'Should have shot him a couple more times': Canadian leader triggers woke foes after homeowner opens fire on alleged intruder



After a gun-toting homeowner in Ontario, Canada, opened fire and wounded an alleged intruder earlier this week, Premier Doug Ford lauded the homeowner and said intruders "need to be shot," the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

"Congratulations for shooting this guy — should have shot him a couple more times as far as I'm concerned," Ford replied after being asked about the incident during an unrelated news conference Wednesday, according to the CBC.

'We have seen far too many of these incidents involving individuals who were already known to police and out on release orders, highlighting a deeply broken bail system that is failing our communities.'

Ford also upbraided the Canadian government for "going after legal, law-abiding gun owners" and "weak-kneed judges" for letting suspects walk, the outlet noted.

"They always want to protect the bad guys, the judges always want to protect the Charter rights," Ford said, according to the CBC. "How about the charter of rights of the people to keep them safe rather than always protecting these criminals. I'm just sick and tired of it."

Opposition Leader Marit Stiles of the New Democratic Party called Ford's statement "very irresponsible nonsense" while speaking with reporters Wednesday morning, the outlet said.

"This premier has been premier of this province for eight long years now," she said, according to the CBC. "If people in Ontario feel less safe today, then that's on him as the premier of this province."

Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner also used the term "irresponsible" to describe Ford's words in a statement to the outlet: "It is irresponsible for the premier to be making comments encouraging violence or celebrating the loss of life. He should focus on investing in measures that will make our province safer and empower first responders to do their jobs to serve and protect our communities.”

This wasn't the first time Ford has spoken out amid such matters. After a homeowner was charged with aggravated assault for fighting and injuring an armed male who allegedly broke into his Lindsay, Ontario, residence last year, Ford said that "something is broken" in the system when one is punished for self-defense. The CBC last month reported that the homeowner in question no longer will face prosecution.

In regard to this week's incident, York Regional Police said no charges were being filed against the homeowner who used a "legally owned" and "properly stored" gun.

Police said a middle-aged man and an elderly woman were home at the time of the incident, and no one living at the home was injured, the CBC reported.

A police press release issued Wednesday said officers responded just before 1 a.m. Tuesday to reports of a shooting at a Vaughan home in the area of Carrville Woods Circle and Crimson Forest Drive, near Rutherford Road and Dufferin Street.

Officials said multiple suspects allegedly armed with at least one gun forced their way into the home and that the suspects later were seen getting into a black pickup truck and fleeing the scene.

Police on Tuesday released video of the incident showing masked suspects entering and leaving the home, the CBC said, adding that rapid gunfire can be heard as they run from the residence to the truck.

RELATED: Anger spreads over homeowner charged with assault after fighting alleged intruder; Canadian cops double down: 'Don't engage'

The male who was shot had been dropped off at a Toronto-area hospital shortly after the incident, the police press release said.

Police said Trestin Cassanova-Alman,a 24-year-old male with no fixed address, is facing charges of robbery with a firearm and disguise with intent as well with breaching a probation order "as he was on an outstanding probation order for unrelated offenses at the time of the home invasion."

Cassanova-Alman is in stable condition in the hospital in police custody, the news release said.

At least one politician in the area appears squarely on Ford's side — the mayor of the city where the shooting took place.

Vaughan Mayor Steven Del Duca in a social media statement posted Wednesday said he's thankful the homeowner wasn't charged given that it was an act of self-defense.

"We have seen far too many of these incidents involving individuals who were already known to police and out on release orders, highlighting a deeply broken bail system that is failing our communities," the mayor said.

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Netflix didn’t lose to Trump. It lost to math.



After months of public back-and-forth, Netflix’s bid for Warner Bros. Discovery is dead. Paramount won. The company on February 26 said it had completed its purchase, and Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr said regulators would approve it “pretty quickly.”

Some observers blamed Netflix’s loss on the Trump administration. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) labeled the Paramount deal a “disaster,” and allies implied that administration officials leaned on Netflix to stand down.

Netflix profits when audiences stay home. Theaters, restaurants, and the broader ecosystem built around going out don’t.

That’s revisionist history. Netflix lost for two reasons: Paramount offered more money, and Republicans have grown far less willing to wave through consolidation by mega-firms that already squeeze consumers and tilt the culture war leftward.

