Court Rejects Male Prisoner’s Motion for Preferred Female Pronouns

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A federal appeals court rejected a male federal prisoner’s request to be addressed with female pronouns in accord with his gender identity.

Judge Stuart Kyle Duncan of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans, an appointee of President Donald Trump, issued the opinion denying Norman Varner’s motion to be addressed with female pronouns.

In 2012, Varner plead guilty to attempted receipt of child pornography and was subsequently sentenced to 15 years in prison and then 15 years of supervised release. He had previously been convicted on a state charge of possession of child porn and failure to register as a sex offender.

The opinion notes that, in 2018, Varner asked the district court to change his name on the document ordering his committal to “Kathrine Nicole Jett,” to reflect his transgendered status. The lower court rejected the name change, stating “Norman Varner” was his legal name at the time the court’s documents were prepared.

In his motion, Varner stated failure by others to use his preferred female pronouns when addressing him “leads me to feel that I am being discriminated against based on my gender identity.” (Read more from “Court Rejects Male Prisoner’s Motion for Preferred Female Pronouns” HERE)

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Man Released After Arrest for Arson Now Charged With Child Rape

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Advocates of so-called criminal justice reform are so good at concocting a utopian vision of criminal behavior under their jailbreak proposals that they start believing their own virtual reality. The problem for them is that criminals on the streets don’t work like liberal arts textbooks on “restorative justice.” Now, New York Democrats are learning this the hard way. They have lost control of the narrative because of the logical consequences of their illogical legislation.

Anthony J.M. Hart of Glen Falls, New York, is the latest poster child – one of many – for New York’s abolish bail law, which has been phased in by state judges over the past few months. Hart was arrested in Warren County on November 7 for setting fire to a vacant home. He was released on his own recognizance several days later because the arson charge did not qualify for a bail requirement, meaning the judge had to release him immediately.

This is the sort of people who are considered “low-level, nonviolent” threats by the Left. But as Reagan said, leftist ideology is rooted in “utopian presumptions about human nature.” Well, Hart’s human nature kicked in, and on Tuesday, he was arrested for raping a 14-year-old girl. Hart was charged with second-degree rape and second-degree criminal sexual act for an incident that is alleged to have happened in Warren County on December 31.

There is no limit to the number of needless victims that will be created as a result of people with this sort of threat potential being let out on the streets. In order to push this and similar legislation, liberals (in some states, with the help of Republicans) propagate a talking point that our jails are filled with low-level criminals who aren’t a threat, and incarceration just winds up being costly and counterintuitive. It’s a great talking point. But the data shows the opposite – that almost everyone serving even a little time is a repeat offender. Moreover, there are many violent criminals who escape justice.

Now the reality on the streets is catching up to that fact. When leftists refer to crimes as “nonviolent” and “low-level,” they obfuscate an important point. Given the threshold for probable cause and certain evidence standards, more often than not, some of the most violent criminals are undercharged and are most certainly under-convicted. On paper, second-degree assault or third-degree arson doesn’t sound so bad, but often the worst beatings that horrify the public only result in a second-degree charge, not to mention an eventual plea deal, driving down the punishment even further.

For example, on Tuesday night, 20-year-old Jay Vasquez-Paulino was caught on tape in the Bronx beating a woman violently and threatening her with a knife.

Vasquez-Paulino was released on an appearance ticket, pursuant to the new bail law. Anyone would agree he is a violent threat, but ultimately, because the victim didn’t sustain major injuries, Vasquez-Paulino was only charged with second-degree menacing, attempted third-degree assault, fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, and second-degree harassment. None of those crimes qualify for a bail hearing because they were regarded as low-level.

But the reality is the overwhelming number of hard-core assaults are only charged as second or third-degree offenses. Ditto with rape and murder charges. In fact, even Reeaz Khan, the illegal alien charged with the horrific rape and murder of 92-year-old Maria Fuertes in Queens, was only charged with second-degree murder. He was also charged with first-degree rape and is finally being held. But again, even some of the most horrific criminal acts don’t result in charges that the system treats seriously enough. Now, they are being downgraded even further. The core problem with these jailbreak proposals is that criminal charges are very technical and do not reflect the threat level of the offender. New York took away the ability of the judge to analyze the threat level as well as prior criminal history to set a level of bail.

