already seen a 73 percent decrease -- never happened before -- in illegal immigration on the southern border since my election -- 73 percent.  (Applause.)
You see what they're doing, right?  So why do you need a wall?  We need a wall.
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Build the wall!
THE PRESIDENT:  We’ll build the wall.  Don't even think about it.  Don't even think about it.  Don't even think about it.  That's an easy one.  We're going to build the wall.  We need the wall.
I said to General Kelly, how important is it?  He said, very important.  It’s that final element.  We need the wall.  And it’s a wall in certain areas.  Obviously, where you have these massive physical structures you don't need, and we have certain big rivers and all.  But we need a wall, and we're going to get that wall.  (Applause.)
And the world is getting the message.  They know that our border is no longer open to illegal immigration, and that if you try to break in, you’ll be caught and you’ll be returned to your home.  You're not staying any longer.  And if you keep coming back illegally after deportation, you will be arrested, prosecuted, and you will put behind bars.  Otherwise it will never end.  (Applause.)
Let’s also remember that immigration security is national security.  We’ve seen the attacks from 9/11 to Boston to San Bernardino.  Hundreds of individuals from other countries have been charged with terrorism-related offenses in the United States.
We spend billions and billions of dollars on security all over the world, but then we allow radical Islamic terrorists to enter right through our front door.  That's not going to happen anymore.  (Applause.)  It’s time to get tough.  It’s time we finally got smart.  And yes, it’s also time to put America first.  (Applause.)
And perhaps -- I see all of those beautiful red and white hats --- but we will never forget our favorite slogan of them all:  Make America Great Again.  All right?  (Applause.)
Keeping our communities safe and protecting our freedoms also requires the cooperation of our state leaders.  We have some incredible pro-Second Amendment governors here at the NRA conference, including Governor Scott of Florida.  Where is Governor Scott?  Great guy doing a great job.  Governor Bryant of Mississippi.  What a wonderful place.  Governor Bryant is here.  Thank you.  Governor Deal of Georgia.  (Applause.)  And we're also joined by two people that -- well, one I loved right from the beginning; the other one I really liked, didn't like, and now like a lot again.  (Laughter.)  Does that make sense?  Senator David Perdue -- he was from the beginning -- and Senator Ted Cruz -- like, dislike, like.  (Applause.)  Where are they?  Good guys.  Good guys.  Smart cookies.
Each of these leaders knows that public officials must serve under the Constitution, not above it.  We all took an oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States -- and that means defending the Second Amendment.  (Applause.)
So let me make a simple promise to every one of the freedom-loving Americans in the audience today:  As your President, I will never, ever infringe on the right of the people to keep and bear arms.  Never ever.  (Applause.)  Freedom is not a gift from government.  Freedom is a gift from God.  (Applause.)
It was this conviction that stirred the heart of a great American patriot on that day, April, 242 years ago. It was the day that Paul Revere spread his Lexington alarm -- the famous warning that "the British are coming, the British are coming." Right?  You've all heard that, right?  The British are coming.
Now we have other people trying to come, but believe me, they're not going to be successful.  That I can tell you.  (Applause.)  Nothing changes, right, folks?  Nothing changes.  They are not going to be successful.  There will be serious hurt on them, not on us.
Next, came the shot heard around the world, and then a rag-tag army of God-fearing farmers, frontiersmen, shopkeepers, merchants that stood up to the most powerful army at that time on Earth.  The most powerful army on Earth.  But we sometimes forget what inspired those everyday farmers and workers in that great war for independence.
Many years after the war, a young man asked Captain Levi Preston, aged 91,
why he’d fought alongside his neighbors at Concord.  Was it the Stamp Act?  Was it the Tea Tax?  Was it a work of philosophy?  "No," the old veteran replied. “Then why?” he was asked.  “Young man,” the Captain said, “what we meant in going for those Redcoats was this:  We always had governed ourselves, and we always meant to" govern ourselves.  (Applause.)
Captain Preston’s words are a reminder of what this organization and my administration are all about:  
the right of a sovereign people to govern their own affairs, and govern them properly.  (Applause.)  
We don’t want any longer to be ruled by the bureaucrats in Washington, or in any other country for that matter.  In America, we are ruled by our citizens.  We are ruled by each and every one of you.
