How The Left Weaponizes ‘Kindness’ To Manipulate You Into Giving Them What They Want

Manipulating Americans en masse is simple if we can be convinced that something we are doing -- or not doing -- is unkind.

Small high school basketball team had no band during a tournament. A rival school's band made sure it wouldn't face fate in silence.



In a tense and hard-fought high school basketball game in Kentucky earlier this month, a team from a smaller school in Inez turned up without its band. Student musicians accompanying a rival team set to play later in the tournament determined that their Kentucky brethren deserved some fanfare on the court.

What are the details?

The Martin County High School Cardinals faced off against the Lawrence County Bulldogs at the Kentucky High School Athletic Association 15th Region tournament in Pikeville, Kentucky, on March 4.

MCHS, a smaller school where 70% of the students are "economically disadvantaged," has a 23-member band, which only ever plays home games. Even if it could hit the road, a bus-driver shortage in the area would likely ensure the band couldn't make the journey, reported the Washington Post.

Over the course of the game, musicians belonging to the Pike County Central High School pep band began setting up in the vacant section, which had initially served as a reminder to all that the Cardinals were songless.

As members of the Pike Central Pep Band migrated into the section and took their seats, they began to befriend some of the Martin County kids, reported the Appalachian News-Express.

The game progressed and these friendships further cemented until the Bulldogs tied the game 64-64 with just seconds to go in the fourth quarter.

When the game ultimately went into overtime, the Pike Central band went into overdrive, called to action by newly befriended Martin County students and fans in the crowd.

Sonic boom

PCHS band director Jason Johnson told the News-Express, "In that moment ... my band started playing for them in this amazing, organic camaraderie that evolved out the situation."
Johnson noted that the PCHS band "didn't care" that their team might soon face the Cardinals "because people from the mountains want to support each other, they want to find ways to cheer each other on."
Serenaded by their first road band, the Cardinals sealed the deal, winning the game in overtime 80-71.
"It was a good experience of kids supporting kids," added Johnson, who recalled fans suggesting the PCHS band sonically assisted with the win.

Pike County Central High School Principal Tim Cline underscored that what happened courtside meant much more than brass, points, and tunes.

"With the loss of coal, with the opioid crisis ... we need victory," Cline told the Lexington Herald-Leader.

A rival band comprised of "honest, hardworking, young Pike Countians" playing brothers from farther afield to victory was a victory in itself, reckoned Cline.

"(In) the mountains, we take care of each other," Pike County Central High School Principal Tim Cline. "Helping your neighbor is what has sustained for us generations."

Makings of a tradition

WYMT-TV reported that the PCCHS band will once again cheer on MCHS when it plays Frederick Douglass at Rupp Arena on March 16.

"The Martin County band director Cassie Hites will be joining us in a collaboration, so it will be the Pike Central band with the Martin County band coming together for this moment," said Johnson.

Cassie Gibson-Hites, the band director at Martin County, said the Martin County Cardinal Band and members of the PCHS band will be "joining forces. ... We are going to be a wall of sound."

Cardinals coach and assistant principal Jason James said of the initiative, "More cheering us on to get our crowd going the better."

Lawrence Co. (19-14) vs. Martin Co. (22-10) - Boys KHSAA 15th Region Semi Final Game #1 (3.4.2023) youtu.be

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Jewish NFL star Julian Edelman reaches out to Miami Heat's Meyers Leonard who yelled anti-Semitic slur, invites him to Shabbat dinner



Jewish NFL star player Julian Edelman reached out on Wednesday to NBA player Meyers Leonard in the wake of revelations the Miami Heat center yelled an anti-Semitic slur during a video game livestream.

What's the background?

During the Monday livestream, Leonard yelled, "F***in' cowards, don't f***in' snipe with me you f***in' k*** bitch!" Video of the incident quickly circulated on social media.

Leonard, who plays center for the Miami Heat, released a lengthy statement apologizing for using the slur, claiming he didn't know what it meant: "I am deeply sorry for using an anti-Semitic slur during a livestream yesterday. While I don't know what the word meant at the time, my ignorance about its history and and how offensive it is to the Jewish community is absolutely not an excuse and I was just wrong."

Leonard, 29, had an endorsement deal with OriginPC, a company that sells gamer computer consoles, and the outfit immediately terminated its relationship with Leonard, saying the center's slur "does not reflect the values or views of ORIGIN PC." In addition, the Heat on Tuesday banned Leonard "indefinitely" from the team over his use of the slur.

What did Edelman have to say?

Edelman, a wide receiver with the New England Patriots, posted an open letter to Leonard on Twitter. Edelman's tone was direct but not accusatory — it's clear he wants to help Leonard gain understanding in a friendly way, even inviting him to a Shabbat dinner:

Edelman told Leonard he hopes they can meet soon.