It all gets back to the dirty little secret of the criminal justice system. We have a ton of violent crime in this country. Most of the people serving meaningful time in prison are violent repeat offenders, and there is a heck of a lot more crime on the streets because of loopholes, plea deals, and technicalities. Thus, if your obsession is to reduce the prison population rather than reducing crime, there is only one way to do it – release violent criminals. The problem is that doesn’t sound quite as mellifluous as the release of “first-time, low-level, nonviolent, reform-minded” criminals. And the public is catching on. (For more from the author of “Man Released After Arrest for Arson Now Charged With Child Rape” please click HERE)

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‘Kids Are a Handful and Sometimes People Don’t Want to Be Pregnant’: Jaw-Dropping Tweet Based on Article About Justifying Abortion

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A rather eye-popping, pro-abortion tweet has been making rounds and gaining some steam — courtesy of Renee Bracey Sherman, who calls herself the “Beyoncé of Abortion Storytelling” and a “reproductive justice activist committed to the visibility and representation of people who have had abortions in media and pop culture.” . . .

As you might expect, Sherman got some pushback from anti-abortion folks — including Abby Johnson, the former Planned Parenthood clinic director who became pro-life and the subject of the recent feature film, “Unplanned”:

It’s worth checking out the Rewire.News article Sherman’s tweet is based on, which is titled, “Having the Abortion Talk With Children Is Easier Than You Think. Just Ask These Parents.” The piece is all about how a handful of moms justified their abortions to their daughters. . .

First off in the piece is Amiya — only first names are used for the sake of privacy — who has a 12-year-old daughter and found out six months ago she was pregnant. Amiya “immediately knew she would get an abortion,” the story said, adding that she told the outlet that abortion “wasn’t something I really wanted to do, but as a parent, I knew it was something I needed to do.”

Then there’s Melissa who “was in an abusive relationship when she discovered she was pregnant in October and chose to get an abortion. She talked about the decision with her 15-year-old daughter,” the story said. (Read more from “‘Kids Are a Handful and Sometimes People Don’t Want to Be Pregnant’: Jaw-Dropping Tweet Based on Article About Justifying Abortion” HERE)

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U.S. Space Force Accused of ‘Christian Privilege’ After Ceremony at National Cathedral

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The United States Space Force has been in operation just over a month, but they are already the subject of complaints stemming from a ceremony, held over the weekend at Washington, D.C.’s National Cathedral, where a Bible was blessed for use at Space Force swearing in ceremonies.

“The Washington National Cathedral held a ceremony Sunday to bless a King James Bible that will be used to swear in members of the Department of Defense’s Space Force,” the Washington Examiner reports. “Rev. Carl Wright conducted the blessing, saying, ‘May this Bible guard and guide all those who purpose that the final frontier be a place where God will triumph over evil, where love will triumph over hate, and where life will triumph over death.’”

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation fired back at the Space Force, accusing the newest military branch of favoritism and of making Space Force members who celebrate a faith other than Christianity feel unwelcome and uncomfortable. . .

The group’s president, Mikey Weinstein, added that the Space Force was exhibiting “Christian privilege.”

“MRFF noted with additional disgust and disdain the willing and all-too visible participation of a senior USAF officer, in formal uniform, during the travesty of this sectarian ceremony which tragically validates the villainy of unadulterated Christian privilege at DoD and its subordinate military branches,” Weinstein noted in his own statement. “MRFF is currently receiving a multitude of new complaints from outraged DoD military and even civilian DoD personnel, as well as veterans, regarding this unmitigated, unconstitutional horror. MRFF will be lodging a formal complaint to Mark Esper, the Secretary of Defense.” (Read more from “U.S. Space Force Accused of ‘Christian Privilege’ After Ceremony at National Cathedral” HERE)

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Illegal Alien Hired by Church as Bus Driver Charged With 19 Counts of Child Molestation

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Support of criminals and illegal aliens by many wayward churches is touted as the ultimate expression of compassion rooted in Biblical values. But it’s merely virtue-signaling – and not of virtues. Nowhere is this more evident than in the harboring of criminal aliens.

On Thursday, police in Annapolis, Maryland, arrested Jose Argueta, 44, an illegal alien from El Salvador, on 19 child sex assault charges. He is accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl on four occasions and taking pornographic images of her during several of those incidents since mid-December.

