Parents have the right to exercise their religious beliefs…but…not…in a manner that causes…harm to [their] child. – Indiana Court of Appeals
The Supreme Court declined to [intervene in the case of] an Indiana couple who believe [young adults are “]children[” who] should be [tortured for not conforming to] their sex at birth [and therefore] lost custody of their [16-year-old] transgender [daughter]…The state said the parents, who are self-described devout Christians, lost custody not because of their views but because…the[ir unceasing abuse]…of…the teen…[was causing a] severe eating disorder…Indiana also argued that the custody dispute is [moot] because the teen, who was 16 when removed from the home, is now an adult…Mary and Jeremy Cox re[peatedly portrayed themselves as champions of “]parental rights[” despite the fact]…that the State…remove[d]…the teen…[because] the parents…verbally and emotionally abus[ed her]…and [would not relent despite] individual and family therapy…[and court orders] not to discuss transgenderism with their [daughter] outside of the therapy sessions…The Indiana Court of Appeals sided with the state, and the Indiana Supreme Court declined to review the case…
The Washington Post has “discovered” something I’ve been writing about for over a decade:
Americans have been forced to reckon with sexual misconduct committed by teachers, clergy, coaches and others with access to and authority over children [and adolescents]. But there is [widespread denial] of…sex crimes perpetrated by members of another profession that many children are taught to revere and obey: law enforcement…At least 1,800 state and local police officers were charged with crimes involving child sexual abuse from 2005 through 2022…[and] were rarely related to the children [or adolescents] they…rap[ed], fondl[ed,] and exploit[ed]. They most frequently targeted girls…13 to 15 years old — and regularly met their victims through their jobs…In case after case, [rapist cops] intentionally earned the trust of parents and guardians, created opportunities to get kids alone and threatened repercussions for broken silence…and…when abuse is suspected, [rapist cops] are [either] allowed to remain on the job [or rewarded with paid vacations] while investigations of their behavior are left in the hands of their c[ronies]…
How long will America ignore the costs of its sick worship of state-sanctioned violence?
For decades, we’ve been [s]old [the lie that cops] just need training and resources to do their jobs correctly…cultural sensitivity training, implicit bias training, de-escalation training, and so on, cost billions every year…But [the evidence clearly demonstrates]…that no amount of training or resources will stop police from killing…or…ensure that police treat people with dignity and respect. Worse still, the “training” that cops already receive often glorifies violence, reinforces racist ideas, and is taught by [cops] with histories of misconduct…at least 46 states have paid a…company…which does business under the name “Street Cop”—to fill [cop]s’ heads with hateful rhetoric and bad legal advice…trainers urge…[their fellow pigs] to make unconstitutional traffic stops and indiscriminately shoot at those who defy their authority…[and feed] trainees a steady diet of racism and misogyny…[one] advised [pigs] to treat criminal suspects like “live tissue labs” to “practice on”…When Street Cop’s instructors weren’t too busy talking about their penis sizes or mimicking masturbation (yes, really), they were promoting a…checklist…riddled with legal inaccuracies about what is needed to justify a traffic stop or search…
Prohibition can never succeed, regardless of which substance is prohibited:
The Oklahoma House of Representatives [has] passed a bill Thursday that bans the…possession of non-prescribed abortion inducing medications…since all of the surgical abortion clinics in the state have [been] closed…there has been an increase in unattended at-home [chem]ically induced abortions…and [politicians are butthurt that]…someone can simply buy the pill, take it, and terminate their pregnancy for any reason [without having to beg The Almighty State for permission]…
The Puritan Recrudescence (#1391)
Indiana’s float in the “monkey see, monkey do” parade took a few months to get rolling:
Indiana…governor…Eric Holcomb…has signed into law the state’s version of the age verification bills being sponsored around the country by [pro-censorship] activists…SB 17…goes far beyond [other such laws by]…stipulat[ing] that any website [which fails to guess what some politician or wannabe censor will point at and barf]… “material harmful to minors”…can [be subjected to a nuisance lawsuit by either opportunistic citizens or opportunistic politicians]…
The Puritan Recrudescence (#1400)
The currently-fashionable “monkey see, monkey do” parade has escaped the US:
…a private member’s bill introduced by Senator Julie Miville-Dechêne…aims to…requir[e] people to use a third-party service to verify their age to access adult content online in Canada…Proponents of the bill [speciously argue] that…the…[internet is a bar]…but we’re not talking about controlling access to a physical space or object. It’s access to ideas, to data…and to intercept specific ideas, you need to control access to all ideas…
That’s just about everything worthwhile about this piece; the writer’s naive and somewhat-silly opinions about politicians’ motivations and why surveillance and infantilization of adults are wrong (synopsis: TITTIES!) are good indicators of why this keeps happening and why there isn’t a vehement public outcry against these internet-censorship schemes.
Sleeping with a cop is one of the most dangerous things a woman can do:
…Bellingham [Washington cop] Joshua Richard McKissick…was ordered Feb. 26 to surrender all firearms and other dangerous weapons and any concealed pistol licenses to the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office. An emergency domestic violence protection order was also issued the same day…[on behalf of] McKissick]’s girlfriend] and her two children…because…McKissick subjected her to a “significant amount” of [physical, sexual, and] emotional abuse in 2022[, often while drunk]…
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