Paramount outbid Netflix

Start with the obvious. Netflix offered a little over $27 per share. Paramount offered $31 per share — roughly $111 billion in total value.

Netflix couldn’t match that price. Paramount could. Netflix walked.

That’s math, not corporate intrigue.

Why Washington had concerns

Money explains why Netflix lost. Politics explains why so few people in Washington felt inclined to rescue it.

Carr said Netflix’s bid raised “a lot of concerns.” President Donald Trump signaled skepticism. So did many congressional Republicans. They saw a company that already dominates streaming trying to turn itself into the dominant media conglomerate — and they saw the costs landing on consumers, creators, and competitors.

Consumers would have taken the hit first. As Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) noted during merger hearings, Netflix’s expansion has marched alongside higher prices. Subscribers pay more, then sit through more ads. The company pushes customers toward “cheaper” tiers that still interrupt programming people already bought access to watch.

Filmmakers would have taken the hit next. Director James Cameron warned that the sale would be “disastrous for the theatrical motion picture business.” Netflix profits when audiences stay home. Theaters, restaurants, and the broader ecosystem built around going out don’t.

RELATED: CNN’s biggest nightmare is one step closer to finally coming true

Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Then comes culture. Paramount’s programming spans the spectrum. Nobody confuses it with a conservative company, but nobody defaults to treating it as a progressive messaging machine either. Its catalog ranges from right-coded “Yellowstone” to newer, openly left-wing “Star Trek” entries, with plenty of mainstream fare between.

Netflix plays a different game. Its board includes former Obama administration official Susan Rice. Critics on the right point to its content tilt, including an Oversight Project analysis that found left-leaning programming outnumbered right-leaning programming by a wide margin. Even Netflix’s CEO recently tried to walk back a 2020-era post supporting Black Lives Matter, a retreat that looked less like conviction than belated damage control.

Monopoly defeated

For years, conservatives answered complaints about corporate media with a libertarian shrug: Let the market decide. That posture collapsed once the market stopped functioning like a market. A handful of firms now gatekeep distribution, advertising, and cultural prestige. Consumer choice matters less when one company controls the pipes.

Netflix seemed to miss that shift. It still spoke like the scrappy upstart that crushed Blockbuster, not like the biggest player trying to swallow a legacy studio and reshape the entire ecosystem on its terms.

Netflix will survive. It will keep producing content, and it will keep pushing its worldview in much of that content. It just won’t do it with control over Warner Bros. Discovery — or over the broader media landscape.

Why Trump must block Netflix’s Warner Bros. takeover



If Netflix absorbs Warner Bros., the far left will secure a cultural monopoly unmatched in American history. This would place iconic franchises, mass distribution platforms, and elite political influence under a single ideological command structure.

Most coverage treats Netflix as a hybrid of Hollywood and Silicon Valley. That framing misses the decisive fact: The company already operates well inside the Democrat political ecosystem. Susan Rice’s role on Netflix’s board makes that unmistakable.

Susan Rice, Reed Hastings, Barack Obama, and their allies stand within reach of the most powerful political messaging system in American history.

Rice joined Netflix’s board in 2018 after serving in senior positions in the Obama administration. She returned in 2023 after leading Biden’s Domestic Policy Council. Her career spans national security, intelligence, and domestic governance, placing her at the intersection of political power and narrative control.

Rice represents a specific governing class. She served as Obama’s national security adviser and later ran domestic policy for Biden, exercising authority over both foreign and internal priorities. She has shown a willingness to use state power for partisan ends, including her role in the unmasking of Trump transition officials. She has also promoted the most aggressive progressive social policies, including medical interventions for minors under gender ideology.

Rice understands that political power does not rest solely on legislation or elections. It rests on shaping public perception. Institutions that control culture define what ideas appear reasonable, what questions seem illegitimate, and which outcomes feel inevitable.

That instinct was clear in her 2019 New York Times op-ed, “When the President is a Bigot, the Poison Spreads,” in which she accused President Trump of “overt racism” and “almost daily attacks on black and brown people.” The piece functioned less as analysis and more as moral instruction issued from elite authority.

