The 4th Estate Again Shows Why It’s Beneath Contempt

I despise journalists for the most part. The false narrative they put out of being “objective” and “unbiased” is laughable on its face. Plus the arrogant presumption of only they can determine the news fit for public discussion, and they must frame the terms. Plus, they are ignorant of basic facts, which brings us to this article.  

Reading this “news” you swear Immigration Agents are not law enforcement officers. And the officers have no business other than immigration status. I’m a patrol cop and suppose I pull you over for an expired registration, only to find you really did renew it last night. Fine, you don’t get a ticket for that. But when I run your license I find an open warrant for narcotics, I can’t let you go. You are a wanted criminal. Not apparently in the way of “thinking” for these two ladies. 

Immigration Agents Arrest Man in L.A. Raid and Drive Off With His Toddler

​By Jill Cowan and Mimi Dwyer

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents descended on a Home Depot parking lot in Los Angeles this week and detained a Latino man. They secured his hands behind his back, and the man, later identified as Dennis Quiñonez, leaned against his Chevy hatchback.

Immigrant rights activists stood nearby, taking video and shouting at the agents, who were masked and heavily armed…

Ladies, may I enlighten you on law enforcement procedure. You detain someone, you are authorized to secure their hands for officer safety. It’s hands that can harm someone, directly or with a weapon. As far as the agents being “masked and heavily armed,” yes they mask themselves to prevent doxing. Also, law enforcement agents (LEOs) are armed as a rule. Plus, will you please define “heavily” armed? Am I heavily armed by having a pocketknife as well as my pistol? Inquiring minds want to know.  

Mr. Quiñonez was taken away to another vehicle. An armed agent slid into the driver’s seat of his Chevy.

“There’s a baby in the back!” an onlooker shouted. Minutes later, someone cried out, “They’re about to drive!”

Another agent, wearing body armor and carrying a rifle, got into the passenger seat.

Again, ladies, LEOs are armed with rare exceptions (e.g., work inside a jail). Also, body armor is required by all agencies these days. So what is the issue with a federal cop being armed and wearing body armor? Where is the “news” in that? Why do I know you’re trying to make federal agents looks like Imperial Stormtroopers. 

Mr. Quiñonez’s daughter — who relatives said later is a few months shy of her second birthday — looked on, wide-eyed from her car seat. Then the driver reversed the car and drove away.

No kidding ladies, welcome to reality. We can’t leave the kid alone and we can’t just turn a child over to any third party. Plus with a hostile group of people surrounding you, it’s often best to get out of the area for the safety of all involved. Also, while the cops are on scene, it allows the agitators (excuse, activists) rile up people on the scene.

The girl was reunited with her grandmother later in the day. But immigrant rights groups say the episode underscores how federal agents across the country have pushed legal boundaries, sometimes in the presence of children, as they carry out the Trump administration’s agenda to deport millions of undocumented immigrants…

…It is not clear whether Customs and Border Protection has a policy on how to handle minor children at the scene of an arrest or detention. But agents for ICE, a separate Homeland Security agency, are not supposed to drive off with the child of a detainee, according to ICE policy. Local law enforcement agencies in Los Angeles County have similar policies requiring officers to call for a social worker.

If I were to hazard a guess the investigators asked Mr. Quiñonez who they could transfer the girl to and he said the grandmother. If he had not, they would transfer the girl to CPS or similar facility for her safety. Welcome to police work ladies, cops have to deal with a suspect’s child or juvenile every day. Rule of thumb, get them to family or a trusted friend as quickly as possible. It's best for the kid. 

… Tuesday’s events began when Customs and Border Protection agents arrested five undocumented immigrants from Mexico and Guatemala, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

Federal authorities said in the affidavit that Mr. Quiñonez got out of his car while holding a hammer “in a threatening manner” about 100 feet away from them. As agents started to drive away, they said they saw Mr. Quiñonez throw two “rock-like” objects at the vehicle before getting back into his own car. After a team of agents boxed in Mr. Quiñonez’s car, he got out and approached agents, who said they believed he had tried to assault them…

According to an affidavit by federal authorities, Mr. Quiñonez, a 32-year-old U.S. citizen, was charged with illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition as someone who had previously been convicted of domestic violence. He was convicted of a misdemeanor for injuring a spouse or cohabitant in 2014, the affidavit said…

OK, a US citizen threatens federal agents in the process of enforcing immigration law. After he is detained, the federal agents discover a weapon and ammunition on him. They run him and discover he has a conviction for domestic violence, which means he cannot carry a firearm (assuming the gun didn’t belong to the girl). That’s called investigation 101.