But we can’t be complacent.  These are dangerous times.  These are horrible times for certain obvious reasons.  But we’re going to make them great times again.  Every day, we are up against those who would take away our freedoms, restrict our liberties, and even those who want to abolish the Second Amendment.  We must be vigilant.  And I know you are all up to the task.
Since the first generation of Americans stood strong at Concord, each generation to follow has answered the call to defend freedom in their time.  That is why we are here today:  To defend freedom for our children.  To defend the liberty of all Americans.  And to defend the right of a free and sovereign people to keep and bear arms.
I greatly appreciated your support on November 8th , in what will hopefully be one of the most important and positive elections for the United States of all time.  And to the NRA, I can proudly say I will never, ever let you down. .
NRA - xa name of nratv host - dir - dana loesch - thomas the tank engine - cam & co - lapierre - used the word extortion to describe the discussion between him and north - re ackerman mqueen - AM - whos extorting who - Custom Newspaper:N.R.A. Sues Operator of 'Voice of the N.R.A.'
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2:28 PM (53 minutes ago)
to me
N.R.A. Sues Operator of 'Voice of the N.R.A.' Danny Hakim The New York Times. (Apr. 16, 2019): Business News: pB3(L). Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2019 The New York Times Company
http://www.nytimes.com
Listen Full Text: It's the N.R.A. versus NRATV. The National Rifle Association sued one of its largest and most enduring contractors late last week and raised concerns about the contractor's relationship to the association's own president, Oliver North, in a stunning breach within the normally buttoned-up organization. The suit was filed late Friday by the N.R.A. in Virginia, where it is based, against Ackerman McQueen, the Oklahoma ad firm that operates NRATV, the group's incendiary online media arm. The suit asserts that Ackerman has concealed details from the N.R.A. about how the company is spending the roughly $40 million that it and its affiliates receive annually from the association. The suit creates uncertainty about Mr. North's future at the organization. And it leaves the future of NRATV in doubt, given the new acrimony in the Ackerman relationship. Since Ackerman created NRATV in 2016, it has often been ''perceived by the public as the voice of the N.R.A.,'' according to the rifle association's complaint. It has also taken on an apocalyptic tone, warning of race wars, calling for a march on the Federal Bureau of Investigation and portraying the talking trains in the children's show ''Thomas & Friends'' in Ku Klux Klan hoods. The New York Times reported this year that two prominent N.R.A. board members were among those voicing alarm inside the association that NRATV was often straying beyond gun rights. The Times article also revealed that Ackerman had a previously undisclosed financial relationship with Mr. North. The association is untangling broader problems as well, including a legal fight in New York with the administration of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo over an insurance program the N.R.A. offers to gun owners. The new state attorney general, Letitia James, has also repeatedly threatened to investigate the tax-exempt status of the organization, which was incorporated in New York. Facing this regulatory backdrop, the association began a review of its financial relationships with hundreds of vendors in August to ensure that it was in compliance with best practices. The N.R.A. complaint alleges that Ackerman refused to turn over a number of financial records, including those detailing out-of-pocket expenses ''that lacked meaningful documentation of N.R.A. approvals, receipts or other support.'' The association also wants documents that it says could allay its concern that it was being invoiced for the full salaries of Ackerman employees who also did work for other Ackerman clients. In addition, the complaint alleges that Ackerman has refused to provide data about NRATV's unique visitors and various other performance measures. ''The N.R.A.'s patience has run out,'' the suit says. Ackerman, in a statement, sharply disputed the contentions in the lawsuit, whose filing was earlier reported by The Wall Street Journal. ''During a three-week review, an N.R.A. forensic auditing firm received every single piece of information they [the N.R.A.] requested,'' the statement said. ''Further, the N.R.A. has had consistent access to any and all documents regarding NRATV analytics. Despite the representation set forth in their lawsuit, the N.R.A. had the personnel contract they claim AM withheld last week before they filed their lawsuit.'' The complaint details a peculiar standoff with Ackerman over Mr. North, who took over as president last year. The N.R.A. claims it was aware that Mr. North had a contract to act as the host of a web series for Ackerman, but that Ackerman has refused to provide a copy of the contract for nearly six months. Additionally, Mr. North's