“It was obvious that there was a lot of information confirming that this had happened and also photographs unfortunately–pornographic images of this child,” said Sgt. Amy Miguez of the Annapolis Police Department in an interview with reporters.

ICE lodged a detainer with the Anne Arundel County Detention Center on the day of the arrest, but for now Argueta is being held without bail.

How did Argueta have access to her? According to police, he met her while serving as a van driver for a local church, transporting the victim and her family to their church in Glen Burnie, Maryland, where Argueta also lived. Glen Burnie is a suburb of Baltimore on the south side in Anne Arundel County and has seen a massive influx of Central Americans in recent years, just like neighboring Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.

What is further troubling is that, according to court records, Argueta had a history of traffic violations and a DUI. Yet he had a valid Maryland trucking license. How was someone like this able to remain in the country and openly drive for a church? The entire purpose of the 1986 amnesty deal was to make it illegal for someone here unlawfully to work. This alleged crime was therefore 100 percent preventable.

The name of the church has not been publicized, but one has to wonder whether the church even cared to verify his immigration status or if church authorities actually knew he was an illegal alien. Harboring criminals tends to lead to more criminal activity – in this case, the terrible crime of child molestation.

All these politicians, civic leaders, and alleged religious leaders think they are doing the Lord’s work by harboring fugitives and criminals, among them many violent criminals. As I’ve reported before, Central America, particularly the rural areas from which many illegal aliens have come, have a cultural problem of child marriages, in which sex with teenage girls is considered more normal than it is here. There is also an epidemic of gang recruitment among Salvadorans in Maryland, more than in almost any state. This is why virtue-signaling is no virtue; it’s cruelty. Any effort by politicians, churches, or businesses in a state like Maryland to harbor illegal aliens will result in more preventable crimes.

Last year, Miguel Ramirez Valiente, an illegal alien from El Salvador, sought refuge in the All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church in Colorado Springs along with other illegal aliens. In January, he held a press conference crying about the potential for him to be separated from his family, and it was widely reported in the national media. “I can’t be separated from them,” he said. “I have always worked hard to support my family, and they depend on me.”

The church took him in despite his prior conviction for DUI and arrests for reckless endangerment and domestic violence. In August, he again drove recklessly and separated a father of five from his family permanently, in the grave, killing the father when Valiente’s truck swerved into the father’s motorcycle.

Just one year’s worth of illegal aliens subject to detainers have a collective rap sheet of charges including: 2,500 homicides, 56,000 assaults, 14,500 sex crimes, 5,000 robberies, and 2,500 kidnappings. And those are just the ones they catch. That’s some compassion these churches are promoting. It looks like these churches need to go back to the basics of Bible study before they educate themselves on immigration policy. (For more from the author of “Illegal Alien Hired by Church as Bus Driver Charged With 19 Counts of Child Molestation” please click HERE)

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California Lawmakers Kill Ban on ‘Intersex’ Surgery for Young Children

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Lawmakers in California have killed a bill that would ban most surgeries on “intersex” infants and young children – those born with ambiguous sex characteristics.

The measure would have prohibited surgeries on children, aged six and under, born with sex characteristics that cannot easily be categorized as “male” or “female,” unless the Medical Board of California determined they were medically necessary.

A majority of state lawmakers – three Democrats and one Republican on the state Senate Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee, voted to reject the bill, proposed by Democrat State Sen. Scott Wiener, that would have banned most of the intersex procedures, reported the Associated Press (AP).

Wiener claimed the bill addresses a civil rights issue and seeks to “ensure that people who are born intersex are able to make their own choices about their health and their gender identity instead of having other people make those irreversible surgical choices for them.” . . .

The committee heard the testimony of Dr. Hillary Copp, a pediatric urologist at the University of California, San Francisco, who said she opposed the bill because it would remove “all flexibility for trained medical professionals and their [sic] loved ones to do what is in the best interest of the patient.” (Read more from “California Lawmakers Kill Ban on ‘Intersex’ Surgery for Young Children” HERE)

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Leftists Freakout After Liberal Stephen King for Saying Quality Matters in the Arts, Not Diversity

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Author and Trump hater Stephen King is feeling the heat from fellow liberals following his tweets about the Academy Award nominations, in which he said that quality is more important than diversity when it comes to creating works of art.

Filmmaker Ava DuVernay hit back at King, calling his comments “backward and ignorant.” Author Laura Lippman also called out King, saying that the Hollywood system is “rigged.” . . .

