The assassination of Charlie Kirk, connected to a suspect who is reportedly in a romantic relationship with a man who claims to identify as female, reignited concerns about increasing violence associated with transgender ideology. Kirk's murder follows the Covenant School shooting in Nashville in 2023 and the Annunciation Catholic Church shooting in Minneapolis last month, both of which were carried out by individuals who claimed to identify as trans.

Among those accused in this surge of violence is a crew of young, trans-identifying radicals from the Bay Area known as the Zizians, who have drawn particular attention from the authorities for their alleged string of deadly attacks.

The Zizians, dubbed a cult-like group that has been likened to a modern-day Manson family, have been implicated in a chilling series of killings: a Vermont Border Patrol agent gunned down during a traffic stop, a Pennsylvania couple found shot in their home with no signs of forced entry, and the stabbing of a California landlord scheduled to testify against group members.

Beyond the ominous headlines, their story reveals not a well-organized underground network but rather a disjointed group of tech-savvy youth who were drawn into progressive movements and ensnared by a toxic mix of gender dysphoria, artificial intelligence doomsaying, radical veganism, and anarchism. These ideologies have directed their quest for logic and innovation down a path of isolation and increasing violence.

The birth of a fringe group

Before the group came to be known as the Zizians, its lead founding member, Jack "Ziz" LaSota, moved to San Francisco in 2016, with the aspiration of breaking into the Bay Area's tech startup scene. LaSota, a male who identifies as a woman, became deeply involved with the local rationalist movement, a philosophy that emphasizes the use of reason, logic, and evidence to understand the world and make informed decisions. LaSota's stated goal was to make a positive contribution to the tech industry by addressing the potential existential threat posed by artificial intelligence, a major concern for rationalists focused on "effective altruism," which stresses prioritizing actions that promote good.

However, LaSota encountered several issues after relocating to the Bay Area, the first of which was the high rental prices. Determined to address this problem, LaSota formulated a plan with Gwen Danielson that involved dodging exorbitant rent costs by living on boats with other rationalists. LaSota dubbed the communal living initiative the "Rationalist Fleet."

'Ziz planned to drive across the entire continental United States to murder me.'

LaSota's blog, Sinceriously — which has since been taken down, but mirrored and archived versions still exist — described Danielson as a "bigender" "trans woman."

At the time, LaSota was actively attending in-person meetups hosted by users of LessWrong.com, an online discussion board for rationalists. During one of those events, LaSota met Jacob Pekarek, also a "trans woman," who went by several names, including Jay Leo Winterford, Jane, and Fluttershy. Pekarek became involved in the boat venture, for a time living with LaSota and Danielson.

In 2017, the group invested in a tugboat, "The Caleb." They lived on it while it was illegally docked in Pillar Point Harbor, according to a lawsuit.

While the Rationalist Fleet aimed to address the lack of affordability of the Bay Area, both internal and external pressures soon began to fracture the group.

Jack "Ziz" LaSota. Image source: Allegany County Sheriff’s Office

Clashes with the rationalists

Things for LaSota and the crew started to take a strange turn around 2019 amid growing friction between the group and the area's rationalist movement.

In November, LaSota staged a protest against the Center for Applied Rationality, a Berkeley-based nonprofit that hosts rationalist workshops. The organization was scheduled to host an alumni weekend retreat at the Westminster Woods camp along the Bohemian Highway in Sonoma County, but the gathering was interrupted by LaSota and several others — Danielson, Amir "Emma" Borhanian, and Alexander "Somni" Leatham — who showed up wearing Guy Fawkes masks and hooded black robes.

LaSota and the group claimed that CFAR had "betrayed us," going so far as to accuse members of the nonprofit of sexual misconduct against children. CFAR's leadership has repeatedly denied those claims. LaSota also argued that instead of forwarding the mission of protecting humanity from AI, CFAR was pushing its members to work on AI.

The protesters allegedly blockaded the entrance to the retreat with their vehicles, knowingly or unknowingly trapping inside a class of over two dozen elementary school children who had been attending a ropes course.

Law enforcement responded to the scene by deploying a SWAT team and a helicopter after receiving reports that one of the protesters may have had a gun. However, no firearm was found on the protesters. The group was arrested on suspicion of felony child endangerment, false imprisonment, conspiracy, resisting arrest, wearing a mask while committing a crime, and trespassing.