counsel told the N.R.A. that ''he could only disclose a copy of the contract'' if Ackerman said he could, the suit says. Subsequently, Ackerman allowed the N.R.A.'s general counsel to view the contract but not keep a copy; the viewing added to N.R.A. concerns that it had not previously received an accurate summary of the document. The association was also concerned that Mr. North's relationship to Ackerman could ''supersede his duties to the N.R.A.'' A standoff persists over additional details about the relationship, according to the complaint. The lawsuit is further complicated by family ties. The N.R.A.'s outside lawyer, William A. Brewer III, is the son-in-law of Angus McQueen, a co-chief executive of Ackerman, and the brother-in-law of Revan McQueen, its chief executive. Ackerman called the relationships an ''irreconcilable conflict of interest'' and said some kind of family dispute ''pervades the Brewer firm's dealings with Ackerman McQueen.'' Travis Carter, a spokesman for Mr. Brewer's law firm, said ''the familial relationship'' had ''no bearing whatsoever on the N.R.A.'s litigation strategy.'' He added, ''Any suggestion to the contrary is contrived and a red herring.'' The suit culminates the fracturing of a more than three-decade relationship between Ackerman and the N.R.A., going back to the shaping of such memorable lines as Charlton Heston's proclaiming that his gun would have to be pried ''from my cold, dead hands.'' Wayne LaPierre, the longtime chief executive of the N.R.A., had previously been a steadfast champion of the Ackerman relationship. ''I think it says something about Wayne's character, even though he's had a long-term working business relationship with a vendor, he's willing to do what is right and necessary for the N.R.A. and its members,'' said Todd Rathner, a board member of the rifle association. Joel Friedman, another board member, said he was dismayed that the documents had not been turned over. ''It leaves you questioning, and you can come up with all these potential different scenarios as to why, but none of them are good,'' he said. ''My mind goes to: Are they overcharging us? That's one,'' he added. ''Two, are there things charged to us that were not part of the contract? Then, No. 3, has there been a misallocation of personnel?''
Look what I read in the times today - its like shooting fish in a barrel - not addicted to anything - not struggling / addiction issues
NRA
Nyt art re tv channel for nra - nratv - under wild skies - kies x2 - kick y - kick & kick - kick me sign - kicks - root 66 - thomas the tank engine - Dana loesch- d' anal - turn - easy - confirmed/ve ri tas - Ve ri tas.
You keep it cold in here peg -
Nypost - frontpage - smoking gun kitty - the ffs and po are upside on this thing - trying to get unstuck - its coming - the truth is coming
You have been given an opportunity to do the right thing - your call
What Is Making N.R.A. Cringe? Its Own Videos: [National Desk] Hakim, Danny. New York Times, Late Edition (East Coast); New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]12 Mar 2019: A.1. Publisher logo. Links to publisher website, opened in a new window. Full text Details Hide highlighting Translate Full textTurn on search term navigation The flash point was Thomas the Tank Engine. Last September, the National Rifle Association's famously combative spokeswoman, Dana Loesch, provoked widespread outrage when she took to the gun group's streaming service to mock ethnic diversity on the popular children's program "Thomas & Friends," portraying the show's talking trains in Ku Klux Klan hoods. Now, growing unease over the site's inflammatory rhetoric, and whether it has strayed too far from the N.R.A.'s core gun-rights mission, has put its future in doubt. The site, NRATV, is a central part of the organization's messaging apparatus. Since its creation in 2016, it has adopted an increasingly apocalyptic, hard-right tone, warning of race wars, describing Barack Obama as a "fresh-faced flower-child president," calling for a march on the Federal Bureau of Investigation and comparing journalists to rodents. In recent weeks, in a rare airing of internal debate at the N.R.A., two prominent board members expressed concerns about NRATV to The New York Times. Their statements were released through the N.R.A. itself, amid what was described as an internal review of NRATV and its future. "Since the founding of NRATV, some, including myself and other board members, have questioned the value of it," Marion Hammer, the group's most formidable lobbyist and a key adviser to its chief executive, Wayne LaPierre, said in a statement. "Wayne has told me and others that NRATV is being constantly evaluated -- to make sure it works in the best interest of the organization and provides an appropriate return on investment." The reassessment underscores a debate within the N.R.A. over how broad its activism should be. And it comes as the organization faces a storm of challenges, including a series of mass shootings that has created a new generation of gun-control activists. Congressional investigations into the N.R.A.'s possible Russia ties were energized after