Since returning to Netflix’s board, Rice has intensified her attacks on the Trump administration. She accused Vice President JD Vance of showing “fealty to Vladimir Putin” and derided Trump as a “surrender monkey” for resisting constant military escalation. These are not isolated remarks. They reflect an entrenched worldview that treats deviation from the foreign policy consensus as disqualifying.

RELATED: Can conservatives reclaim pop culture?

Photo by Ernesto S. Ruscio/Getty Images

Rice’s presence alone should concern anyone who values media pluralism. A Netflix acquisition of Warner Bros. would raise the stakes dramatically. Such a merger would consolidate production, distribution, and political alignment inside a single corporate structure.

Warner Bros. controls some of the most influential properties in American entertainment, including DC Comics, "The Lord of the Rings," Harry Potter, and a deep film and television catalog. These assets shape cultural imagination at scale. No serious observer believes they would remain politically neutral under unified ideological control.

Netflix’s existing output already shows how entertainment becomes a delivery system for political messaging. Iconic characters are refashioned to signal progressive virtue. Narratives favor mass migration, abortion, and sexual politics without engaging dissent. Ideology enters through repetition rather than argument.

The most consequential impact would involve foreign policy and the national security state. Entertainment does not debate policy; it conditions instinct. Audiences absorb stories that normalize permanent crisis, global intervention, and moralized obedience to authority long before they encounter those ideas in political form.

Rice is not operating alone, obviously. Netflix founder and chairman Reed Hastings is a major Democrat donor who tried to blacklist Peter Thiel in 2016 for supporting Trump. That same year, Netflix signed Michelle and Barack Obama to a reported $50 million production deal, renewed in 2024 for an undisclosed amount.

RELATED: Trump is right: Netflix’s merger would create a woke media monster

Photo by Vincent Feuray/Hans Lucas/AFP/Getty Images

These relationships form a coherent network. Political power feeds cultural production. Cultural production shapes public opinion. Distribution ensures saturation. The loop closes without voters ever being asked.

My organization, the Oversight Project, will soon release an interim report examining Netflix’s role in social engineering under the guise of entertainment. The report documents how elite political priorities migrate into mass culture through corporate platforms that present ideology as entertainment.

A constitutional republic depends on a citizenry capable of self-government. America’s founders emphasized this repeatedly, and the First Amendment reflects their concern. Self-rule requires access to information and culture that are not filtered through ideological monopolies.

When dominant media platforms operate as unified political actors, that condition erodes. Citizens no longer encounter competing interpretations of reality. They receive moral direction from institutions that treat politics as settled doctrine.

A Netflix-Warner Bros. merger would accelerate this consolidation. It would fuse cultural memory, creative output, and political alignment into a single apparatus. The result would not be persuasion but control through saturation.

Susan Rice, Reed Hastings, Barack Obama, and their allies understand what is at stake. They stand within reach of the most powerful political messaging system in American history. President Trump must not allow it.

How do you solve a problem like Wikipedia?



Wikipedia has recently come under the microscope. I take some credit for this, as a co-founder of Wikipedia and a longtime vocal critic of the knowledge platform.

In September, I nailed (virtually) “Nine Theses About Wikipedia” to the digital door of Wikipedia and started a round of interviews about it, beginning with Tucker Carlson. This prompted Elon Musk to announce Grokipedia’s impending launch the very next day. And a national conversation evolved from there, with left- and right-leaning voices complaining about the platform’s direction or my critique of it.

As long as Wikipedia remains open, it is entirely possible for those who think differently to get involved.

As its 25th anniversary approaches, Wikipedia clearly needs reform. Not only does the platform have a long history of left-wing bias, but the purveyors of that bias — administrators, everyday editors, and others — stubbornly cling to their warped worldview and vilify those who dare to contest it.

The “Nine Theses” are the project’s first-ever thoroughgoing reform proposal. Among the ideas:

  • Allow multiple, competing articles per topic.
  • Stop ideological blacklisting of sources.
  • Restore the original neutrality policy.
  • Reveal the identities of the most powerful managers.
  • End unfair, indefinite blocking.
  • Adopt a formal legislative process.

Such ideas were bound to be a hard sell on Wikipedia. It has become institutionally ossified.

Nevertheless, I was delighted that the discussion of the theses has been robust, without much further prodding from me. Following the launch, Jimmy Wales actually stepped into the fray on the so-called talk page of an article called “Gaza genocide,” chiding the participants for violating Wikipedia’s neutrality policy. I chimed in as well. But the criticism was thrown back in our faces.

This brings me to the deeper problem: Wikipedia is stuck in its ways. How can it possibly be reformed when so many of its contributors like the bias, the anonymous leadership, the ease of blocking ideological foes, and other aspects of dysfunction? Reform seems impossible.

Yet there is one realistic way that we can make progress toward reform.

Above all else, those who care should get involved in Wikipedia. The total number of people who are really active on Wikipedia is surprisingly small. The number editing 100 times in any given month is in the low thousands, and this does not amount to that much time — perhaps one or two hours per week. Those who treat it as a part-time or full-time job — and so have real day-to-day influence — number in the hundreds.

In interviews, I have been urging the outcasts to converge on Wikipedia. You might think this is code for saying that conservatives and libertarians should try to stage a coup, but that is not so. Hindus and Israelis, among others, have also complained of being left out in recent years. The problem is an entrenched ruling class. As long as Wikipedia remains open, it is entirely possible for those who think differently to get involved.

RELATED: Wikipedia editors are trying to scrub the record clean of Iryna Zarutska’s slaughter by violent thug

Photo by Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Images

If you are a conservative or libertarian who is concerned about the slanted framing of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, get involved. If you are a classical liberal who is alarmed by the anti-Semitism within Wikipedia — like Florida Democrat Debbie Wasserman Schultz — it is time to make your presence felt. Wherever you may fall on the ideological spectrum, I call on good-faith citizens to become engaged editors who take productive discourse seriously, rather than scapegoating “the other side.”

Even a dozen new editors could make a difference, let alone hundreds or thousands who might be reading this column. Given that Wikipedia attracts billions of readers, in addition to featuring prominently in Google Search, Google Gemini, and elsewhere, improving the platform will strengthen our collective access to high-quality information across the board. It will bring us closer to truth.

So how do we solve the Wikipedia problem? With you, me, and all of us — individual action at scale.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published by RealClearPolitics and made available via RealClearWire.

Black male stabs white male. But victim uses racial slur AFTER stabbing — and Portland jury issues 'inconceivable' verdict.



A black male recently admitted in court that he stabbed a white male over the summer, but a Portland jury acquitted the black male after learning the victim uttered a racial slur — and spoke the word following the stabbing.

Gary Edwards was charged with second-degree assault for knifing Gregory Howard Jr. on Northwest 5th Avenue in Portland's Old Town neighborhood on the morning of July 7, OregonLive reported last week.

'Beyond inconceivable.'

A conviction could have handed Edwards a sentence of five years and 10 months in state prison, OregonLive said.

However, even though Edwards admitted on the witness stand to the stabbing, he said it was self-defense due to Howard's aggression, the outlet said.

Edwards testified that Howard yelled the racist slur as soon as he saw him, the outlet reported, adding that Howard denied the claim.

More from OregonLive:

Transit cameras showed Edwards, a fixed-blade knife clasped at his side, approaching Howard from behind as he sat on a bench. The video has no sound, but Howard springs up and pushes Edwards as soon as he sees him. The duo scuffle against a wall for a brief moment, ending with Edwards stabbing Howard in the shoulder.

Defense attorney Daniel Small said the most relevant evidence was recorded later when security officers heard the wounded man shouting the racist slur and captured it on their body cameras as he described the incident.

RELATED: Blaze News original: 'Austin Metcalf got exactly what he deserved — point blank, period': Karmelo Anthony defenders go viral

Small added that Edwards, 43, was just approaching Howard, also 43, and offering a simple trade: his knife for cigarettes, the outlet said.

"What other than racism could explain why Mr. Howard perceived hatred, animosity, and aggression from a complete stranger?" Small asked the jury on Oct. 30, the outlet reported.

Prosecutor Katherine Williams countered that what Howard said after the knifing was irrelevant and that Edwards was always "in control" during the altercation, OregonLive said.