They each were released from jail after posting bail, and prosecutors dropped felony charges to misdemeanors.

The group later filed a civil rights complaint against Sonoma County authorities, claiming that officers had subjected them to excessive force and "sexual assault and battery" by ignoring their requests to be searched by female officers instead of male officers. The complaint further alleged that, while incarcerated, their clothing was "forcibly stripped off their bodies" and officers "crowded around to look at the Claimants' genitals and naked bodies." They claimed they were "tortured" and "woken whenever they started to fall asleep … and were kept naked and cold for days."

Court proceedings in the cases slowed to a crawl during COVID.

The protest not only led to legal battles but also deepened the group's alienation from the rationalist community, pushing them toward more extreme ideologies.

Spiraling ideologies and isolation

Following the protest, the group was ultimately banned from LessWrong.com and CFAR meetups.

For the last several years, Danielson had also been experimenting with a sleep technique LaSota described as "partial sleep" or "unihemispheric sleep," which supposedly lets "parts of your brain do REM sleep without the rest."

LaSota built on Danielson's sleep practices, creating the concept that people are made up of two hemispheres and each hemisphere can be either "good" or "nongood." Those with two good hemispheres are considered "double good"; those with one, "single good"; and those with none, "nongood." LaSota noted that "double good" is "far less common than single good."

"This means that they cannot have fusion concerning good, only treaties, and will tend to take actions where the two sets of concerns seem to overlap, with infinitely recursive mutually-warped epistemics," LaSota wrote, describing the concept of "single good."

The group's living situation also began to change.

Curtis Lind, an 82-year-old man who was living on his boat, reportedly befriended the group. In early 2020, Lind, who owned property in Vallejo, California, allowed some of the friends — including Borhanian and Leatham — to live in box trucks and RVs on his land.

The crew abandoned "The Caleb" in 2022, allowing it to sink in the harbor.

It was around this time that things appeared to go off the rails completely for the group of friends.

Michelle "Jamie" Zajko, who was living in Vermont, claimed publicly in February 2022 that LaSota had made death threats against Zajko. LaSota allegedly demanded that Zajko kill Alice Monday, Zajko's romantic partner, and provide photographic proof.

"And if I didn't do it," Zajko wrote in a blog post, "Ziz planned to drive across the entire continental United States to murder me."

LaSota's Sinceriously blog posts had become progressively more bitter and aggressive over the years, even calling for "airlock[ing]," a term used to mean killing, certain types of people. The friends' comments on LaSota's blog further revealed the extent of the group's fractures and ongoing disagreements.

After Danielson failed to show up at a court hearing related to the protest incident, the defense attorney asked for a stay in the case in August 2022, stating that he believed Danielson had committed suicide.

That same month, reports surfaced that LaSota had also died. The Coast Guard received a call from a relative who claimed LaSota had fallen overboard while boating in San Francisco Bay. After the Coast Guard concluded an 18-hour search, LaSota was presumed dead.

At this point, it seemed that the group had largely fallen apart, with Danielson and LaSota both presumed dead and two other individuals tied to their clique — Chris "Maia" Pasek and Pekarek — having reportedly committed suicide in 2018 and 2021, respectively.

Michelle "Jamie" Zajko. Image source: Allegany County Sheriff’s Office

Faked deaths and violent retaliation

Amid the COVID-19 lockdowns, California implemented an eviction moratorium that allowed those living on Lind's property, including Borhanian and Leatham, to avoid paying rent. The state extended this moratorium for more than two years, with it officially coming to an end in late June 2022.

After they still failed to pay rent, Lind moved to evict the friends by scheduling a date with the sheriff's office.

With the eviction date looming, Lind claimed one of the friends, Suri Dao, asked him on November 13 to inspect a leaky outdoor water tap. During the visit, Lind stated that he blacked out and woke up to find several individuals standing over him as he was covered in stab wounds.

Lind pulled out his gun to defend himself, and that is when Leatham stabbed him with a samurai sword, he claimed. Lind opened fire, killing Borhanian and wounding Leatham.

Lind, somehow, survived the alleged attack — this time.