Maria Butina, a suspected Russian agent, pleaded guilty in December to using the N.R.A. in a political influence operation. And the organization, incorporated in New York, may have a potent foe in Letitia James, the state's recently elected attorney general, who has vowed to investigate the N.R.A.'s tax-exempt status. As falling membership dues put the N.R.A. under further strain, board members have also expressed concern about the size of payments to the ad firm that produces NRATV, Ackerman McQueen. The firm and its affiliates pocketed $40 million from the N.R.A. in 2017; billings directly to Ackerman have increased nearly 50 percent since 2015. One prominent host, Dan Bongino, left amid cutbacks at NRATV, but he said the site had tried to retain him. Ackerman, a partner to the gun group since the "I'm the N.R.A." campaign of the 1980s, runs the NRATV Twitter account, has done polling work for the organization and revamped its gun safety program for children. It has also been credited with a slick makeover of Mr. LaPierre -- who, in the words of one former N.R.A. lobbyist, previously resembled an "introverted chess champion." Mr. LaPierre's wife, Susan, has worked for an Ackerman subsidiary, and there has come to be a revolving door between the two companies, with many employees having worked by turns for both NRATV and Ackerman. Oliver L. North, the N.R.A. president, has a contract with Ackerman, though the N.R.A. would not disclose its size. As part of the relationship, Mr. North, a former Fox News pundit, hosts media programming and special events, like the show "American Heroes," which recently began airing on NRATV. The N.R.A., a nonprofit, has also directed $18 million since 2010 to a private company jointly owned by executives of Ackerman and the N.R.A., according to records and interviews. "It is clear to me that NRATV is an experiment and Wayne is evaluating the future of the enterprise," Willes K. Lee, a board member who leads the N.R.A. Outreach Committee, said in a statement to The Times. After the Thomas the Tank Engine video, he said, Mr. LaPierre appeared "livid and embarrassed" in a meeting with the outreach group. "He apologized to the entire committee and spent hours listening to our concerns." 'Red Meat for the Hard Right' Ms. Loesch has emerged as NRATV's most visible host, deriding gun-control advocates as "tragedy-dry-humping whores" and vowing to combat the left with what she called the "clenched fist of truth" -- a body part that the comedian John Oliver said was located "a little past the bent elbow of nonsense." In one video, she warned The Times, "We're coming for you"; in another, she threatened to burn a copy of the newspaper. Chuck Holton, an NRATV correspondent, attributed terrorist activity in Europe to "the broader problem of multiculturalism and socialism" and to "gender-bending." He also claimed that left-wing groups, the billionaire George Soros and the Venezuelan government were trying "to influence the 2018 midterms by sending Honduran migrants north in the thousands." Grant Stinchfield, a host, claimed that "all radicalized terrorists are Muslims," overlooking mass shooters like Dylann Roof, who killed nine black churchgoers in Charleston, S.C., in 2015. Such far-ranging commentary has raised questions among some N.R.A. members about the scope of the organization's messaging. "The N.R.A. shouldn't be putting this out," said Jeff Knox, an N.R.A. member who runs the Firearms Coalition, a smaller advocacy organization. "It's not gun rights; it's red meat for the hard right." Mr. Knox's father, Neal, was an N.R.A. board member who played a leading role in an effort to fire Ackerman in the 1990s amid discontent over its growing influence. A faction loyal to Mr. LaPierre ultimately prevailed, leading to a purge of the board and allowing the two organizations to become more deeply intertwined. "Why are we getting so involved in left-right politics instead of sticking close to our issue, the Second Amendment?" the younger Mr. Knox asked. Ackerman declined to comment, but in a recent interview in The Oklahoman, Revan McQueen, the firm's chief executive, said his company's approach was evolving from pure advertising to a "philosophy of branded news." As Ackerman's website puts it, "Every brand must be its own media company." To that end, the firm has created video networks for the Chickasaw Nation and the Integris health care system of Oklahoma, though their content is relatively benign. A recent episode of ChickasawTV, for example, featured a visit to an art gallery. Over on NRATV, a host was calling liberalism "a mental disorder." Beyond NRATV, the N.R.A. backed Ackerman's performance. "When Ackerman McQueen began working with the N.R.A., the association was little more than a fledgling grass-roots operation," Andrew Arulanandam, an N.R.A. spokesman, said in a statement. "The N.R.A. is now the most effective advocacy organization of its kind," he said, adding that the firm had created "a national platform for the N.R.A." and that it was "an important partner." Taxing Questions During the N.R.A. power struggle in the 1990s, a board member filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission, claiming that an N.R.A. contract with an Ackerman subsidiary "was done without any 'request for proposals'; any bidding process; and no competitive bidding." The commission decided in a 6-0 vote not to take action, but criticisms have persisted. "The N.R.A. is willing to play fast and loose with tax regulations," said Marcus S. Owens, a partner at Loeb & Loeb who served for a decade as director of the Exempt Organizations Division of the Internal Revenue Service. Ms. James, the New York attorney general, presents a new threat. Last year, she told Ebony magazine that the N.R.A. held itself "out as a charitable organization" but was actually "a terrorist organization." William A. Brewer III, the N.R.A.'s outside counsel, said Ms. James had given no indication when she was a candidate that "the N.R.A. had done anything improper," adding that she had instead promised "a taxpayer-funded fishing expedition." A number of transactions could draw scrutiny. Since 2010, the N.R.A. has paid $18 million to a company that produces "Under Wild Skies," a hunting show on NRATV. Tyler Schropp, the N.R.A.'s advancement director, came to the organization in 2010 from Ackerman, and had a stake in the production company until at least 2017, but "no longer holds any interest," Mr. Brewer said. Federal rules restrict transactions that confer economic benefits on key executives of tax-exempt organizations. Mr. Brewer described Mr. Schropp's stake as "a minuscule interest" that the N.R.A. found not to be objectionable. Payments related to "Under Wild Skies" emerged only recently in N.R.A. tax filings. Other issues unrelated to Ackerman could also surface. The N.R.A. has transferred more than $100 million since 2012 from an affiliated charity that also lent the N.R.A. $5 million in 2017. Donations to the charity, the N.R.A. Foundation, are tax-deductible, while those to the N.R.A. are not. "If you're doing a program that's charitable, you run it through the charity," said David G. Samuels, a partner at Duval & Stachenfeld who served in the charities bureau of the New York Attorney General's Office, which oversees tax-exempt organizations. Such practices raise "red flags," he said. Like some nonprofits, the N.R.A. has been lucrative for its top executives. Mr. LaPierre's compensation rose from less than $200,000 in the mid-1990s to nearly $1.5 million in 2017. It spiked to more than $5 million in 2015, largely because of a retirement plan payout. A review of public records found that the N.R.A., which has about 550 employees, has disclosed that 41 employees, contractors, vendors or consultants have relevant family relationships to others connected to the organization, including a "niece-in-law" of Mr. LaPierre who was hired as a consultant. "The N.R.A. strives to comply with all applicable regulations," Mr. Brewer said, adding that the organization has a "conflict-of interest-policy" and that "vendor agreements are reviewed and approved" by the board's audit committee when appropriate. With New York regulators circling, it's no surprise that the state's politicians have become fodder for NRATV -- particularly the governor, Andrew M. Cuomo, whose administration is already engaged in a legal fight with the gun group. Recently, the site even targeted Albany, describing it as "Graft City." Whatever happens to NRATV, few expect the N.R.A. to become much less combative. Mr. LaPierre, in a speech this month, described the organization's approach as "full-contact advocacy," adding, "We are going to fight back against anyone who attempts to silence us." Credit: DANNY HAKIM; Susan C. Beachy and Jack Begg contributed research. Photograph Above, Dana Loesch, an N.R.A. spokeswoman, mocked ethnic diversity on "Thomas & Friends" by portraying the show's talking trains in Ku Klux Klan hoods. Left, Wayne LaPierre, the N.R.A. chief executive, was said to be "livid and embarrassed." (PHOTOGRAPH BY TAMIR KALIFA FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES) (A17) Word count: 1721 Copyright New York Times Company Mar 12, 2019 NRA Slipping With Voters, Though Many Have Moved on From Gun Control Bonazzo, John. The New York Observer; New York, N.Y. [New York, N.Y]10 Sep 2018. Eugene Robinson: Don't let the absurd ploy to arm teachers distract you Robinson, Eugene. The Sun; Lowell, Mass. [Lowell, Mass]28 Feb 2018. The NRA's worst nightmare is here Obeidallah, Dean. CNN Commentary; Atlanta [Atlanta]25 Feb 2018. Editorial Exchange: Not afraid of the NRA The Canadian Press; Toronto [Toronto]28 Feb 2018. Common sense about guns and other views: Letters Orlando Sentinel (Online), Orlando: Tribune Interactive, LLC. Mar 23, 2018. Show more related items Subject Lobbyists Congressional investigations Multiculturalism & pluralism Mass murders Firearm laws & regulations Firearms Streaming media Video recordings Nonprofit organizations Location United States--US People Loesch, Dana LaPierre, Wayne Company/organization National Rifle Association--NRA Contact UsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy PolicyCookie Policy Cookie Preferences Accessibility Copyright © 2019 ProQuest LLC.