He is charged with a higher crime (it’s a felony for a man convicted of domestic violence to carry a gun). Also the weapon’s charge is easier to prove (no need for intent, the fact he has it is enough). 

So no, there is no issue here. An idiot decided to threaten ICE agents enforcing federal law and was found to have a kid in the car with him. He endangered her by being an idiot with those agents. When the child was discovered, they took her into protective custody and transferred her in a reasonable amount of time to a family member. 

Reporters trying to make news, that’s par for the course. Correspondents trying to create a false narrative based on a template is also expected. That is too bad. Remember that lie the Washington Post chose as its slogan, Democracy Dies In Darkness? With falsehood like this, you’re the ones cutting off the lights. 

BBC really needs to learn English

A 60 Minutes host (I think Morley Safer, but I stand to be corrected) told students looking into becoming reporters that one thing they should never major in is journalism. He said he could teach you everything you need to know about journalism in a few months, but major in something that will help you in the endeavor (English comes to mind!). Much like I’ve told countless people wanting to become cops, the last thing to get a degree in is criminal justice. The police academy will teach you what is required, why pay for it. Get something that will make you more marketable, if you will. Accounting, computer science, etc. 

Going back to the comment on English, I got an update from the BBC this morning, "Nations back deal to tax multinationals." Here is the article: 

G7: Rich nations back deal to tax multinationals

The G7 group of advanced economies has reached a "historic" deal to make multinational companies pay more tax.

Finance ministers meeting in London agreed to battle tax avoidance by making companies pay more in the countries where they do business.

They also agreed in principle to a global minimum corporate tax rate of 15% to avoid countries undercutting each other…

Again, the author of this article mistakes something. The nations did not agree to this, but the governments did. One of the greatest quotes from Ronald Reagan, front his first inaugural speech:

We are a nation that has a government -- not the other way around. 

Yes, the people are the nation, and they didn't agree to this. The government's did. Assuming this makes it through the US Senate (a quaint notion, following the constitution, but go with me), it will then be law, no matter what the nation wants. 

Now here is the real funny part:

…The deal announced on Saturday, between the US, the UK, France, Germany, Canada, Italy and Japan, plus the EU, could see billions of dollars flow to governments to pay off debts incurred during the Covid crisis... 

As I've explained countless times, a politician says we will take a dollar from you, use it to some critical task (e.g. roads, bridges, schools, debt). He then spends five dollars on anything but what he said he 

Another amusing part of the propaganda, excuse me, news article:

"...His German counterpart, Olaf Scholz, said it was "very good news for tax justice and solidarity and bad news for tax havens".

"Companies will no longer be in a position to dodge their tax obligations by booking their profits in lowest-tax countries," he said...  

 In the immortal words of Dr. Evil, "Riiight." If Ireland is no longer the lowest taxed nation, Amazon or Apple will use another low tax nation. They simply will need to pay off the politicians (both parties) on this. I'm recalling the 1990s, when Bubba Clinton jacked up taxes on luxury items like yachts. The rich simply got their yachts from overseas, dodging the taxes. When the GOP took over the congress and repealed that, the revenue increased. Something libtards just don't get (or refuse to acknowledge), that 15% of a buck is a lot more than 50% of nothing. 

Got it, the cops screwed up, we didn't let the rioters have "room to riot."

I'm recalling the words of HERONORDAMAER of Baltimore, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, during the Freddie Gray riots of 2017, when she said, “We also gave those who wish to destroy space to do that as well.” Then again, we are talking "experts," and their "studies" now.

Reading Sunday morning's Houston Chronicle, the usual suspects are saying police screwed up, that the innocent rioters were not allowed to destroy, excuse me. peacefully protest. Then again, it's a NY Times article, so it's be fair, balanced, and accurate, right?  

Reports slam policing during BLM protests

By Kim Barker, Mike Baker and Ali Watkins NEW YORK TIMES

For many long weeks last summer, protesters in American cities faced off against their own police forces in what proved to be, for major law enforcement agencies across the country, a startling display of violence and disarray.

In Philadelphia, police sprayed tear gas on a crowd of mainly peaceful protesters trapped on an interstate who had nowhere to go and no way to breathe. In Chicago, officers were given arrest kits so old that the plastic handcuffs were decayed or broken. Los Angeles officers were issued highly technical foam-projectile launchers for crowd control, but many of them had only two hours of training; one of the projectiles bloodied the eye of a homeless man in a wheelchair. Nationally, at least eight people were blinded after being hit with police projectiles.