When police arrived on the scene, they arrested Dao and transported Leatham and Lind to the hospital. A blonde friend who identified as "Julia Dawson" was taken to the station for questioning, then transferred to the hospital after appearing to suffer from a medical emergency. Dawson quietly left the hospital, evading further interaction with law enforcement.

Authorities later confirmed that "Dawson" was a false identity, and the individual who had been living with Borhanian and Leatham was, in fact, the previously thought deceased LaSota.

The alleged attack on Lind was only the beginning of a wave of violence that extended beyond California.

More senseless killings

In early January 2023, authorities discovered Zajko's parents, Richard and Rita, dead from gunshot wounds in their Pennsylvania home.

Law enforcement noted no signs of a break-in, concluding that the killer must have been someone the couple knew.

'We are seeing all across the country an increase in violence from the transgender community and those that are obsessed with breaking out of gender norms and sexual norms.'

Several days later, police detained Zajko, who was staying in a hotel room in Pennsylvania after attending a graveside ceremony. While being apprehended by authorities, Zajko requested that the hotel's lobby attendants inform Daniel Blank, another friend of the group who was also staying in the hotel, of the arrest.

Police obtained a warrant to enter Blank's hotel room, where they say they discovered him hiding in the bathroom with LaSota.

Zajko and Blank were already released by the time authorities allegedly recovered Zajko's Smith & Wesson 9mm and five boxes of ammunition hidden in a cloth bag in Blank's hotel room.

Daniel Blank. Image source: Allegany County Sheriff’s Office

The group of friends, now widely referred to as the Zizians, seemed to lie low for a couple of years amid ongoing investigations until January 2025, when Lind, who was scheduled to testify against the Zizians accused of attacking him a few years earlier, was found stabbed to death on his property in California.

Maximilian Snyder, another individual tied to the Zizians, was arrested and accused of the murder. Prosecutors alleged that Snyder had killed Lind to prevent him from testifying against Leatham and Dao.

Days later, two other Zizians were wrapped up in yet another tragic and senseless killing.

A Vermont Border Patrol agent, David "Chris" Maland, 44, was performing a vehicle stop on January 20 when vehicle occupants Teresa "Milo" Youngblut and Felix "Ophelia" Bauckholt opened fire. The exchange of gunfire resulted in the deaths of Maland and Bauckholt, a German national.

Authorities recovered multiple guns, ammunition, cell phones, laptops, and tactical gear inside the suspects' vehicle. They noted that some of the cell phones were wrapped in foil. It is unclear why the suspects were in the area. However, when previously stopped by authorities, they claimed they were looking at real estate.

Zajko allegedly purchased the guns in Youngblut and Bauckholt's possession. Further tying the incident to the Zizians, Youngblut and Snyder had previously applied for a marriage license.

Where are they now?

In February 2025, Danielson's father told the New York Post that Danielson had not committed suicide and was still alive and in hiding from the "dangerous" Zizians.

"She checks in regularly and I heard from her very recently, but she's not ready to come out of hiding just yet," Brett Danielson stated.

He noted that the Zizians' "political ideology was that killing animals is just as violent as killing people, and therefore everybody is guilty of violence."

"And that probably led some of them to a self-justification for their own propensity for violence," he concluded.

LaSota, Zajko, and Blank are currently being held without bond at the Allegany County Jail, facing trespassing, obstruction of justice, weapons violations, drug possession, and felony drug-trafficking charges. LaSota was also federally charged with possessing firearms and ammunition as a fugitive.

No charges have been filed in response to the killing of Zajko's parents.

Youngblut is currently in federal custody, facing a four-count superseding indictment for the murder of Maland, the assault of two other Border Patrol agents with a deadly weapon, and firearms offenses.

Dao and Leatham are in custody, facing aggravated mayhem and murder charges. Leatham is also facing charges for allegedly trying to escape from jail.

Snyder is in custody, facing murder charges for the death of Lind.

An increase in violence

The killings allegedly linked to the Zizians appear to stem from personal disputes or impulsive actions taken in moments of panic, rather than organized efforts. However, the possibility of future shifts in their behavior remains, as the number of active Zizians and those influenced by their ideologies is unknown.