"The defendant is not scared for his life. He didn’t retreat; he sauntered up — and he sauntered away after he stabbed someone," Williams told the jury, according to the outlet. "The defendant created the situation."

Despite the prosecutor's argument, the jury soon acquitted Edwards, OregonLive said.

More from the outlet:

Edwards, who declined to comment through his attorney, spent about three months in custody before the trial, after prosecutors successfully argued he shouldn't be released.

Their memo noted that Edwards was convicted of attempted second-degree assault in 2021 and was sentenced to three years in prison for another stabbing at the Skidmore Fountain MAX platform in May 2020. He was accused of fourth-degree assault for fighting with a clerk at Old Town's Helen's Market, but the case was dismissed in June because no public defender was available to take his case.

Howard, meanwhile, has been arrested several times in recent years and was convicted of felony rape of a child in Washington's Kitsap County in 1997, records show. He couldn't be reached for comment.

The New York Post's Facebook entry about the acquittal generated well over 1,000 comments — and they're the exact kinds of reactions you would expect. The following are a few of them:

  • "Always remember if you're shot or stabbed, you must give some type of positive affirmation to your attacker so you don't sound hateful," one commenter wrote. "Otherwise your attacker will be acquitted."
  • "It was probably a mostly peaceful stabbing," another user quipped.
  • "That's wild. So let me get this right ... He got attacked then said the N word, and the attacker got away with it cause he said it after he was already attacked?" another commenter asked. "That makes no sense."
  • "Beyond inconceivable," another user stated.
  • "What a funny world we live in," another commenter observed.
  • "Staying out of Portland ..." another user shared.

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Leftists melt down after Idaho bar announces month of free beer if you help ICE find, deport illegal aliens



The Old State Saloon in Eagle, Idaho, achieved national prominence last year when it launched what it deemed "Heterosexual Awesomeness Month."

The punch line? The plucky watering hole chose June for its 30 days of celebrating all things straight — which, of course, immediately ignited fuses dangling from left-wing noggins given that June has long been Pride Month and all.

'WE ARE PLANNING A HUGE PROTEST THIS WEEKEND AT UR POS SALOON! GOD DOESN'T LIKE UGLY AND Y'ALL GOING STRAIGHT TO HELL!'

Well, the Old State Saloon once again is managing to poke at the left — this time offering free beer for a month to all those who help Immigration and Customs Enforcement capture and deport illegal immigrants.

The bar's Saturday X post reads, "ALERT: Anyone who helps ICE identify and ultimately deport an illegal from Idaho gets FREE BEER FOR ONE MONTH at Old State Saloon!"

On the same day, the Department of Homeland Security reposted the saloon’s offer with a humorous GIF underscoring how floored the agency is with the promotion helping its cause — and the repost has received a whopping 3.7 million views. The Old State Saloon replied, "Let's go! Deport them all!"

Part of the deal, however, is that those who want to claim the month-long sudsy prize must "send a detailed email with any evidence, photos, videos, summary of events, dates, and times" to deportations@oldstatesaloon.com.

One person asked the bar, "Hold up! Is there a limit per month? Limit on months?" Old State replied, "2/day for one month" and "at our discretion, may award multiple months to one person if multiple illegals are deported."

RELATED: 'Heterosexual Awesomeness Month' under way at Idaho saloon — and minds are exploding across the fruited plain

Photographer: Yuvraj Khanna/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The bar on Sunday announced its "first big winner" of the free beer offer: Ryan Spoon, vice chair of the Ada County Republican Central Committee in Idaho. Spoon told Newsweek he "had a free Moon Dog Amber Ale" and "a great chat with the owner, Mark Fitzpatrick, whom I also consider a friend."

More from the magazine:

Spoon previously made headlines when he publicly called for immigration raids on state Representative Stephanie Mickelsen's farm, alleging the employment of undocumented workers. Days later, immigration agents visited Mickelsen Farms, leading to the arrest of one employee.

With all the attention the bar's offer of free beer is generating, it should come as no surprise that a wave of left-wing backlash has been quickly growing.

But the Old State Saloon isn't backing down from any of it — in fact, the bar is reposting on its X page the nasty feedback it has been receiving. The missives range from what clearly are fake one-star reviews — aimed at lowering the bar's average customer scores — to some interestingly worded threats.

