7. Civil War cannon painted for Pride Month
- For the first time, a Civil War cannon in Mobile has been painted with the colors of the pride flag in honor of Pride Month. However, this has drawn criticism and backlash for the decision that was brought up during the Mobile City Council meeting.
- Some comments were made by Phil Arceneaux, who said, “It’s another sad attempt to normalize their behavior. I’m absolutely sickened.” Reportedly, there were others within the public sharing Arceneaux’s opinion. Activist Bryan Fuenmayor paid to have the cannon painted and stated, “In my personal opinion, every time you make progress, more and more the ones who are against it will start to feel more trapped into a corner and will start lashing out harder. I think that is what we are starting to see.”
6. VP Harris really wants to focus on the ‘root cause’
- Despite very little being done to remedy the crisis at the southern border, Vice President Kamala Harris is attending the Summit of the Americas and discussing the “root causes” of the crisis. Harris emphasized, “We gather today in pursuit of a shared goal: to build a prosperous and inclusive future for the people of the Western Hemisphere.”
- She added that their current “strategy is aligned with the importance that many of the leaders here know and live – the importance of paying attention to a good return on investment, consistency and predictability, a skilled workforce, and reliable infrastructure.” Some of the “root causes” of migration are counted as poverty, climate change, violence and economic insecurity. Harris also announced $3.2 billion in private sector commitments in areas like Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.
5. Shelby is concerned about possible National Guard strain
- U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Tuscaloosa) expressed his concern about the potential strain put on the National Guard due to the crisis at the southern border. Shelby expressed these concerns at a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense meeting.
- Shelby said, “I am deeply concerned, however, that the administration’s failure to direct the appropriate resources to the crisis at the southern border has resulted in shifting the burden to the Guard. Because the administration has refused to fund the construction of a comprehensive barrier along the border, it has been compelled to send the National Guard to deal with the consequences.” He later challenged “how the President’s budget supports the fundamental requirements of the Guard and Reserves,” adding, “I would also like to know whether your respective budgets fall short of providing adequate funding for much-needed equipment, modernization, training, and recruitment.”
4. Strong is challenging claim that Wardynski ended CRT
- New data from Cygnal shows that Madison County Commission chairman Dale Strong has maintained the lead by about 15 points in the runoff election for the fifth congressional district, where he’s facing former Huntsville City Schools superintendent Casey Wardynski. Strong currently holds 45.7% of the vote, while Wardynski is at 30.6%. There were 23.7% of respondents who said they were still undecided.
- Wardynski formerly served as the secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs, and he has claimed that he “ended Critical Race Theory (CRT) in the Army.” This claim is being challenged by Dale Strong. Strong’s campaign pointed out that in 2020, there were CRT textbooks required at the United States Military Academy.
3. Democrats want to ‘redefine the Second Amendment’
- U.S. Representative Jerry Carl (R-Mobile) recently spoke about the effort by Democrats to push for gun control, and he stated, “They’re trying to redefine the Second Amendment. They’re trying to say it was written back when there were muskets, and there weren’t automatic weapons. Therefore, semi-automatic weapons shouldn’t apply to the Second Amendment.”
- Carl said he disagreed with this stance. He argued, “The Second Amendment was written for us not only to be able to protect our families and our homes. It was also so written so we could protect ourselves from a rogue government.”
2. House Democrats pass a gun control bill that has no chance in the U.S. Senate
- The Protecting Our Kids Act is basically dead in the water in the U.S. Senate, if it even gets a vote, after a mostly party-line vote in House where five Republicans voted for it and two Democrats opposed it.
- The bill would raise the age for a semi-automatic rifle to 21 years of age, end the sale of magazines that hold over 15 rounds, create a mythical way to track ghost guns, and dictate how you store your guns at home. Few of these measures have anything to do with recent shootings, except raising the age limit on semi-automatic rifles.
1. Supreme Court justice targeted by a would-be assassin in his home
- Nicholas John Roske was arrested on Wednesday outside of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s house after making violent threats against Kavanaugh. When Roske was arrested, he was carrying a gun, knife and pepper spray. Before his arrest, Roske had called 911 to report himself, and he’s now being charged with attempting to murder a U.S. Supreme Court Justice. Roske found Kavanaugh’s address online, where it was posted by multiple groups protesting at Kavanaugh’s home. Those protests continued last night.
- The affidavit says that Roske told officers that “he was upset about the leak of a recent Supreme Court draft decision regarding the right to an abortion as well as the recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.” It also said he desired “to give his life purpose.” Roske admitted that his intention was to kill Kavanaugh and himself. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said, “This kind of behavior, it’s obviously behavior that we will not tolerate. Threats of violence and actual violence against the justices of course strike at the heart of our democracy. We will do everything we can to prevent them and hold people who do them accountable.”
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