"We are seeing all across the country an increase in violence from the transgender community and those that are obsessed with breaking out of gender norms and sexual norms. It's growing out of hand," Terry Schilling with the American Principles Project told Blaze News. "The internet is fueling it at an incredible rate, and it's one of the main reasons why American Principles Project has decided to focus so heavily on protecting children online from these dangerous social media sites that warp these kids' brains and turn them into absolute monsters."

The Department of Homeland Security spokesperson told Blaze News, "DHS works diligently with law enforcement partners to keep our nation's communities safe from ideologically driven violent extremists."

The FBI declined to comment. Attorneys for LaSota and Zajko did not respond to a request for comment.

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Bay Area leftist candidate who advocates for homeless apparently has campaign money stolen by brazen homeless woman

The campaign for a left-leaning candidate running for city council in Oakland, California, got off to a bad start after a homeless woman apparently stole a bag full of donations during a campaign kickoff rally over the weekend.

On Sunday, Charlene Wang, 33, hosted an event at a local park to launch her campaign for the open seat on the Oakland City Council. As the event wrapped up, a women described as homeless and "clearly mentally disturbed" by the California Globe suddenly began swiping several bags and purses, reports claimed.

'Tirelessly fighting for disadvantaged communities by launching new social programs at all levels of government for homelessness, education, healthcare, and environmental justice.'

Wang was able to wrestle most of the purses, including her own and her mother's, back. However, the homeless woman apparently kept hold and wouldn't let go of the bag containing a host of donation checks collected at the rally.

According to video, Wang and her team attempted to reason with the woman in hopes of convincing her to give the bag back — to no avail.

"I very much tried to have a de-escalatory conversation with her to convince her to hand over the bag," Wang said, according to KGO. "Offer her a warm meal at the grocery store, even give her money in exchange for the bag, but that did not work out."

Wang also attempted to solicit the help of those involved with the Mobile Assistance Community Responders of Oakland Program, which offers "community response ... for non-violent, non-emergency 911 calls" in the city. Unfortunately, the ostensible social workers weren't available during the weekend, KGO indicated.

Finally, fearing that the situation was escalating out of control, Wang resorted to contacting law enforcement. Unfortunately, police weren't available to respond either.

"They said there were 250 calls ahead of us, and they said they would actually come by to take a report afterwards," Wang told KGO.

After allegedly throwing food and, in the words of the California Globe, "flashing her whatevers," the suspected thief reportedly wandered away, donation bag still in hand.

Wang estimated that the bag contained about $1,000 worth of checks. According to the California Globe, Wang has asked donors to stop payment on those checks.

Despite the apparent theft, Wang harbors no ill will against the suspect. "I am not angry at her or anything like that," she insisted.

"I can only imagine the trauma she is going through having to live on the streets."

Wang, who is running on a platform of reducing crime and helping the homeless, was left frustrated and confused by the silence from Oakland police. As of Wednesday, they still had not come to investigate the issue, Wang claimed.

"I think this is yet another example of first responder service. I was left to fend for myself in an essence," she said.

The New York Post reached out to the police department for comment.

Wang's campaign website brags about her work on campaigns for former President Barack Obama and failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton as well as her previous work to help the homeless in Massachusetts. The website further notes that Wang identifies as LBGTQ+ and claims that she has dedicated her life "to tirelessly fighting for disadvantaged communities by launching new social programs at all levels of government for homelessness, education, healthcare, and environmental justice."

Even with those leftist bona fides, Wang is still surprised by the association between leftists and anti-cop sentiment. "I’m frustrated by the idea that progressives are automatically anti-police, that we don’t care about public safety," she said, per the California Globe.

"That is the state of the first responders in Oakland, and that’s why I’m running."

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Horrifying video shows shoplifter douse Bay Area store clerk with kerosene then set him ablaze

Surveillance footage has emerged showing a horrific incendiary attack that left a store clerk in California's Bay Area grievously injured.

The victim of the Sept. 22 attack, who identified himself only as Suraj for fear of reprisals, told KPIX-TV that he has seen his share of criminality in the five years he has worked at Appian Food and Liquor in El Sobrante, but nothing quite like this. Now, the mirror will serve as a constant reminder of the lawlessness now affecting much of the Democrat-run state.