One of them read: "I hope you get swatted like all the sad little MAGAT bitches who think they're doing something right. You're not, you racist piece of s**t. I'll be dancing a jig in a week when your busted-up s**thole is closed forever. Maybe I'll stop by first [to] see if a cleansing fire might be the ticket."

"U RACIST ASSHOLES!" another message read. "WE ARE PLANNING A HUGE PROTEST THIS WEEKEND AT UR POS SALOON! GOD DOESN'T LIKE UGLY AND Y'ALL GOING STRAIGHT TO HELL! BITCHES."

Old State offered the following reply: "You better hurry up because according to all your criminal friends, Old State Saloon will be burned down by then! Let's be real: You aren't going to do anything. But you sounded pretty tough for a minute there."

What's more, on the day after the launch of the free beer campaign, Old State actually took things to another level, noting that the month of December is now "Merry Snitchmas" and a collection of new specials is on tap: "Manly American Mondays — all American citizen males who support ICE get one free beer! Ladies’ 'I’m Telling' Tuesdays — BOGO for American woman willing to tell ICE about any illegals, to get them deported. Wednesday: American heterosexual couples get 10% off their entire bill. Get married and make American babies, if at all possible!"

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Franklin & Marshall College said it was looking for a new 'gender-neutral' mascot — and got absolutely torched



Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is looking for a new mascot.

The private school's Mascot Working Group page in September read that "our goal is to give it a form that is fun, gender-neutral, and full of personality ..."

'In a time where we are surrounded by so much racism and sexism, it makes sense why we would want a break from old white guys from the 18th century.'

The headline of a WHP-TV story published last week said as much: "Franklin & Marshall College embarks on search for gender-neutral mascot."

As you might expect, Facebook users who commented on the WHP story — as well as the accompanying question, "What do you think Franklin & Marshall College's new mascot should be?" — blasted the school's woke criteria. To wit:

  • "The Franklin and Marshall Snowflakes has a nice ring to it," one commenter opined.
  • "How about a sheep," another user offered.
  • "That’s the least of their problems," another commenter said. "Maybe The Cucks or The Laughables?"
  • Good grief!!!!!!!" another user exclaimed.
  • "A worm?" another commenter suggested.
  • "Please explain why?" another user wondered. "This is what’s wrong with everything. What are they trying to prove by doing this?"

RELATED: 'Inseminated person': Wisconsin Gov. Evers tries to erase mothers with gender-neutral language overhaul

Photo by John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images

As it happens, as of Tuesday the "gender-neutral" reference was no longer on F&M's Mascot Working Group page.

Blaze News on Tuesday reached out to Franklin & Marshall College to inquire why "gender-neutral" was gone from the Mascot Working Group page, as well as why folks costumed as founding father Benjamin Franklin and U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall — the school's namesakes — no longer are appropriate or suitable mascots.

Franklin & Marshall sent the following reply to Blaze News on Tuesday afternoon:

Franklin & Marshall College regrets any misunderstanding or mischaracterization regarding criteria guidelines for mascot idea submissions, which has since been clarified on our website. The guidance shared with the F&M community, then and now, encourages mascot recommendations that take the form of creatures, animals, and figures, which is very typical of mascots for universities and sports teams.

The college’s prior mascots, “Ben” and “John,” were retired several years ago. A student-led initiative to develop a dynamic new mascot began during the 2024-25 academic year. At the same time, other campus constituents collectively expressed a desire for a new mascot that would bring renewed energy and enthusiasm to campus and athletic events.

Our intention has always been to identify a mascot that reflects the public leadership and spirit of Ben Franklin and John Marshall as our namesakes and to be inspired by our mascot, the Diplomat. The decision to create a new physical form for the mascot is an opportunity to represent our community spirit in a way that will champion F&M on campus, on the athletic field, and beyond.

Others at Franklin & Marshall have expressed rather pointed opinions about the "Ben" and "John" mascots.

Take an op-ed from F&M's student newspaper penned by one of its editors just a year ago titled, "Ben and John, It’s Time to Say Goodbye." In it, the author refers to the Ben Franklin and John Marshall mascots as "cartoonish, old white guys" who look "a little creepy."