"I get the sense that you didn't use that word out of hate, more out of ignorance," he wrote. "Most likely, you weren't trying to hurt anyone or even profile Jews in your comment. That's what makes it so destructive. When someone intends to be hateful, it's usually met with great resistance. Casual ignorance is harder to combat and has greater reach, especially when you command great influence. Hate is like a virus. Even accidentally, it can rapidly spread."

Edelman's post has received over 100,000 likes as of Wednesday afternoon.

Anything else?

ESPN said the 34-year-old Patriots star has become more comfortable speaking out against anti-Semitism in recent years, noting that last year Edelman publicly invited then-Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson to the United States Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., after Jackson's anti-Semitic social media posts.

The sports network said Edelman and Jackson did have a chance to talk.

"We've stayed in touch. I think it was a healthy conversation," Edelman said. "... I just wanted to not only show that I support my community but also show that I'm here to help people in my league, because we're all one."

Long-Time ‘Jeopardy!’ Host Alex Trebek Gives Moving Final Farewell

Here’s hoping we preserve Trebek's legacy by following the advice he gave during his final week hosting 'Jeopardy!': Remaining kind to each other.

These 7 perfect moments capture the very best of humanity

The shirt off his back, the shoes off his feet, and other heartwarming images of human kindness, grace, and compassion:

1. The shirt off his back

Back in January of this year, 23-year-old Joey Resto was riding on the NYC subway when he observed a homeless man in his train car. Though other passengers kept their distance because of the smell, Joey had compassion on the man, literally giving him the shirt off his back.

“It was freezing that night. He looked cold and hungry,” Resto told ABC7NY. The good Samaritan’s deed was captured on video and spread through social media like wildfire.

 

2. The firefighters that pulled over

That same month, California firefighters serving the Riverside Fire Department came to the rescue of an elderly homeless man traversing the freeway without a pair of shoes. Firefighter David Gilstrap and Capt. Rob Gabler were returning from training when they spotted the man.

3. The officers with tennis shoes

An Alexandria, Va., police officer made a similar provision of tennis shoes for a homeless man in June. Responding to a report of suspicious activity, officers discovered a homeless man sitting on the curb in the area of interest.

The man was barefoot and hungry. And so one of the officers retrieved his spare tennis shoes and his dinner from his car and gave them to the homeless man.

4. The little girl who shared a meal

There are no age restrictions on kindness and compassion. Take 8-year-old Ella Scott. When she noticed a homeless man outside from her restaurant table, she took her plate of steak and potatoes and brought it to the man, who looked “hungry and helpless.”

Ella’s father Eddie Scott captured the sweet moment on video and posted it to Facebook, where it’s been viewed over 44 million times.

The story in California doesn’t end there, though. As Today reported:

Scott, 38, captured the whole exchange on video and later uploaded it to Facebook, where it's been viewed almost 44 million times, and even ended up reaching the man's sister, Roseanne Salkowski.

An emotional Salkowski called up Scott on Sunday explaining that she hasn't seen her 62-year-old brother, a veteran who has post-traumatic stress disorder, since he took off from Philadelphia six months ago. She cried for the entire half hour on the phone, but was relieved to find out that he's OK.

Eddie and Ella have since been attempting to reunite the siblings.

5. The marathon runner who gives

As a marathon runner, Mesa Police Officer Kent Green keeps his old running shoes in the back of his car, making it a habit to give to those in need.

"I'd seen people barefoot in the summer, I'd seen people with socks, with, you know, toes sticking out of their shoes," Officer Green told Fox 10. Since a snapshot of his act of kindness was caught, donors have flooded him with their own pairs of shoes to give to the needy. Officer Green was happy for the positive reaction his story garnered on social media.

"Empathy is free, easy, and colorblind. We all have it, it's just not always displayed, it's not always in the spotlight," said Green.

6. The compassionate deputy

Oklahoma Deputy Brandon Hendrix’s empathy was certainly put in the spotlight after he met a transient woman outside police headquarters in downtown Tulsa. The woman was not wearing a pair of shoes.

And so, as CBS News reported, “Deputy Hendrix grabbed a fellow law enforcement officer — as is protocol whenever a male deputy has a female in his car — and drove the barefoot woman to a local Walmart. There, he let her pick out a pair of shoes that matched her dress and, at checkout, he paid for them.”

The other officer immortalized the deputy’s random act of kindness with a snapshot.

7. The Walmart employee with a big heart

These acts are the definition of selfless and deserve recognition. That is why when shopper Myrna Kines witnessed an 18-year-old Walmart employee in Douglas County, Ga., taking off his shoes to give them to a homeless man in need, she asked to take his photo.

The employee, teen Phil Powell, had dyed his sneakers pink to honor his grandmother, who battled breast cancer. But when he observed the homeless man without shoes of his own, he didn’t hesitate.

"I have another pair of shoes. He doesn't," Phil told Today.com.

Today, let us give thanks for those that do good. For those who love their neighbors and make this country great.

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