Tag: peace
Hegseth Brags About Killing 'Woke' Women's Security Program Pushed By Ivanka

Hegseth Brags About Killing 'Woke' Women's Security Program Pushed By Ivanka

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Tuesday that he ended the Women, Peace and Security program within the Pentagon, disparaging the initiative that ensures women are part of peace-building efforts across the world as "woke."

"This morning, I proudly ENDED the “Women, Peace & Security” (WPS) program inside the @DeptofDefense," the embattled Hegseth wrote in a post on X. "WPS is yet another woke divisive/social justice/Biden initiative that overburdens our commanders and troops—distracting from our core task: WAR-FIGHTING.”

Hegseth continued his hysterical criticism of the program.

“WPS is a UNITED NATIONS program pushed by feminists and left-wing activists. Politicians fawn over it; troops HATE it,” he seethed. “DoD will hereby executive [sic] the minimum of WPS required by statute, and fight to end the program for our next budget. GOOD RIDDANCE WPS!"

Of course, it was Donald Trump who in 2017 signed WPS into law. In 2019, the Trump administration touted the success of the program, which it said “aims to promote the meaningful inclusion of women in processes to prevent, mitigate, resolve, and recover from deadly conflict or disaster.”

A Women for Trump press release pointed to the passage of WPS as one of the reasons Trump was pro-woman (hah!).

What’s more, the law was written by Trump Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem when she served in the House, and was co-sponsored by Trump Secretary of State Marco Rubio when he served in the Senate.

The law was so uncontroversial that it passed by voice vote in both the House and Senate, without any lawmakers objecting to its passage.

Rubio even touted the program just a few days ago at the International Women of Courage event on April 1.

“President Trump also signed the Women, Peace and Security Act, a bill that I was very proud to have been a co-sponsor of when I was in the Senate, and it was the first comprehensive law passed in any country in the world— first law passed by any country anywhere in the world—focused on protecting women and promoting their participation in society,” Rubio said.

Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump, was also very proud of WPS, celebrating its passage in 2017 and later its implementation.

"By recognizing the diverse roles women play across the spectrum of conflict — and by incorporating their perspectives throughout plans and operations — DOD is better equipped to promote our security, confront near-peer competitors, and defeat our adversaries," former Trump Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Rath Hoffman said in 2020 while touting the success of the WPS program.

But now Hegseth, an accused sexual abuser and misogynist who has attacked the inclusion of women in the military, said he's ending it.

Democrats slammed Hegseth for announcing he’s killing the program.

“Dear @PeteHegseth: Please stop spewing bullshit. The WPS program was authored by GOP Rep Noem during the first Trump Administration in 2017. It was bipartisan and signed into law by Trump. Oh, and how is your makeup today? Did you use your taxpayer-funded Pentagon makeup studio?” Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) wrote in a post on X.

After it was pointed out that WPS is a Trump initiative and not a Biden one, Hegseth had to defend his decision to go after the program as part of his nonsensical war on “woke.”

“The woke & weak Biden Administration distorted & weaponized the straight-forward & security-focused WPS initiative launched in 2017. So—yes—we are ending the ‘woke divisive/social justice/Biden (WPS) initiative.’ Biden ruined EVERYTHING, including ‘Women, Peace & Security,’” Hegseth wrote.

Ultimately, this is yet another instance of the unqualified buffoon leading the Pentagon putting his foot in his mouth.

Hegseth came under fire in March when he removed web pages that celebrated diverse military veterans such as Major League Baseball legend Jackie Robinson, Civil Rights icon Medgar Evers, and even an image of the Enola Gay airplane that dropped an atomic bomb on Japan during World War II. The pages were removed because they contained references to words deemed inappropriate under the Trump administration’s effort to end diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives—the dreaded DEI bogeyman.

It certainly seems that Hegseth’s war on DEI is also why he moved to cancel WPS.