The author also acknowledges that after three years she's never actually seen the "Ben and John [mascots] in the flesh. Why? It turns out, these mascots are taking some time off and have not been spotted in years. Rumor has it they might be replaced, too."

The op-ed also states:

In a time where we are surrounded by so much racism and sexism, it makes sense why we would want a break from old white guys from the 18th century. John Marshall was racist and fought to keep slavery in the United States, and while Benjamin Franklin was well known for being an abolitionist, he once owned slaves and held racist views, too. As more people become aware of their racist histories, now seems like the right time for a mascot change. Franklin and Marshall founded our college, but our wonderful community can be represented by so much more than just their names. We are Diplomats, after all, and you don’t have to be the ghost of a white man to be a diplomat.

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Career criminal reportedly with 99 arrests allegedly stabs 69-year-old man; FOP president blames 'woke, broke' system



An Indiana man reportedly with a staggering number of arrests under his belt allegedly stabbed a 69-year-old man at a gas station amid an argument late last month.

Just before midnight Sept. 26, officers with the Lawrence Police Department were dispatched to the gas station. Lawrence is about 15 minutes northeast of Indianapolis.

'When you're arrested 99 times, I think it begs the question: "What's the number?"'

Citing court documents, WXIN-TV reported that a family member of the victim told police that the victim — a 69-year-old man — exited a vehicle to separate people amid an argument involving 41-year-old Courtney Boose.

The documents indicate that's when Boose stabbed the 69-year-old victim with a pocketknife and walked to the rear of the gas station, the station said.

Court documents indicate Boose did not comply with officers who were attempting to detain him, after which an officer tased Boose, the station said.

Officers then searched Boose — now handcuffed — and reportedly found a pocketknife with blood on it and a bag of cocaine, WXIN said, adding that court documents allege he attempted to head-butt an officer while being placed in the police vehicle.

The station said the victim was taken to a local hospital in critical condition.

Citing court documents, WXIN added that Boose was arrested on preliminary charges of attempted murder, aggravated battery, battery resulting in serious bodily injury, possession of a narcotic, attempted battery on a police officer, and resisting law enforcement.

RELATED: Blaze News original: Check out these 12 infuriating decisions by trio of prominent, ultra-progressive district attorneys

However, Indianapolis Fraternal Order of Police President Rick Snyder last week told WIBC-FM that Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears downgraded Boose's attempted murder charge to aggravated battery, which greatly reduced the possible prison sentence.

Snyder blasted Mears and the "woke, broke" criminal justice system.

"That means this case, without even taking its first breath in the court system, has automatically been downgraded and reduced, cutting the possible sentencing range from an attempted murder and 20 to 40 years of imprisonment all the way down to three years to 16 years," Snyder explained on "The Hammer and Nigel Show."

Snyder said the prosecutor's actions are a "dereliction of duty," especially since the suspect had been arrested 99 times prior to the alleged stabbing.

"When you're arrested 99 times, I think it begs the question: 'What's the number?' What’s the number of times where somebody in a black robe finally says, 'You know what, I don’t think this guy is getting it,'" Snyder said.

WIBC said previous charges against Boose include trespassing, theft, battery, and drug crimes and that the vast majority of the cases either were dismissed or concluded with a plea deal. What's more, the station said records also show Boose has never served time in prison.

Snyder added, "We're really confronted by our after-the-fact, 'Billy Badass' prosecutor and our 'woke, broke' criminal justice system."

Snyder said in the radio interview that there were reports that the stabbing victim was visiting Indianapolis to attend a funeral for a person who was murdered — after which the FOP president pointed out the ramifications of the stabbing on Indianapolis tourism: "Visit for one murder and stay for your own."

Snyder wrote on X that a "broken system" allows a "revolving door" for criminals.

Snyder added that it amounts to an "attack from within" in Indianapolis and that the city is now averaging a homicide every 53 hours — outpacing Chicago by 10%.

"The daily headlines show that mass shootings, mass murders, and mass carnage keep going up," Snyder stated. "This shows the devaluing of the sanctity of life here in our capital city."

Townhall said it "reached out to the Marion County Prosecutor's Office about the downgraded charges via phone. No one answered, and the voicemail was full, so we could not leave a message. An email was also sent to the Prosecutor's office, and Townhall is awaiting a reply."