Suraj's coworkers warned him ahead of his shift that a serial shoplifter had made multiple trips to the store to steal lighter fluid. Sure enough, the 38-year-old suspect, later identified by the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Office as Kendall Burton, returned to the store, apparently ready to once again take advantage of California's Proposition 47, which effectively decriminalized thefts under $950 in 2014.

Suraj can be seen in the surveillance footage confronting the homeless shoplifter while his coworker arms himself with a baseball bat. Before his coworker is able to close the distance and start swinging, the shoplifter douses the victim with lighter fluid then sets him ablaze.

"He just splashed lighter fluid on my face, and I was so scared that moment," he told KPIX. "I tried to cover his hand, but I don’t know. I don’t remember. He just lit the fire on me, you know."

Despite the flames consuming his flesh, Suraj nevertheless managed to get to the bathroom and splash himself with water.

The footage shows the attacker casually resume his thievery before Suraj's coworker finally tees off on him with the baseball bat.

— (@)

Suraj survived the attack with second- and third-degree burns all over his face, neck, chest, and shoulder and has been hospitalized at San Francisco’s Saint Francis Memorial Hospital ever since.

The pain is "terrible," he told KPIX, noting that "when we clean the wound, it's like over 10."

"I'm still in a trauma right now, me, my family," added Suraj, who reportedly requires multiple surgeries.

His wife, Sabeena, started a GoFundMe campaign to help their family through Suraj's recovery.

Kendall is being held without bail and faces charges including assault with a deadly weapon, battery, arson, and robbery. It's unclear whether he'll ultimately face justice for his alleged crimes, since Contra Costa County's Democrat district attorney is Diana Becton, a radical leftist whose 2022 campaign received roughly $1 million in funding from George Soros, reported the Daily Mail.

Since Becton first assumed office in 2017, crime has been an issue for the area.

While she rushed to charge protesters who defaced a BLM mural in 2020 with a hate crime, Becton issued internal guidelines in June 2020, encouraging prosecutors to consider whether looters "need[ed]" the stolen goods.

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California's first Muslim assemblyman joins Christian lawmakers in protesting Democrats' ceremony honoring gay pornographer from anti-Catholic group

The Los Angeles Dodgers are not the only woke outfit paying homage to an anti-Christian group this month. California Democrats honored a member of the so-called Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence on the floor of the state Senate Monday.

Republican lawmakers, unwilling to be party to the endorsement of the group and/or its ambassador, joined the Catholics, Evangelicals, and real nuns gathered outside the state Capitol in peaceful protest.

Among those who stood up and walked out in solidarity was Republican Assemblyman Bill Essayli, the first Muslim elected to the California State Assembly.

Essayli held up a sign that read "Religious bigotry is bigotry," then walked off the Assembly floor in protest of the ceremony honoring the SPI. He later noted on Instagram, "This group engages in outrageous displays of mockery and ridicule against more than one billion Catholics worldwide."

TheBlaze previously reported that the SPI touts itself as a "leading-edge order of queer and trans nuns."

The motto for the San Francisco-based group is "go forth and sin some more," an inversion of Christ's command to "go, and sin no more."

Extra to ridiculing Catholic teaching and doctrine — the church's orthodox views on marriage, sexuality, homosexuality, transgenderism, and abortion in particular — the group has defiled the Eucharist and performed public sex acts involving religious icons.

A viral video recently shared on Twitter by Claremont fellow Megan Basham showed a performance by alleged members of the group wherein one male stripper writhed and gyrated on a second male stripper pretending to be the crucified Christ.

KGO-TV reported that Michael Williams, the Bay Area transvestite who calls himself Sister Roma, was invited to the state Capitol in Sacramento as part of a celebration of LGBT activism.

Williams, a staunch supporter of both COVID-19 masking and bringing kids to drag shows, is a gay pornography director and fetishist who made headlines for his participation in a 2007 BDSM-themed mockery of Leonardo da Vinci's depiction of Christ's last supper.

He said, "I'm completely floored that I'm being recognized with this amazing honor."

State Sen. Scott Wiener, who claimed that "the word groomer is categorically an anti-LGBTQ hate word" then advanced a law that made California a sanctuary state for child sex-change mutilations, was the member of the LGBTQ caucus responsible for inviting Williams to the state Senate.