Had he done any research whatsoever on WPS to see that it was Trump who created the program, maybe he wouldn’t have yet another foot-in-mouth situation on his hands.

Reprinted with permission from Daily Kos.

Baltimore Police Give Findings Into Freddie Gray Death To Prosecutor

Baltimore Police Give Findings Into Freddie Gray Death To Prosecutor

By Timothy M. Phelps and Michael Muskal, Tribune Washington Bureau (TNS)

BALTIMORE — Baltimore police turned over their findings into the death of Freddie Gray to the state prosecutor on Thursday, a day earlier than their self-imposed deadline.

The results of the investigation were sent to State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby on Thursday morning, Police Commissioner Anthony Batts announced.

“We have exhausted every lead at this point. But this does not mean the investigation is over,” he said.

The action comes amid published reports of a new narrative suggesting that Gray intentionally tried to injure himself as he was being transported in a police van.

The 25-year-old African-American died from a severed spine on April 19, a week after he was arrested by Baltimore police and transported by van. Police are investigating how Gray, who was cuffed with his hands behind his back and his legs in irons, was injured.

The police findings into the death, which has led to days of protests and a fevered Monday night of rioting and looting, were scheduled to be completed by Friday, but were completed early.

The state’s attorney has the final say on whether to charge any of the six officers with a state crime. The officers have been suspended with pay.

“By turning these documents, our findings, over to the state’s attorney’s office as quickly as we can, we are being accountable to them so that we can be accountable to the public,” spokesman Captain Eric Kowalczyk said Wednesday.

Police have already acknowledged that department policy was breached when Gray was placed in the van but not buckled into a seat belt and when officers failed to get him medical care in a timely fashion. The federal Justice Department is also investigating whether there were any violations of federal civil rights law.

Police have said that the van stopped three times while carrying Gray to a police precinct. At one stop, Gray was taken from the van and placed in irons. At the last stop, another inmate was also placed in the van but was separated from Gray by a metal barrier.

According to The Washington Post, the prisoner sharing the police van told investigators that he could hear Gray “banging against the walls” of the vehicle and believed that he “was intentionally trying to injure himself.”

The Post quoted from what it said was a Baltimore police document that was included in an application for a search warrant, which is sealed by the court. The Post said it was given the document under the condition that the prisoner not be named because the person who provided it feared for the inmate’s safety.

The document offers the first official look at what happened in the van. Baltimore police have said they do not know whether Gray was injured during the arrest or during his ride in the van.

Gray was found unconscious in the wagon when it arrived at a police station on April 12, then taken to a hospital, where he died in a coma a week later.

Jason Downs, one of the attorneys for the Gray family, told the Post that the family had not been told of the prisoner’s comments to investigators.

“We disagree with any implication that Freddie Gray severed his own spinal cord,” Downs said. “We question the accuracy of the police reports we’ve seen thus far, including the police report that says Mr. Gray was arrested without force or incident.”

Photo: Vladimir Badikov via Flickr

Baltimore Calmer After Night Under Curfew; Schools Reopen

Baltimore Calmer After Night Under Curfew; Schools Reopen

By Noah Bierman, Michael Muskal, and W.J. Hennigan, Los Angeles Times (TNS)

BALTIMORE — A yellow school bus rumbling through a smattering of downtown traffic was a welcome sign of progress Wednesday morning as this riot-scarred city tried to return to normal after this week’s violence and looting.

No major incidents were reported overnight as a weeklong 10 p.m. curfew took hold and seemed to break city’s fevered response to the death of Freddie Gray, an African American who suffered a mortal injury while in police custody.

Ten people were arrested overnight, police said, two for looting, one for disorderly conduct and seven for violating the curfew. That was in addition to 235 arrests after Monday’s rioting that began hours after Gray’s funeral.

“Tonight I think the biggest thing is the citizens are safe, the city is stable,” Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony Batts said shortly before midnight as he declared the curfew a success. “We hope to maintain it that way.”

More than 3,000 officers and National Guard troops enforced the curfew, which got off to a slow start late Tuesday night when about 200 protesters ignored police warnings and the pleas of community activists to disperse. Some threw objects.

A line of police behind riot shields hurled tear gas canisters and fired pepper balls, slowly pushing back the crowd. Demonstrators picked up the canisters and hurled them back at officers. But the crowd rapidly dispersed and was down to just a few dozen people within minutes.

More than 20 police officers were injured in the past days, officials said.

The curfew ended at 5 a.m. and the city attempted to return to its pre-riot routines. Traffic resumed, but against a heavy show of National Guard, city police, and law enforcement officers from surrounding cities.

At North and Pennsylvania avenues, one of the centers of unrest, traffic moved as usual and residents went about their business as police in riot gear stood on each of the four corners.

“Things need to get back to normal,” said one police officer, who was not authorized to speak publicly on the situation. “That’s what’s starting to happen.”

About half a mile away the Mondawmin Mall, where rioters looted thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise on Monday, remained closed due to extensive damage during the unrest. Camouflaged Maryland National Guardsmen watched over each of the entrances.

However, the Shoppers Food and Pharmacy, which shares a parking lot with the mall, was open for business. And across the street, students entered Frederick Douglass High School after classes were canceled Tuesday.

“It’s good to move past all this,” said Robert Johnson, 50, who works at Shoppers. “There’s enough confusion in the world. We don’t need this madness.”

School buses were among the earliest vehicles on the roads. Like much of the city, schools were shuttered Tuesday. Educators said they were planning special programs.

“Principals and teachers are planning activities that will help students learn from the past days’ events. Counselors, social workers, and psychologists will be on hand to support students’ emotional needs,” the district’s executive officer, Gregory E. Thornton, said in a letter to parents.

Other usual city activities were also planned but with a special twist because of the days of protests.

The Baltimore Orioles were scheduled to play a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox after two previous games were postponed. But in what is believed to be a first in the history of the sport, Wednesday’s game will be played to an empty stadium. As a security measure, the afternoon game will be closed to the public.

On Tuesday, top officials including Governor Larry Hogan and Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake worked to calm the city, which has been in turmoil since Gray died on April 19, a week after he was arrested in West Baltimore, which became the epicenter of the riots and looting.

Gray’s spine was severed, but it remains a mystery exactly how and when that occurred. Video has shown Gray being arrested and his hands cuffed behind his back when he is placed in the van for transport. The van made at least two stops and at one, Gray is seen on video being taken out of the van. His legs are placed in irons and he is returned to the wagon.

Officials are still investigating the events, but police have acknowledged that Gray should have been buckled into a seat belt as he was transported and that he should have received early medical care.

Gray’s death touched off protests last week that increased in intensity through the weekend and finally into Monday night’s violence.

Photo: Yianni Mathioudakis via Flickr

A Holiday Message To Our Readers

A Holiday Message To Our Readers

Dear Friends,

On this day, Americans of all religious persuasions, and none, will pause with their families to break bread, perhaps drink a toast, and share a moment of joy – especially if they are among the fortunate. But on this day, we must remember too that here and abroad, there remain millions for whom there is, in that memorable phrase from the Christmas story, “no room at the inn.”

That ancient story celebrates the birth of a child who entered the world sheltered in a stable, whose parents were impoverished and rejected, and who grew up to serve the poor, heal the sick, and comfort the outcast.

It is a tale 2,000 years old, yet never dated – bearing a powerful message of humility, compassion, and charity that too many of our political leaders have yet to comprehend even dimly, no matter how often they profess to worship its teacher. And still many others have upheld its compelling essence over the centuries, regardless of their identification with any spiritual creed.

So today we extend the warmest of holiday wishes to you, our readers, of all beliefs, with hope that the coming year brings our country and our world closer to living in peace, good will, generosity, and justice.

Merry Christmas!

Joe Conason

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

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