The Lawrence Police Department and the Indianapolis Fraternal Order of Police did not immediately respond to Blaze News' request for comment.

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The radical left is poisoning our schools — here's how we fight back



Two hundred and fifty years ago, my great-grandmother’s great-grandfather pledged his life, his fortune, and his sacred honor to help forge this great nation.

In the centuries since, Americans have celebrated triumphs, endured hardships, and mourned tragedies. Our union, like Old Glory herself, bears scars — marks of a nation that is imperfect but resilient.

We must advocate for an education that promotes building and creating, that equips young people with the tools to succeed in a complex world.

While the United States was founded on a bedrock of Enlightenment values and principles, they are under ideological assault — not from external enemies, but from within our own K-12 schools.

In order for us to preserve this constitutional republic for posterity, we must not only expose these destructive far-left, anti-Western-civilization ideologies and their adherents, but we must also counter them by offering a better vision — one rooted in the timeless principles that built this nation and can guide future generations.

We need to fight for a “more perfect union” that is noticeably better today than yesterday. Unfortunately, Wormtongue has the ear of education.

History hijacked

Cloaked under the guise of “culture” and “history,” ethnic studies is a far-left political programming that brings together a “Red-Green Alliance” bent on ending capitalism and overturning stability.

Proponents such as the teachers' unions, Black Lives Matter, the Democratic Socialists of America, and anti-Israel activists are using K-12 schools to advance their agenda by seeding their radical ideology into curriculums and training the youth to be social justice street activists.

Based on cultural Marxist Paulo Freire’s work, ethnic studies teaches children to obsess over their identities, find oppression and racism in every corner of society, and resent those who are perceived to have more “privilege” than them.

It then presents students with a new set of “heroes” and idols such as the Black Panther Party, the Third World Liberation Front, and even Che Guevara.

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Ethnic studies then offers a utopian vision, promising “liberation” through street activism and the relentless critique and dismantling of societal norms — a process eerily reminiscent of Mao’s Cultural Revolution.

This corrosive ideology thrives on destruction, not creation. It fuels resentment and division, teaching children to see themselves and their neighbors as victims or villains in an endless struggle.

Future forged

Despite this, we can do better. We need to do better. We must advocate for an education that promotes building and creating, that equips young people with the tools to succeed in a complex world.

American youth are hungry for meaningful change, lasting self-confidence, and inspirational leadership. They deserve to be taught what it takes to be successful, what it means to be American, and what it requires.

It starts with faith — the belief in things hoped for but not yet seen, like a “more perfect union.” Young people need to trust that their future, and the future of this nation, can be shaped through their efforts. They should be encouraged to dream boldly and believe in their potential to achieve greatness — but to be humble enough to admit their mistakes.

There needs to be a renewal of integrity and an emphasis on valuing a person of his word, someone who means what he says and says what he means. This fosters societal trust, which is a hallmark of a thriving culture.

The sacrifices made today — whether time, comfort, or ease — pave the way for the outcomes we seek tomorrow.

Additionally, high societal trust requires taking on great responsibility. We need to help the youth understand that there is fulfillment in taking ownership over their own actions and the consequences that follow. As much has been given, much is required in return.

Prioritizing effort is also essential. A commitment to hard work and quality repetition forges habits and automaticity, and this leads to competence. Moreover, making the little things matter can be the difference between success and failure.

Finally, we must assist the youth in learning that making proper sacrifices is crucial to stable, long-term successes. The sacrifices made today — whether time, comfort, or ease — pave the way for the outcomes we seek tomorrow. Success is a byproduct of the right sacrifices at the right time.

Republic renewed

Two and a half centuries ago, the founders put everything they had on the line to establish this republic. It is now upon us and our children to keep it.

By teaching faith, integrity, responsibility, effort, and sacrifice, we empower American youth to make today better than yesterday — and to shape a future that honors the sacrifices of those who came before us.

America’s children deserve a vision that uplifts, not one that tears down.

Let’s give them the tools to build a nation that, while scarred, remains a beacon of hope and opportunity for all — a renewed and reinvigorated “shining city upon a hill.”

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