Wiener, also responsible for a law enabling judges to keep men who prey on grade schoolers 10 years their junior, between the ages of 14 and 17, off sex-offender registries, added, "Catholic organizations that are demonizing the Sisters and saying that they are somehow hateful or anti-Catholic have it completely backwards."

Jonathan Keller, president of the California Family Council, said of the ceremony, "It’s disheartening to see the Los Angeles Dodgers, and now the California Legislature honor a group characterized by its mockery of Christianity in general and Catholicism in particular. This promotion of the blasphemous ‘Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence’ shows a clear disregard for the religious sentiments of millions of Californians. Such an act sends a troubling message to our people of faith across the Golden State."

Republican state senators, less than enthused about Wiener's nominee and the hate group he hails from, penned a letter last week to leftist Senate leader Toni Atkins (D), requesting that the invitation to the hate-group member be withdrawn, reported the Los Angeles Times.

"The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, through their public disparagement of the Catholic Faith, have displayed a disregard for the principles of tolerance and understanding that should guide our society. Honoring them in the Senate Chambers would be inappropriate and contrary to the values we hold dear," said the letter.

Atkins denied the request, writing, "The request to remove a philanthropic member of our LGBTQ+ community from the LGBTQ Caucus' Pride Month honorees is a misguided distraction on the first day of Pride month. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I respect my Republican colleagues, but I'm extremely disappointed in them for leaning in to polarization."

\u201cAfter Republicans criticized Sister Roma\u2019s invitation to participate at the Capitol\u2019s pride ceremonies, she gets a standing ovation and loudest applause on the Assembly floor.\u201d
— Ashley Zavala (@Ashley Zavala) 1685999411

While the tranvestic member of the hate group was ultimately honored, Republicans removed themselves so as not to endorse the SPI and its anti-Christian message.

James Gallagher, the Assembly Republican Leader, stated, "I will not be participating in the recognition of a member of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. As a Christian, I love all people. I believe Christ made a path to salvation for all who want to follow. I also believe strongly in religious freedom and I have compassion, tolerance and respect for those who believe differently. No one should be discriminated against simply because of who they are or what they believe."

"That is why I will not celebrate those who engage in religious bigotry or attempt to co-opt our faith into something it is not," continued Gallagher. "Their vulgar mockery of our Christian faith is extremely insulting and disrespectful. We cannot condone this."

Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones (R) told Fox News Digital, "Senate Democrats have shown a blatant disregard for the 10 million Catholic Californians in our state," adding, "were this group to spread hateful messages about Jews, Muslims, Hindus, or any other religion, Senate Democrats would certainly not extend this invitation."

KNVN reported that Gallagher joined Sacramento Catholic Bishop Jaime Soto at the prayer protest outside, who recited the Our Father.

Essayli, an Abrahamic ally, stressed on Instagram, "An attack against one faith is an attack on all faith. Bigotry of any kind cannot be tolerated, or worse yet, formally dignified by the State of California."

LGBTQ Caucus Press Availability with Sister Roma youtu.be

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Bay Area parents revolt after woke high school proposes dropping Minutemen mascot to make everyone 'feel comfortable'

Having apparently run out of professional sports icons to smash, woke iconoclasts have settled on their next target: a Bay Area high school mascot.

Educators and administrators in the Mount Diablo Unified School District determined that Concord High School's Minutemen mascot needs to go.

The Minuteman mascot figures prominently on the school's website, appearing in its logo, its sporting scoreboards, and in its outgoing communications.

The image summons the memory of the militiamen who were among the first to fight in the American Revolution. They received the moniker "minutemen" on account of the requirement that they be ready for action "at a minute's warning."

Their readiness and the minutes, hours, and years they committed to the cause of securing American independence helped guarantee the success of a nation that would enjoy the luxury of debating whether to pay them a modicum of respect some 250 years later.

Concord High School, founded in the late 1960s, first decided to embrace the image and name to honor the men who formed the Minutemen militia in Concord, Massachusetts, in 1775, reported the Pioneer, a local Concord paper.

However, now the school's principal, Julene MacKinnon, wants to "make sure that we have a mascot that represents everyone," reported KNTV-TV.