Forgive me for an obvious question. I'm recalling James T. Kirk in Star Trek The Worst, AKA Star Trek V The Final Frontier, when the captain asks the purported almighty, "What does God need with a starship?" The "crows of mainly peaceful protesters trapped on an interstate," what were they doing on an interstate? People cannot be on highways because there is an excellent chance of getting killed. In January 2017, I was part of a field force where the site commander said, "Let them protest all they want on the sidewalks, median, but don't let them get on the interstate..." I was thinking, "Chief...I would pay ten bucks to watch that!" 

No question (if true) Chicago should have their arrest kits ready. Then again, it's a radical Democrat city, so expect things to be screwed up. And something about 'journalism" these days, it may not be completely accurate. For instance, two arrest kits out of 100 may show a slight failure on deployment preparation, not a complete failure of a system. Seeing Pravda on the Hudson is not putting this in context, e.g. "Chicago has old and brittle plastic cuffs in 250 of 1000 arrest kits..,"let's just take this with skepticism. 

Complaining that Los Angeles police may have not been fully trained is a legitimate question. However, how much time is needed for the officer's to get trained on foam projectors? Also, this article says "at least eight people were blinded after being hit by police projectiles." OK, did those incidents have anything to do with the BLM/ANTIFA riots? This "article" implies that, and it's not beneath the 4th Estate to lead people to a false conclusion. 

Almost uniformly, the reports said departments need more training in how to handle large protests. They also offered a range of recommendations to improve outcomes in the future: Departments need to better work with community organizers, including enlisting activists to participate in trainings or consulting with civil rights attorneys on protest-management policies. Leaders need to develop more restrictive guidelines and better supervision of crowd control munitions, such as tear gas. Officers need more training to manage their emotions and aggressions as part of de-escalation strategies.

I've heard the cliche of cops needing "de-escalation" training for ages, but one thing I don't hear from the experts. Perhaps the "protestors" should better manage their emotions and aggressions. Protesting is one thing, blocking roads, destroying businesses, assaulting people just trying to get to work, that's another. But for some reason the experts never seem to think the BLM/ANTIFA rioters are at fault for the destruction they cause. 

I recently wrote a post (for another publication) on how the Derek Chauvin trial is not an open and shut case. If the prosecution fails to make its case (and seeing they are being led by a politician, not a prosecutor, that's makes it tougher), we are going through this again this summer. Perhaps the usual suspects should start training the rioters in "de-escalation" and "managing their emotions."  

Don't read just the headline...

I am a constant critic of reporters/"journal-list," etc., for getting basic information wrong, or just out and out lying to fit an agency. Classic example is when The Washington Post (and others are in the process) settled with a teenager who they liable, saying he charged an Indian while visiting the capital. That is an extreme examples (I have doubt their in office council was screaming "STOP! He's not a public figure, he can sue and win!"), but here is another great example. 

 

Reading the headline, it would be a bit extreme for operating on a man's teeth on a hoverboard. Well, it's not just for that.

Dentist who extracted tooth while riding hoverboard given 12-year prison sentence 

An Alaska dentist who extracted a patient’s tooth while riding a hoverboard has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for his reckless stunt along with other crimes. 

Seth Lookhart was sentenced Monday in Anchorage Superior Court on dozens of charges that stemmed from his hoverboarding antics to Medicaid fraud and removing a patient’s teeth without permission, Newser reported. He was convicted on 46 counts back in January on charges, which included reckless endangerment, illegally practicing dentistry and medical assistance fraud, Law Officer reported. “ 

In reviewing all this over and over again, I have this visceral response — you darn near killed some people,” Judge Michael Wolverton said in handing down the sentence..."

OK, got it, if the jury got it right, he deserved long time in prison. But it's not just for the antics while conducting oral surgery. If reporters/media want to be respected (ask a certain former reporter for Rolling Stone), suggest you simply tell your readers/viewers the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. 

 

Another reason journalist are considered lower than whale dung....

In times past, reporters had to have a few basic characteristics to be good. Command of the language, a willingness to investigate the matter they were reporting (not just reprinting the fax they got from the office), at least some integrity, and some common knowledge of what the hell they were writing on. A few days ago I saw this article and I had to laugh:

CBS News...enough said.

But it never occurred to the "journalist" to call someone who knew what the hell they were talking about before they put this garbage out. Then again, last New Year's Eve in Houston, there was a report of a man in a hotel with an "arsenal." Granted, this is soon after the Las Vegas mass shooting, but calling one Glock 9mm, one 870 shotgun, and one AR-15 an "arsenal" is a bit of hyperbole.

Reporters, journalism degrees don't give you knowledge of the craft, getting off your ass and investigating the story does. Try asking questions of people who know what they are talking about before you make an ass out of yourself in front of millions.

At least this reporter didn't put this up: