#but at the tenth time the word petite is used to describe the reader i just JUST idk i just cant

[quantobono]

definitely not me trying to find new spicy smutty enemies to lovers levi x reader multichap fics BUT in the few ones i find is starring a lilliputian reader with microbones

[donald4spiderman]

Sweating, And A Lesson On Self-Worth

masterlist

Summary: Spencer finds himself falling for his NAT (new agent training) defensive tactics coach.

Pairing: SR x Fem!Reader *described as petite to give the illusion of assumed vulnerability when IRL she’s a badass— no other specific physical details are mentioned*

Category: Fluff

TW: Mentions of body image, general CM talk, mentions of fighting/grappling/wrestling, small age gap (reader is 28 & reid is 22)

concept inspired by @sierraraeck’s fic “Bad Liar” about Morgan training Spencer. I love wrestling so I wanted to do one about a badass female combat coach/agent.

REBLOG!

-

When Spencer and the rest of the trainees are ushered into the fitness center on their second day at the academy, he almost shits himself. He’s well aware of the physical demands being in the FBI requires, and he’s been dreading the PFT (Physical Fitness Test) since he applied.

There are hundreds of men and women huddled in the middle of the room, anticipating the orientation, and Spencer feels his palms sweat before he’s even started working out. The majority of the trainees are football players, wrestling’s, and weight lifters— he can tell by their muscular build and general atmosphere of strength and confidence.

SSA Jesse Fallon introduces their defensive tactics coach for the next twenty weeks— a petite but athletic woman. She’s dressed in a gray t-shirt and flexible khaki pants— Spencer would be lying if he said she didn’t look gorgeous, even in the bland attire.

“I’m SSA and defensive tactics coach (Y/N) (Y/L/N).” She introduces herself, giving a warm smile to the crowd. “I’ve been an SSA for five years and the head coach of this portion of the academy for two. This is my third official wave of trainees— and believe me— I won’t be going easy on any of you.”

Light laughter disperses through the crowd, and Spencer wears an uneasy look on his face.

“Today, I’ve prepped stations for each of you to cycle through for the next three hours. Agent Rivera is monitoring the weapon defense; Agent Glover is in charge of the takedowns; And I’ll be handling hand-to-hand combat and grappling. You’ll spend an hour at each station, run a mile at the end, and then you’re done for the day. Sound good?”

“Yes, Ma’am.” Choruses through the crowd.

SSA (Y/N) clasps her hands together, “Alright, you know your groups. Split up!”

-

Spencer’s assigned to the takedown station first. Agent Glover’s criticisms are primarily nonconstructive, and Spencer struggles with apprehending and cuffing his more robust and much more muscular partner on the floor. He’s never trained this hard for anything in his life, physically, speaking. He’s half-dead within the first hour, and he dreads having to do this two more times.

His next stop is with Agent Rivera, who’s much kinder to Spencer than his prior. Reid is better at disarming his opponent, but his long limbs flail wildly due to his incoordination— he’s trying his best, but he sees the way everyone else giggles at him. It’s a blow to the chest that leaves him defeated more than any gunshot could.

The last hour is spent working at SSA (Y/N) (Y/L/N)’s station. She commands the attention of the entire group so naturally, despite being considered a rookie, she has an intimidating amount of knowledge.

“How many of you are wrestlers or judokas?” About sixty percent of the group raises their hand, and Spencer scans around for who might have the strength to kill him with one blow.

“Good,” She smiles. “This will come naturally to you, then. Now, a head-and-arm throw most likely won’t work in the field— so, sorry, judokas. However, double legs, body locks, and blast-doubles are constantly used to take down an unsub with minimal injury to the agent. Even someone as short as me can use leverage to grapple and control a much taller person.” (Y/N) scans the crowd of trainees for a moment before pointing directly at Spencer.

“You, come here.” She commands, and Spencer waddles nervously up next to her on the mat. “This is...”

He’s confused for a moment before realizing she’s asking for his name. “S-Spencer Reid.”

“Hi, Spencer.” She smiles. “How tall are you?”

“Six foot two.”

“Spencer has the advantage of almost a whole foot of height against me. But, I can use his higher center of gravity to tip him over more easily. We do this a lot in wrestling— being low to the ground and agile is important.”

(Y/N) firmly plants her hands on Spencer’s shoulder, moving him so that he’s turned to the side. “This move is called a modified blast double— it prioritizes attacking the ankles and knees rather than the knees and abdomen.”

She leans in closer to Spencer, “Don’t post your wrist out when you fall.” She whispers in his ear, sending chills down his spine. “Keep your neck tucked too.” Her breath is warm and minty, and Spencer almost forgets that he has 30 other people watching him.

“I’m going to simulate an active attack with Spencer. Doing this move in a wrestling match is much more controlled than against a rogue criminal playing by their own rules. They might have a melee or close-range weapon like a knife or hammer on them, so it’s important to make this move when the best opportunity strikes.”

“Spencer’s going to run at me and attempt to land a punch to my face.” She gives him a nod, and he chambers over to her.

Swiftly crouching lower to the ground, she launches herself towards him, gripping the back of his ankles and pushing her shoulder into his knees, and suddenly he’s flying back onto the mat. She follows through, straddling Spencer’s hips and covering his movements with an arm under his neck.

He’s out of breath as he watches the beautiful SSA leaning above him. His head is slightly sore from the impact, but overall he feels... invigorated.

“You never let your opponent fall onto the ground without covering them. Straddling your opponent allows you to keep them down while having full use of your fists.” She swings her leg off of Spencer, standing up. She reaches a hand out and quickly yanks him up.

“Find someone and drill that move. I’m coming around to help all of you.”

She gives Spencer a firm pat on his back, to which he blushes furiously, pulling his lower lip in between his teeth.

-

Spencer spent the rest of the hour getting slammed onto the mat over and over by various men and women. His entire shirt is soaked, and his breathing is so labored he thinks he’s going to faint. SSA (Y/N) (Y/L/N) might have appeared at ease earlier in the day, but she wasn’t kidding when she promised she would work them to no end. Everyone was at the brink of death when they approached the last lap of their mile— Spencer at risk of passing out more than others.

The relief he feels after completing his tenth lap around the gym is euphoric. Trainees collapse onto the ground with exhaustion all around him.

“Great job today.” SSA (Y/N) compliments happily. “I appreciate all the effort you guys showed today. It better still be here in four months.” And with that, she excuses them, along with the agents monitoring each station.

Spencer’s one of the last agents to trickle out of the gym. His legs feel like jello when he walks, and his lungs burn.

He almost makes it past the threshold of the door before his name is called.

“Dr. Reid.” She beckons him over with a finger. “May I talk to you for a moment.”

Spencer nervously shuffles over. “Yes, SSA (Y/L/N)?”

“I applaud your effort at training today. I can tell you were working hard.” He blushes. “But I’ve been informed that the board is willing to wave all physical training requirements for your acceptance into the FBI.”

“Yeah... I-I uh figured they’d want me for my IQ only.” He jokes nervously, shrugging his shoulders. He knows it’s disrespectful not to look her in the eye, but she intimidates him too much.

She laughs, and it’s a sweet, joyful sound that Spencer can’t get enough of. She’s powerful and radiant— stealing attention from everyone else. “You’re charming, and your reputation precedes you.”

Charming? Since when has little Spencer Reid ever been charming? He smiles awkwardly, looking off to the side to hide his blush.

“You know, the forensics department wants their hands on the trainee with the chemistry doctorate, and the surveillance department wants the kid with eidetic memory, and word has it that you speak more than four languages, so everyone wants their fair share.”

“W-why are you telling me this?” Spencer asks, voice shy and barely above a whisper.

“Because,” she places a tender hand on his shoulder, “You need to carry yourself with more confidence, Spencer. I saw you— surrounded by all those athletes— it made you feel out of place. I get it.”

“How d-do you get it?”

“I was 23 years old when I became an SSA, surrounded by people two decades older than me. I felt like the office secretary— constantly getting pushed around by people I was afraid to upset. But the thing is, Spencer, you need to demand respect from other people. I’m not saying you need to be arrogant or be a bully, but you are one of— if not the most promising agent trainee— and you need to realize your self-worth.”

“I’m smart, I-I know that. But I’m not strong or athletic by any means.” He sighs, gripping the duffle bag slung across his shoulder tightly.

“That’s alright. You’re not going to be Kyle Dake overnight. But you can’t beat yourself up about it.” (Y/N) chuckles lightly.

Spencer thinks for a moment, “T-thank you... for uh saying all those nice things about me.”

“They're true.” She nods.

“I think I’ll continue with the defensive tactics training. I could um use it.” Its partially true, but he’s most inclined to stick around because of the kind and beautiful SSA that’ll be training him.

“Yay! That’s great, Spencer.” She cheers, wrapping him in a hug that’s a little too friendly to be professional. He accepts despite being drenched in sweat.

Her arms are wrapped tightly around Spencer, and she pats him on the back twice before pulling away like a proud mentor would. He can’t decide if (Y/N) would be a better girlfriend or a better teacher. If she would, he’d prefer for her to be both. He’d give her all he had to offer if she’d allow him.

He doesn’t recognize the smile that plays on her lips, and it’s a foreign feeling for the aggressive and focused SSA. She hasn’t felt something like this in a while, especially not for a nerdy trainee named Dr. Spencer Reid.

“Hit the showers.” She teases. “You stink.”

Spencer nods furiously, “Y-yeah, of course. Thank you, again, SSA—“

“Just call me (Y/N).”

“T-thank you, (Y/N).” He smiles, scurrying out of the gym and into the hallway as giddy as ever.

(Y/N) knows she can’t pursue this— at least, not right now. She’ll give it a few years to let him settle in the FBI (his acceptance is inevitable) if she can be patient for that long. All she knows is that eventually, she wants the awkwardly adorable boy to be hers— and she wants to be his.

i’m so proud of this fic but sry i got carried away talking about wrestling i love it sm

[rolandfontana]

Jim Crow: Alive and Well in U.S. Prisons

Most African-American professionals in the 21st century lack the ability to grasp how miserable it was living in a Separate-But-Equal world where the color of their skin connoted incompetence.

In the era of de jure segregation, members of W.E.B. Du Bois’ vaunted “Talented Tenth” were believed to be not as smart as they perceived themselves to be, and not to be taken seriously by white folks with good sense.  Generations of intellectuals never overcame the weight of racial prejudice that stood against them.

Against this backdrop from the days of de jure segregation, allow me to present a cohort of convicts who are the penitentiary version of De Bois’ Talented Tenth.

While “convict” as a label is the product of imprisonment rather than an immutable characteristic, this status produces effects similar to having black skin, circa 1930, when combined with education and intellect. Intellectual convicts—many of whom (like me) were ignoramuses when they entered the prison system—are not lauded for overcoming their circumstances and deficiencies.

Nor are they touted as being worthy of emulation.

Instead, they are typically maligned by their keepers, and frequently rejected by those who are confined amongst them.  At the same time, they are given short shrift by many community activists.

This isn’t a recent phenomenon.

The Keepers

 “Look at the prison officials, especially the guards,” former prisoner Victor F. Nelson recalls a fellow prisoner saying in his 1936 book Prison Days and Nights.

Most of them never had an education or anything…But he gets a job here, and a little authority, and first thing you know, he’s running around with a chip on his shoulder, as if he could lick [heavyweight prizefighter Jack] Dempsey.

Had Nelson been African American, rather than a Swedish immigrant, and if he had been aware of Du Bois’ Talented Tenth concept, he would have also considered guards to be amongst those who had the greatest disdain and antipathy for the education, intellect, and success of the Talented Tenth.

I can attest that Jim Crow sentiments have not disappeared from the American penal system.

I have been described in the media as “the picture of reform,” but let me assure you, correctional officers and prison administrators see nothing of the sort.

Earning a college degree through my own means and developing the acumen to publish legal commentaries is instead perceived as evidence of my arrogance, not of my reform. In fact, the box for “arrogant” has been checked by correctional counselors who have input my personal characteristics into Washington State’s Department of Corrections (DOC) computerized risk assessment instrument.

That, to me, underlines prison officials’ sense of insecurity. To them, it appears, “arrogance” is applicable to individuals in the system whose accomplishments or intellect engenders feelings of inferiority in the correctional psyche.

It strikes me as the same dynamic which makes white people living below the Mason-Dixon Line want to lynch “uppity Negros” for supposedly putting on airs.

Through this funhouse mirror everything that a convict does to hone his intellect and abilities in order to increase his likelihood of successfully transitioning into society is distorted—and can even be provocative—given the response it can produce from guards and administrators.

I have felt such wrath when I was deemed to be “talking down” to a unit supervisor merely by being assertive, knowledgeable and articulate when stating my position in response to his questioning about why I chose to write an official complaint about his practices, as opposed to resolving the matter informally.

In other words, I failed to show proper deference in the face of authority. As is often the case, it did not end well.

In this instance, my superior used the tried and true method for regaining a sense of control that has been undermined by the unwelcome sense of inferiority: He shunted me into solitary confinement and I stayed there for the next several weeks.

Convicts who possess qualities and attain accomplishments that are valued in society learn that it is prudent to avoid such encounters.

The Kept

Victor Nelson observed the following:

The conversations of the average convict are full of destructive criticism, cheap cynicism, wishfulness and self-pity … Unless [something] threatens his comfort, safety or vanity, or promises to ameliorate or shorten his term in prison, he is distinctly uninterested. The discussion of ideas for the sake of arriving at truth, or acquiring knowledge, has no zest for him.

Little has changed since the 1930s.

Research tell us that the “School-to-Prison Pipeline” shunts people out of the educational system and disrupts individuals’ potential for intellectual progress.

But statistics fail to illuminate that a byproduct of this collective ignorance is the formation of legions of prisoners across the nation who harbor disdain for those in their midst whose intelligence shines within this darkness.

To such minds, black prisoners who use proper English in grammatically correct sentences and who love to read must think they are better than the rest of the brothas in captivity.

In prison, ignorance is the fuel for violence, not bliss.

Worse yet, in this world ignorance is the fuel for violence, not bliss.

Several years ago, my new cellmate became enraged one evening over my diction and bibliophilic propensities and then, for the next five hours, as I have written elsewhere, “went from laughing hysterically to pacing back and forth and sobbing to becoming irrationally angry, and then leaning in on [me] and getting into [my] personal space.”

His reaction seems crazy, I know.

Yet such men are often troubled by prisoners who have altered the trajectory of their lives by being tenacious and intellectually curious, and who have the forbearance, perseverance, and intelligence to succeed upon being freed in spite of countless barriers to successfully reintegrating into society.

Ridiculing, ostracizing, and even assaulting prisoners who exhibit qualities that augur well has psychological value, so it seems.

Namely, it enables the vacuous majority of prisoners to subsume the uncomfortable, unbidden sense of self-contempt that can rise when exemplars of intellect and grit cause them to reflect upon their character deficiencies and lack of agency.

Herein lies the soul of the bygone hater that used to cry out “Sellout!” and “House Nigga!” to young Negros who devoted themselves to scholarly pursuits and upward mobility as opposed to smoking reefer and harmonizing with their buddies on the street corner. It is the product of envy conjoined with ignorance, and it is so pernicious in many prisons that it makes intellectual pursuits—and those who pursue them—worthy of animus.

 The Allies

These underlying beliefs remain embedded deep within the subconscious of many black professionals.

I have seen the effects when social justice advocates and criminal justice reformers arrive to visit with groups of convicts with the aim of gaining insight from those who are most impacted by benighted policies and practices.

The Black Prisoners’ Caucus was often the setting. Time and again, when members of the Caucus met with policymakers, lawyers and professors to discuss subjects ranging from reducing recidivism to extending parole eligibility, the outsiders with black complexions stubbornly resisted heeding our advice in spite of our intellect, education, common sense, or experience.

Fighting for equality is one thing. Yet perceiving convicts as equals and considering our suggestions with an open mind seems to be a bridge too far—for the black folks especially.

I have felt the frustration of dealing with this prejudice when explaining my legal theories to attorneys with organizations such as the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. No matter the listener’s legal training and passion for undoing injustice—my words are suspect. The fact that law journals have published my legal commentaries and the Washington Court of Appeals has adopted my legal analysis lends me no credibility.

My status ultimately connotes incompetence, arrogance or some other nonsense.

These experiences have convinced me that my theory on the penitentiary’s Talented Tenth has validity.

Jeremiah Bourgeois

At the end of the day, I am little more than a convict. This status produces effects akin to black skin circa 1930. I truly appreciate that you took the time to read this column—since my life is defined by being maligned by my keepers, facing rejection from those confined, and getting short shrift from activists despite my education and intellect.

Jeremiah Bourgeois is a regular contributor to The Crime Report, and a recent graduate of Adams State University, where he earned an interdisciplinary degree in criminology and legal studies. Since 1992, he has been confined in Washington State for crimes that he committed at the age of 14. He is currently petitioning for release. Readers who wish to support him are invited to sign up here. He welcomes comments.

Jim Crow: Alive and Well in U.S. Prisons syndicated from https://immigrationattorneyto.wordpress.com/

[therightnewsnetwork]

Democrat Slams Neil Gorsuch: “He Believes the Intentional Taking of Human Life is Always Wrong”

During the hearing today in the Senate Judiciary Committee over Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch, pro-abortion Democrat Dianne Feinstein slammed the potential High Court pick.

Feinstein drew on the issue of abortion for her criticism — saying that she probably will oppose Gorsuch because he believes “the intentional taking of a human life by private persons is always wrong.”

“President Trump repeatedly promised that his judicial nominees would be pro-life, and automatically overturn Roe v. Wade,” she said. “Judge Gorsuch has not had occasion to rule directly on a case involving Roe. However, his writings do raise questions. Specifically, he wrote that he believes there are no exceptions to the principle that ‘the intentional taking of a human life by private persons is always wrong.’ This language has been interpreted by both pro-life and pro-choice organizations to mean he would overturn Roe.”

“President Trump repeatedly promised to appoint someone in the mold of Justice Scalia and said that the nomination of Judge Gorsuch illustrates he’s a man of his word,” said Feinstein. “The Supreme Court has the final say on whether a woman will continue to have control over her own body or whether decisions about her healthcare will be determined by politicians and the government.”

Feinstein then described a 21-week abortion as the kind of abortion at stake if Gorsuch’s nomination is confirmed.

Brian Burch of CatholicVote responded to the attacks.

“Already, Democratic Senators are on the attack. They understand the historic nature of this nomination. Left-wing groups have used the courts and reckless judicial decisions to impose their agenda on the people. But that could all end soon,” he said. “Judge Gorsuch has pledged to obey the Constitution and to respect the limited role of judges. Judges are not policy makers. Judges are not politicians. And when the Supreme Court restrains itself, the Left typically loses.”

“Today, Senators presented their opening statements. Tomorrow, the real fireworks begin with 30-minute Q & A exchanges between Judge Gorsuch and individual Senators on the Judiciary Committee — for 10 hours not counting breaks,” he added.

SIGN THE PETITION! Vote to Confirm Supreme Court Nominee Neil Gorsuch

President Donald Trump nominated the federal appeals Court Judge with strong support from pro-life organizations that point to his track record as supporting religious freedom for pro-life organizations refusing to be forced to pay for abortions. They also noted his opposition to assisted suicide and his support for a state fighting to defund Planned Parenthood abortion business.

The Planned Parenthood abortion business was also quick toblast Judge Gorsuch as well.

The abortion giant slammed Gorsuch for supporting Hobby Lobby and the Little Sisters of the Poor in their bids to not be forced to pay for abortion-causing drugs in their employee health care plans.

“Gorsuch has also worked to undermine access to essential health care — ruling that bosses should be able to deny women birth control coverage. His record shows a disturbing willingness to let ideology overrule his constitutional duty to uphold and respect clearly established precedent protecting our fundamental liberties, including Roe v. Wade and Whole Woman’s Health,” Planned Parenthood said.

The 49-year-old Judge Gorsuch, if confirmed, would replace pro-life Justice Antonin Scalia – who supporting overturning Roe v. Wade and allowing states to once again provide legal protection for unborn children.

Justice Gorsuch is currently a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, which includes the districts of Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming, as well as the Eastern, Northern and Western districts of Oklahoma. He has served as a federal judge since August 2006 and was appointed by President George W. Bush and confirmed unanimously by the Senate.

The pro-life legal scholars who know him best say he is a strong originalist, believing that the Constitution should only be interpreted as the Founding Fathers intended. That would him squarely in the legal camp of Justice Scalia.

One of the biggest problems pro-life advocates have with the Supreme Court is that it invented a so-called right to abortion in Roe v. Wade. But Gorsuch’s writings indicate he opposes that kind of thinking. In a 2005 National Review article, Gorsuch wrote that  liberals rely on the courts too much to made social policy.

This overweening addiction to the courtroom as the place to debate social policy is bad for the country and bad for the judiciary. In the legislative arena, especially when the country is closely divided, compromises tend to be the rule the day. But when judges rule this or that policy unconstitutional, there’s little room for compromise: One side must win, the other must lose. In constitutional litigation, too, experiments and pilot programs–real-world laboratories in which ideas can be assessed on the results they produce–are not possible. Ideas are tested only in the abstract world of legal briefs and lawyers arguments. As a society, we lose the benefit of the give-and-take of the political process and the flexibility of social experimentation that only the elected branches can provide.

He said liberal activists rely on the judicial system “as the primary means of effecting their social agenda on everything from gay marriage to assisted suicide to the use of vouchers for private-school education.”

On direct pro-life matters, Gorsuch sided with the state of Utah in its attempt to defund the Planned Parenthood abortion business.

Gorsuch sided with pro-life Utah Governor Gary Herbert’s effort to defund Planned Parenthood. After his decision, the 10th Circuit Court decided against re-hearing Planned Parenthood v. Gary Herbert, after the court previously ordered Utah to fund Planned Parenthood. Gorsch dissented in the case and wrote:

Respectfully, this case warrants rehearing. As it stands, the panel opinion leaves litigants in preliminary injunction disputes reason to worry that this court will sometimes deny deference to district court factual findings; relax the burden of proof by favoring attenuated causal claims our precedent disfavors; and invoke arguments for reversal untested by the parties, unsupported by the record, and inconsistent with principles of comity. Preliminary injunction disputes like this one recur regularly and ensuring certainty in the rules governing them, and demonstrating that we will apply those rules consistently to all matters that come before us, is of exceptional importance to the law, litigants, lower courts, and future panels alike. I respectfully dissent.

As National Review pro-life legal scholar Ed Whelan notes:

I’d like to take note of his remarkable failure to acknowledge, much less credit Gorsuch for, Gorsuch’s powerful dissent (see pp. 16-27 here) one month ago from the Tenth Circuit’s denial of rehearing en banc in Planned Parenthood Association of Utah v. Herbert. As the faithful reader will recall from these posts of mine, in the aftermath of the Center for Medical Progress’s release of videos depicting various Planned Parenthood affiliates’ ugly involvement in harvesting body parts, Utah governor Gary Herbert directed state agencies “to cease acting as an intermediary for pass-through federal funds” to Planned Parenthood’s Utah affiliate. But after the district court denied Planned Parenthood’s request for a preliminary injunction against Herbert’s directive, a divided panel, on very weak reasoning, ruled that Planned Parenthood was entitled to a preliminary injunction. Gorsuch’s dissent dismantles the panel majority’s reasoning.

Would a Supreme Court Justice Gorsuch be inclined to overturn the decades-old decision fostering abortion on demand? His record suggests he is open to doing so.

As one pro-life legal scholar notes:

In the panel ruling in Games-Perez, Gorsuch did indeed regard himself as bound to abide by controlling circuit precedent, just as nearly every circuit judge not named Stephen Reinhardt also does. But Gorsuch didn’t stop there. In a 20-page opinion, he urged the en banc Tenth Circuit to reconsider and overrule the wrong precedent.

Gorsuch also has made pro-life comments about abortion and strongly opposes assisted suicide. He has written a book, The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia, which (as Princeton University Press puts it) “builds a nuanced, novel, and powerful moral and legal argument against legalization [of assisted suicide and euthanasia], one based on a principle that, surprisingly, has largely been overlooked in the debate—the idea that human life is intrinsically valuable and that intentional killing is always wrong.”

Meanwhile, as National Review reports, “Gorsuch wrote a powerful dissent from the denial of rehearing en banc in a case involving funding of Planned Parenthood.” NR indicates Gorsuch has written “human life is fundamentally and inherently valuable, and that the intentional taking of human life by private persons is always wrong.”

Democrats have already promised to filibuster any Supreme Court nominee.

Sen. Jeff Merkle, a pro-abortion Oregon Democrat, said in an interview on Monday morning that he will filibuster any pick other than pro-abortion Judge Merrick garland — who pro-abortion president Barack Obama named to replace pro-life Justice Antonin Scalia.

“This is a stolen seat. This is the first time a Senate majority has stolen a seat,” Merkley said in an interview. “We will use every lever in our power to stop this.”

Gorsuch is 49 years old. He and his wife, Louise, have two daughters and live in Boulder, Colorado.

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[patriotnewsblogger-blog]

Democrat Slams Neil Gorsuch: “He Believes the Intentional Taking of Human Life is Always Wrong”

New Post has been published on http://www.therightnewsnetwork.com/democrat-slams-neil-gorsuch-he-believes-the-intentional-taking-of-human-life-is-always-wrong/

Democrat Slams Neil Gorsuch: “He Believes the Intentional Taking of Human Life is Always Wrong”

During the hearing today in the Senate Judiciary Committee over Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch, pro-abortion Democrat Dianne Feinstein slammed the potential High Court pick.

Feinstein drew on the issue of abortion for her criticism — saying that she probably will oppose Gorsuch because he believes “the intentional taking of a human life by private persons is always wrong.”

“President Trump repeatedly promised that his judicial nominees would be pro-life, and automatically overturn Roe v. Wade,” she said. “Judge Gorsuch has not had occasion to rule directly on a case involving Roe. However, his writings do raise questions. Specifically, he wrote that he believes there are no exceptions to the principle that ‘the intentional taking of a human life by private persons is always wrong.’ This language has been interpreted by both pro-life and pro-choice organizations to mean he would overturn Roe.”

“President Trump repeatedly promised to appoint someone in the mold of Justice Scalia and said that the nomination of Judge Gorsuch illustrates he’s a man of his word,” said Feinstein. “The Supreme Court has the final say on whether a woman will continue to have control over her own body or whether decisions about her healthcare will be determined by politicians and the government.”

Feinstein then described a 21-week abortion as the kind of abortion at stake if Gorsuch’s nomination is confirmed.

Brian Burch of CatholicVote responded to the attacks.

“Already, Democratic Senators are on the attack. They understand the historic nature of this nomination. Left-wing groups have used the courts and reckless judicial decisions to impose their agenda on the people. But that could all end soon,” he said. “Judge Gorsuch has pledged to obey the Constitution and to respect the limited role of judges. Judges are not policy makers. Judges are not politicians. And when the Supreme Court restrains itself, the Left typically loses.”

“Today, Senators presented their opening statements. Tomorrow, the real fireworks begin with 30-minute Q & A exchanges between Judge Gorsuch and individual Senators on the Judiciary Committee — for 10 hours not counting breaks,” he added.

SIGN THE PETITION! Vote to Confirm Supreme Court Nominee Neil Gorsuch

President Donald Trump nominated the federal appeals Court Judge with strong support from pro-life organizations that point to his track record as supporting religious freedom for pro-life organizations refusing to be forced to pay for abortions. They also noted his opposition to assisted suicide and his support for a state fighting to defund Planned Parenthood abortion business.

The Planned Parenthood abortion business was also quick toblast Judge Gorsuch as well.