MacKinnon, like others in the district, is uncomfortable with the male mascot, particularly when he appears armed. She reckons the image is tied to "some of the brutality, them being a militia."

The Pioneer reported that late in the pandemic, MDUSD superintendent Adam Clark and the governing board began discussing changing mascots at the Concord and Ygnacio Valley high schools. The latter have already followed through with their replacement.

A teacher at Ygnacio Valley took issue with her school's mascot, which at the time was a proud indigenous warrior wearing a headdress. It is now a wolf.

Similarly, the previous principal at Concord High reportedly complained that "Minutemen" referred only to one gender and that the symbol of a rifle was problematic.

In response to these pet grievances, Clark said, "The mascot conversation is long overdue, and it is time to ensure that all students, staff and community members feel comfortable with images at our schools."

Then-board president Cherise Khaund, now a trustee, concurred, citing the 2015 California Racial Mascots Act, which says, "The use of racially derogatory or discriminatory school or athletic team names, mascots, or nicknames in California public schools is antithetical to the California school mission of providing an equal education to all."

In justifying the change, Khaund also cited the district's policy that states, "District programs and activities shall also be free of any racially derogatory or discriminatory school or athletic team names, mascots, or nicknames."

Some parents, alumni, and students in the community, unclear about how precisely an American minuteman could be misconstrued as derogatory or discriminatory, spoke out at a Mount Diablo Unified School board meeting Wednesday, reported KRON.

"I have relatives that were in the Revolutionary War. They would be appalled at the fact that we are losing our heritage," said community member Wes Anderson.

Mark Lloyd, another supporter of the Minutemen mascot, told the board, "You have whole families that identify as Minutemen. You have families who buy a house to continue their legacy there."

Julie Lyster, a Concord High parent, proposed a supposedly inclusive half-measure: "Remove the musket. Add a woman beside the minuteman. There were women minutemen, and African American minutemen."

According to the Daily Mail, this option — of adding a "minutewoman" or changing the mascot's complexion — is being taken seriously.

Concord is 55% white, 30% Hispanic, 13% Asian, and roughly 4% black.

As for students, they appear to be less than enthused about swapping out their patriot mascot for an animal devoid of greater significance.

Students were surveyed earlier this year on a possible replacement. Keeping the minutemen was not an option. Instead, "the bears" and "crocodiles" have been entertained as possibilities.

500 out of 1,100 students reportedly participated. Although "the bears" received the plurality of votes (190), one parent stressed, "I don't think the students are excited about either" option.

Concord High is not the first educational institution in recent memory to drop its mascot to accommodate woke sensibilities.

Here are just a few:

Valparaiso University in Indiana replaced its Crusader mascot with a golden retriever;
Bountiful High School in Salt Lake City, Utah, replaced its "Braves" native mascot with the "Redhawks";
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi kept its mascot's name "Izzy the Islander," but dehumanized it entirely so that rather than paging homage to Pacific Islanders, it now is meant to look like water;
George Washington University students voted to replace their mascot, George the Colonial, and may settle on "Blue Fog";
North Haven High School in Connecticut opted for "Nighthawks" instead of Indians";
The University of Nebraska Lincoln updated its "Herbie Husker" mascot so that it no longer flashes the "OK" hand gesture, which some conspiracy theorists reasoned was a hate symbol; and
Long Island University dropped its "Blackbirds" nickname after claims it was somehow racist, embracing instead "Sharks."

Debate Over Concord High School Mascot Continues youtu.be

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Longtime California family business folds up tents over recent spike in crime, moves to Alabama where they've found 'hard-working people just living their life'

A longtime California family business grew so tired of the spike in break-ins, thefts, vandalism, and other crimes against their Bay Area laundromats that they folded up their tents recently and moved to Alabama — which is refreshingly full of "hard-working people just living their life," Derek Drake told KGO-TV.

What are the details?

Drake and his family have owned laundromats in the East Bay for decades, KGO said, adding that Drake's father Art Thoms — a former Oakland Raiders football player — told Drake "my teammates laughed at me when I started buying laundromats 45 years ago."

However, the well-documented spike in crime in the Bay Area of late changed the business perspective of Drake's family.