Roxane Gay, the author and contributing opinion writer at The New York Times, expressed her disappointment in King, saying that “most industries only believe in quality from one demographic.”

King has become a darling among left-wing Hollywood types and the cultural elite for his vehement anti-Trump stance. The author of The Shining and Misery has repeatedly insulted President Donald Trump and his supporters on social media, calling him a “horse’s ass” and a “vile, racist, and incompetent bag of guts.”

Hollywood journalists turned their knives on the the Academy for what they saw as a lack of diversity among this year’s acting categories. Harriet actress Cynthia Erivo was the only non-white acting nominee this year, prompting journalists to resurrect the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag.

(Read more from “Leftists Freakout After Liberal Stephen King for Saying Quality Matters in the Arts, Not Diversity” HERE)

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Gun-Toting Woman Confronts Man Allegedly Masturbating in Women’s Restroom

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Stacey Crawford told WJBK-TV she’s been visiting the salon in Macy’s at the Fairlane Mall in Dearborn, Michigan, for the last decade — but her experience in a women’s restroom Friday night is one she’d prefer to forget. . .

Crawford noted to WJBK that as she was going into the restroom, another woman was in there “wrapping up” — and soon enough, things got scary.

“I’m in the stall, she’s beating on the stall [saying], ‘Ma am, ma’am.’ and I hear the urgency in her voice,” Crawford told WJBK. “I’m like, ‘What’s going on?'” . . .

Crawford then told the station when she opened the stall door, she saw a man touching himself and looking at the other woman — who became so terrified that she pulled out her gun. . .

Crawford and the other woman screamed for security and blocked one of the exit doors, but the station said the man casually took another way out of the restroom, made it through Macy’s — and into the mall.

(Read more from “Gun-Toting Woman Confronts Man Allegedly Masturbating in Women’s Restroom” HERE)

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A Pedophile Is Claiming He ‘Identifies’ as an 8-Year-Old Girl

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A convicted sex offender in Michigan is heading to prison for 10–20 years after being caught with child pornography on his computer. What makes this case interesting is the defense that 45-year-old Joseph Gobrick offered in court. Speaking to a judge at his sentencing hearing, Gobrick claimed that he has a First Amendment right to look at child porn. He also claimed that he identifies as an eight-year-old girl.

“I’ve always been an eight-year-old girl,’’ Gobrick contended. “Even in my drawings and fantasies, I am always an eight-year-old girl. … There are adults having sex with me in an online forum as an eight-year-old girl.”

The judge apparently did not find this argument persuasive. No reasonable person would. But an obvious question is raised here. Why exactly can’t Gobrick identity as a young girl? On what basis can we deny or disqualify his self-identification?

Again, the reasonable among us know the answer. He can’t identify as one because he isn’t one. According to all available metrics, he is a 45-year-old pervert, not a third grader. He cannot choose to be a different age. He is the age he is, and that’s all there is to it. It is either insanity or willful deception that causes him to make this claim about himself. We therefore are perfectly justified in refuting his self-identity and refusing to play along with it. More than merely justified, we are in fact morally obliged to insist on truth over harmful fantasies and delusions. (Read more from “A Pedophile Is Claiming He ‘Identifies’ as an 8-Year-Old Girl” HERE)

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State Lawmakers Propose Bill to Legalize Prostitution

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A bill to legalize adult prostitution in Vermont was recently introduced by female lawmakers in the state’s legislature.

The bill’s text read:

This bill proposes to repeal the prostitution laws while retaining felony human trafficking laws that prohibit recruiting, enticing, harboring, transporting, providing, or obtaining a minor for the purpose of commercial sex; patronizing a minor for commercial sex; recruiting, enticing, harboring, transporting, providing, or obtaining any person through force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of having the person engage in commercial sex; compelling any person through force, fraud, or coercion to engage in commercial sex; and patronizing any person for a commercial sex act who is being compelled through force, fraud, or coercion to engage in a commercial sex.

One of the bill’s sponsors, Rep. Selene Colburn who is a Burlington Progressive, said she believed decriminalizing so-called “sex work” would offer prostitutes more safety and improve their health.

Colburn also stated that if prostitution were not considered illegal in the state, charges would not be brought against the sex worker or the buyer, the VTDigger reported. (Read more from “State Lawmakers Propose Bill to Legalize Prostitution” HERE)

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