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they knew theyd lose. before the trial started. they arent being honest.
they arent being honest.
Polarized Florida Senate passes bill to ban ‘sanctuary cities’
Miami Herald27 Apr 2019BY SAMANTHA J. GROSS [email protected] Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau SCOTT KEELER Tampa Bay Times Florida senators debate bills in the Florida Senate chamber, in this 2017 file photo. After months embroiled in emotional testimony, protests, controversy and national news coverage, Sen. Joe Gruters’ version of a bill to ban “sanctuary cities” in Florida passed 22-18 in was called. The Senate and the House, which passed its version of the bill Wednesday, still need to iron out differences in their proposals, particularly on a tougher stance taken by the House when it comes to penalties. The House’s bill builds in a rule that local government em The state Senate passed a bill Friday that would ban “sanctuary cities” in Florida. The bill would require state and local law enforcement to comply with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement orders to hold people. ployees or elected officials who permit sanctuary-city policies may be suspended or removed from office. The proposal also includes fines of up to $5,000 for each day that a sanctuarycity policy is in place. Identical bills must pass both chambers before hitting the governor’s desk. In this case, differences will have to be negotiated and “bounced back” between the House and Senate until they come to an agreement on a piece of legislation. While the House has tried to pass a similar ban the last four years, it died in the Senate the last time around. But Gov. Ron DeSantis has made “sanctuary cities” a key talking point from the start of his campaign to swearing in, an element Gruters says was key. “That’s why this is moving forward,” Gruters said earlier this week. “It has opened up some doors that weren’t previously available.” The bill creates rules relating to federal immigration enforcement by prohibiting “sanctuary” policies and requiring state and local law enforcement to comply with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Under this bill, local law enforcement would be required to honor federal law enforcement’s request for an “immigration detainer,” meaning a request that another law enforcement agency detain a person based on probable cause to believe that the person is a “removable alien” under federal immigration law. The bill would essentially make the “request” a requirement. Florida is part of a recent trend of states pushing such policies. Arkansas recently banned “sanctuary cities,” and Republicans in Michigan, Montana and North Carolina are pushing similar bans. “I’m just glad to be the catalyst to help this happen,” Gruters told reporters earlier this week. Gruters’ bill passed with an amendment that would give DeSantis the authority to “initiate judicial proceedings in the name of the state” against local or state officials who do not cooperate with enforcing immigration laws. CONTROVERSY THROUGHOUT Since its origin, Gruters’ effort has been embroiled in controversy. In March 27, the News Service of Florida published portions of emails between Gruters and hard-line immigration groups that helped shape portions of the bill and the bill’s staff analysis Then at a press conference in April, he borrowed a Trump tactic of speaking alongside “angel parents” whose children were killed by undocumented immigrants. The Southern Poverty Law Center then posted a Twitter thread noting two speakers at the press conference belonged to anti-immigrant groups. DeSantis — a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump who aired a campaign ad in which he helped his young daughter build a tiny border wall — has also used the examples of people killed by undocumented immigrants to make his point. “We do not want to be in a situation where we have more angel parents,” DeSantis said during a March press conference. “I hope that the Legislature moves quickly this session to pass legislation.” Then in the middle of the bill hearing process, a report by the American Civil Liberties Union showed that federal immigration authorities have asked Miami-Dade to hold at county jails hundreds of people who are listed as U.S. citizens. The group cited data provided in a lawsuit filed by a U.S. citizen, Garland Creedle, who was wrongly held for deportation after spending a night in a Miami-Dade jail in March 2017. Amid the news items on Gruters and the bill, arguments erupted into protests at the Capitol, sit-ins at lawmakers’ district offices and even an ACLU-issued travel warning for travelers and non-citizens to stay away from Florida. The American Business and Immigration Coalition, backed by Miami billionaire and healthcare magnate Mike Fernandez, says the bill will hurt the economy by $3.5 billion in GDP. More than 120 business leaders signed a letter by ABIC urging lawmakers to stop SB 168 and HB 527. Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, the state’s top Democrat, also spoke out against the bill, calling it “divisive rhetoric … pushed by the president.” VIGOROUS FLOOR DEBATE Miami Sen. José Javier Rodríguez has been one of the most outspoken opponents of the bill, and filed nearly three dozen amendments over the past few weeks to address some of his concerns. In a surprising vote Thursday, one of his amendments was adopted — a first for Democrats fighting against the bills in both chambers. The amendment exempts the Department of Children and Families or employees of the department from being compelled to comply with an ICE request. Gruters said he doesn’t think the amendment “makes a difference.” Some of Rodriguez’s other amendments would have built in more protections for other groups like crime witnesses, victims of sex crimes and victims of human trafficking. He said protecting witnesses was key. He made mention of a recent incident in Pembroke Pines, where it was discovered Thursday that a youth pastor is accused of raping a teenager for a year and threatened to report her family’s illegal immigration status if she reported the crime. “Law enforcement is telling us that the incidence of reporting of crimes has gone down. Among immigrants, underreporting of crime is a bigger problem,” Rodriguez said. His amendment failed, but two others with language to protect witnesses passed: One by Sen. Manny Diaz, R-Miami, and one by Sen. Jason Pizzo, DMiami Beach. Sen. Annette Taddeo, another vocal critic of the bill, filed an amendment to exempt people who have temporary protected status or are recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA). In a speech on the floor Friday, she said the bill is “mean” and ignores moments in America’s history of turning people away and treating minorities poorly. “Our history of ugly moments when it comes to immigration is something we should learn from,” she said. “I ask you to not make this a moment we will regret ... We are better than this.” Rodriguez said his Republican colleagues don’t have a willingness to move on the bill, citing DeSantis’ support. “The reason he’s in the governor’s office is because he ran an anti-immigrant campaign just like Trump did,” Rodríguez said. “Demonizing immigrants is core to their primary electoral strategy.” Republicans argued on the floor that immigration policy was not for the state to make, and that the bill simply addresses a problem facing Florida. “How do we solve this problem? There is one way,” said Sen. David Simmons, an Altamonte Springs Republican. “We do not have individuals who have committed crimes be given a free pass.” Simmons suggested the Legislature take up proposals in the future that would help immigrants attain legal status, like a bill to allow more work permits or drivers licenses. “None of us condone a system that is out of control,” he said. Sen. Tom Lee, however, was less certain on his vote. He said listening to debate on sanctuary cities bill was like switching between Fox News and MSNBC. He added that he was “really on the fence” about whether the bill would solve the problem. “I’ve never been more confused,” the Thonotosassa Republican and twotime Senate President said. “I felt like we let ideology and. partisanship take over the plain words of a piece of legislation. We couldn’t be more far apart.” Lee said he’s hopeful the language gets tightened up since he thought Gruters made sense in his statements. The bill language, however, was less clear, he said. “In the end, I didn’t have a yellow button so I chose to trust Senator Gruters’ interpretation,” he said. IMMIGRANTS IN GALLERY REACT After the vote was called, immigrant families and advocates left the chamber in tears. Amy-Patricia Morales, an FSU student from Miami, said she has shown up to the Capitol over the past few months to protest the bill in honor of her father, who was deported when she was 9 years old. She said she thinks senators did not do enough to address the trauma families face when someone is deported. “When you’re 9, how do you put it into simple terms? You can’t,” she said. “For me, it’s being 9 and coming home from school to a parent missing.” Nataly Chalco Lopez, a Florida State University student and DACA recipient from Peru, talked about her fears for her undocumented parents. Lopez, who is from Broward County, said her parents will likely never come to visit her at school or even attend her graduation as to avoid driving a far distance without a driver’s license. She said lawmakers see people like her parents as criminals. “They believe that what they’re doing isn’t wrong. They’re in denial of the fact that they are racist,” she said. “They have convinced themselves that the way that they think is correct ... they’re too far gone.” Samantha J. Gross: 850-222-3095, @samanthajgross
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Rep. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) - Interview
Your World with Neil Cavuto (FOX News).
2015.Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2015 CQ-Roll Call, Inc.
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BRENDA BUTTNER, FOX NEWS HOST: I bet this is a hot topic at your Thanksgiving table right now. What to do with ten thousand Syrian refugees to make sure ISIS doesn`t sneak in with them. The president already threatening to veto a bill that would vet them further, something not sitting well with Florida Republican Congressman Ron DeSantis. Congressman, thank you so much for joining us.
You voted with the majority on that bill to further vet, basically, our vetting process for refugees. 47 Democrats voted along with you. Is that a sign that the president is becoming more isolated on thos issue?
REP. RON DESANTIS (R-FL), COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS: Well happy Thanksgiving, Brenda.
BUTTNER: You, too.
DESANTIS: Yeah, I think without question, if you look at the numbers that the president is talking about, 10,000 people, if only one percent of those mean to do us harm or intending to commit terrorist acts, that means you`re bringing in 100 terrorists into the country, and we talked to the FBI director, even before the Paris attack, and he testified in front of Congress that the government cannot vet these people adequately because there isn`t enough information to do it.
So, I think the prudent policy is to err on the side of protecting the American people, and here`s the thing, Brenda. We can help about four or five refugees over in that theater for the cost of bringing one over here. So even if we didn`t have these terrorism concerns, I think there`s an argument our money is probably better spent by sending it over there and having people directed to safe zones.
BUTTNER: What happens if the Senate doesn`t take up this bill? It may not get traction. Minority Leader Harry Reid doesn`t really want to take it up. Then the president plans to veto it. What can you do?
DESANTIS: Well, first of all, I think that it`s likely to get to the president`s desk. He is going veto it and he`s going to have to explain and I think you see his poll numbers are dropping precipitously given how he`s handled this issue. I think he`s like -- 35 percent approve of how he is handling terrorism. So if he vetoes the bill and the public responds negatively to him, I think that`s going to put even more pressure on the Democrats in the Congress to join with us if we put funding prohibitions on the next budget bill that comes down the pike, not allowing the president to spend money to bring any unvetted refugees over to our country, and we could potentially end up with veto-proof majorities. We already got that in the House with our bill. This could potentially get us there in the Senate if the president vetoes a bill and then there`s a public backlash.
BUTTNER: There`s a move afoot in our northern neighbor in Canada to basically say, we won`t take any single men, we`re only taking women and children. But we have a very porous border and does that really stop the terrorists from getting in? Women -- we have seen in Paris -- can be terrorists, too.
DESANTIS: You have to vet everybody. You absolutely do have female suicide bombers. And so the idea that just because it`s a female that you`re not going to vet them, that doesn`t work. So yes, I think we have to be concerned, and not only with the refugee situation. It`s very easy for people to fly into Canada from some of these troubled spots and then they can come across our northern border. So I think it`s absolutely a cause of concern.
BUTTNER: And what do we do about that?
DESANTIS: Well, I think that we have to look at how you can gain entry into our country. The refugees is one. The legal immigration system is another. And then we also have visa waiver and people coming over on visas. I think all that has to be vetted in a way that errs on the side of protecting the American people. If there`s a chance that someone may be inclined to be an enemy of the country, then I think you have to err on the side of caution.
BUTTNER: You know, the argument on the other side is that we, as Americans -- our values are that it`s our obligation to bring in refugees, those who have been in war-torn situations and need help. How do you answer that?
DESANTIS: Well, we actually have been way more generous than pretty much every country in the world combined. But simply because there`s a war, that`s never been necessarily the test. We`ve accepted people who qualified for asylum because they were persecuted, say, like the Christians in Syria are being persecuted because of their faith or their ethnicity, but simply because they`re a war, that doesn`t necessarily mean that everybody gets to come to the United States, and as I mentioned earlier, I think you can help a lot of these people in a more cost-effective way. You can help more of them by administering that aid overseas rather than flying them halfway across the world.
BUTTNER: Right. Now what about the issue of giving state governors the choice whether or not to take the refugees in? That would require basically amending the Refugee Act of 1980. Do you support that?
DESANTIS: I do. Here`s why. State and local law enforcement are the primary protectors of the health, safety, and welfare of the people in the individual states. So they have a significant responsibility to keep their citizens safe, such as at the Mall of America, as you mentioned earlier on the show. So I think that they should absolutely have a voice in whether people are coming into their state that could potentially pose a problem.
BUTTNER: Do you think you might have the votes in Congress to do that?
DESANTIS: I think we could definitely pass it out of the house. Whether we could pass it out of the Senate, I`m not sure. And I would imagine, given the president`s posture on this, that he would threaten to veto such a bill.
BUTTNER: All right. Congressman, thank you very, very much. I hope you have a very happy and safe Thanksgiving.
DESANTIS: Same to you.
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