The following article contains editorial content written by a retired Chief of Police and current staff writer for Law Enforcement Today.
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LIVERMORE, CA- Yet another “woke” city, this time in California is jumping on the “systemic racism” bandwagon, this time in Livermore, located in Alameda County, about 48 miles east of San Francisco. Of course, where else would you expect to find a woke city.
Livermore is in the process of working to “integrate equity and inclusion into the fabric of the community,” according to a November article in the Pleasanton Weekly.
So, what exactly is the mission of this newly formed subcommittee? Well apparently, one of their charges is to hunt down so-called “artifacts and other symbols throughout the city that represent and signify systemic racism as well as the symbols that signify equity and inclusion.”
So, our Law Enforcement Today readers, what do you suppose is included among those “artifacts and symbols throughout the city that represent and signify systemic racism?”
If you guessed the Thin Blue Line flag, you would be correct. Oh, and of course confederate flags are also included in that group. Other groups and symbols included in the “systemic racism” group include “sculptures of families/children with Eurocentric features” [aka whites] and totem poles.
Livermore, CA Equity/Inclusion subgroup screenshot from .pdf document
The equity and inclusion committee is divided into subgroups, one which is called the “Community Culture and Representations” subgroup.
In the minutes from their November 17, 2020 meeting, the group was to oversee an inventory to “identify symbols, artwork, objects, artifacts, etc. in Livermore that represent and signify racism.” For equal time, they also agreed to identify those same symbols, etc. that signify equity and inclusion.
While initially the charge of the subgroup appeared to be to only inventory city-owned properties, that mission was changed to also include the entire city, including those on private property, including “confederate flag, Thin Blue Line flag, inclusive signs.”
Livermore CA Equity/Inclusion subgroup minutes .pdf screenshot
So clearly, Thin Blue Line flags and confederate flags—bad; inclusive signs—good.
The suggestion for non-city owned properties was to “reach out and partner with organizations, businesses, agencies, etc. that do have authority to educate and influence. [emphasis added]
They then suggest creating some type of a template and/or checklist for these groups to follow, which would enable them to be “partners” in coercing the creation of an inclusive city. The coercive part is our opinion, but we believe a valid one.
Oh, but there’s more. Under action steps, subgroup members are encouraged to “take photos of symbols in their neighborhoods and across the city, to include when and where the photo was taken [emphasis added] which would be included in a shared Google Doc.
Livermore CA Equity/Inclusion subgroup .pdf screenclip
It seems to us this is an attempt to ostensibly dox those who have items such as Thin Blue Line flags or confederate flags displayed at their homes.
Subgroup members are then instructed to make a “qualitative assessment of the meaning of the symbols based on history, placement, personal perspective, etc., of the symbol.
Further included in the action steps is:
“When the inventory is collected, the subgroup will develop the actions to take in response, such as education, policy changes or persuasion [emphasis added] to address symbols that reflect and perpetuate systemic racism, while promoting symbols that reflect and perpetuate equity and inclusion.”
So, there you have it…another woke city calling the symbol which historically represents fallen police officers a racist symbol. Just another example of the war on police.
We recently filed a report on the pope coming out in support of anti-police protests this past summer as outlined in his new book. This is hardly surprising because he has come across as more of a radical than as the Holy Father. For more on that, we invite you to:
DIG DEEPER
In his new book, “Let Us Dream,” Pope Francis defended the protests against police brutality as well as the Black Lives Matter protests that unfolded in the wake of George Floyd’s death. He also denounced those protesting the COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions.
In his new book, Pope Francis backs the George Floyd protests and blasts COVID-19 skeptics https://t.co/Uqr0yDv0TG
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) November 23, 2020
The Daily Wire reported that in the new book, the Pope decried police brutality as an affront to human dignity and encouraged people to march in opposition.
He wrote:
“Abuse is a gross violation of human dignity that we cannot allow and which we must continue to struggle against.”
Then, regarding the protests against the COVID-19 lockdowns in Europe and elsewhere, Pope Francis said that people were:
“Striking against measures that governments must impose for the good of their people constitute some kind of political assault on autonomy or personal freedom!”
Breaking: Pope Francis in new book, speaks on George Floyd and racism: “It is right that people reclaim the dignity of every human being from abuse in all its forms. Abuse is a gross violation of human dignity that we cannot allow…”https://t.co/cvIdueU5ej
— James Martin, SJ (@JamesMartinSJ) November 23, 2020
In his book, he got even more direct by comparing the two groups of people, failing to note that the Black Lives Matter protests gave way to riots and looting in the streets. In the United States, anti-lockdown protests do not appear to have sparked similar widespread violence. He wrote:
“You’ll never find such people protesting the death of George Floyd, or joining a demonstration because there are shanty towns where children lack water or education. They turned into a cultural battle that was in truth an effort to ensure the protection of life.”
In another segment of the book, the Pope praised journalists who covered how the pandemic impacted the poor, but he slammed media organizations that he claimed:
“Used this crisis to persuade people that foreigners are to blame, that the coronavirus is little more than a little bout of flu, and that restrictions necessary for people’s protection amount to an unjust demand of an interfering state.”
In a new book, Pope Francis supports demands for racial justice in the wake of the U.S. police killing of George Floyd. The pontiff also blasts COVID-19 skeptics in “Let Us Dream,” which is due out Dec. 1. https://t.co/8rCxozr5Nf
— The Associated Press (@AP) November 23, 2020
He wrote:
“There are politicians who peddle these narratives for their own gain, but they could not succeed without some media creating and spreading them.”
Pope Francis also expressed empathy for those sick with COVID-19, citing his own health experiences when he had one of his lungs removed in his youth. He wrote:
“I know from experience the feeling of those who are sick with coronavirus, struggling to breathe as they are attached to a ventilator.”
He added:
“For months, I didn’t know who I was, if I would live or die, even the doctors didn’t know. I remember hugging my mother one day and asking her if I was about to die.”
Pope Francis in new book criticizes anti-lockdown protesters https://t.co/SAN2ZusdbC pic.twitter.com/FrgxyQ7hJA
— The Hill (@thehill) November 23, 2020
The 150-page book, which was ghostwritten by his English-language biographer Austin Ivereigh, is due out on December 1st. Ivereigh said:
“You feel like you’re sitting across from him.”
The Daily Wire also recently reported that Pope Francis met with NBA players just this past week to discuss “social justice activism in sports”:
“A delegation of NBA players and executives from their union met with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Monday as training camps are set to open next week and a new season is scheduled to tip-off in less than a month. The private gathering was reportedly initiated by His Holiness and hurriedly planned.”
Pope Francis Recalls His Three Moments Of Solitude In New Book – https://t.co/07RA0MFvyN pic.twitter.com/sXy8ucCNor
— The Bridge News (@thebridgenewsng) November 23, 2020
According to a statement issued afterward by the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA):
“The meeting provided an opportunity for the players to discuss their individual and collective efforts addressing social and economic justice and inequality occurring in their communities.”
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