The abortion giant slammed Gorsuch for supporting Hobby Lobby and the Little Sisters of the Poor in their bids to not be forced to pay for abortion-causing drugs in their employee health care plans.

“Gorsuch has also worked to undermine access to essential health care — ruling that bosses should be able to deny women birth control coverage. His record shows a disturbing willingness to let ideology overrule his constitutional duty to uphold and respect clearly established precedent protecting our fundamental liberties, including Roe v. Wade and Whole Woman’s Health,” Planned Parenthood said.

The 49-year-old Judge Gorsuch, if confirmed, would replace pro-life Justice Antonin Scalia – who supporting overturning Roe v. Wade and allowing states to once again provide legal protection for unborn children.

Justice Gorsuch is currently a judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit, which includes the districts of Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming, as well as the Eastern, Northern and Western districts of Oklahoma. He has served as a federal judge since August 2006 and was appointed by President George W. Bush and confirmed unanimously by the Senate.

The pro-life legal scholars who know him best say he is a strong originalist, believing that the Constitution should only be interpreted as the Founding Fathers intended. That would him squarely in the legal camp of Justice Scalia.

One of the biggest problems pro-life advocates have with the Supreme Court is that it invented a so-called right to abortion in Roe v. Wade. But Gorsuch’s writings indicate he opposes that kind of thinking. In a 2005 National Review article, Gorsuch wrote that  liberals rely on the courts too much to made social policy.

This overweening addiction to the courtroom as the place to debate social policy is bad for the country and bad for the judiciary. In the legislative arena, especially when the country is closely divided, compromises tend to be the rule the day. But when judges rule this or that policy unconstitutional, there’s little room for compromise: One side must win, the other must lose. In constitutional litigation, too, experiments and pilot programs–real-world laboratories in which ideas can be assessed on the results they produce–are not possible. Ideas are tested only in the abstract world of legal briefs and lawyers arguments. As a society, we lose the benefit of the give-and-take of the political process and the flexibility of social experimentation that only the elected branches can provide.

He said liberal activists rely on the judicial system “as the primary means of effecting their social agenda on everything from gay marriage to assisted suicide to the use of vouchers for private-school education.”

On direct pro-life matters, Gorsuch sided with the state of Utah in its attempt to defund the Planned Parenthood abortion business.

Gorsuch sided with pro-life Utah Governor Gary Herbert’s effort to defund Planned Parenthood. After his decision, the 10th Circuit Court decided against re-hearing Planned Parenthood v. Gary Herbert, after the court previously ordered Utah to fund Planned Parenthood. Gorsch dissented in the case and wrote:

Respectfully, this case warrants rehearing. As it stands, the panel opinion leaves litigants in preliminary injunction disputes reason to worry that this court will sometimes deny deference to district court factual findings; relax the burden of proof by favoring attenuated causal claims our precedent disfavors; and invoke arguments for reversal untested by the parties, unsupported by the record, and inconsistent with principles of comity. Preliminary injunction disputes like this one recur regularly and ensuring certainty in the rules governing them, and demonstrating that we will apply those rules consistently to all matters that come before us, is of exceptional importance to the law, litigants, lower courts, and future panels alike. I respectfully dissent.

As National Review pro-life legal scholar Ed Whelan notes:

I’d like to take note of his remarkable failure to acknowledge, much less credit Gorsuch for, Gorsuch’s powerful dissent (see pp. 16-27 here) one month ago from the Tenth Circuit’s denial of rehearing en banc in Planned Parenthood Association of Utah v. Herbert. As the faithful reader will recall from these posts of mine, in the aftermath of the Center for Medical Progress’s release of videos depicting various Planned Parenthood affiliates’ ugly involvement in harvesting body parts, Utah governor Gary Herbert directed state agencies “to cease acting as an intermediary for pass-through federal funds” to Planned Parenthood’s Utah affiliate. But after the district court denied Planned Parenthood’s request for a preliminary injunction against Herbert’s directive, a divided panel, on very weak reasoning, ruled that Planned Parenthood was entitled to a preliminary injunction. Gorsuch’s dissent dismantles the panel majority’s reasoning.

Would a Supreme Court Justice Gorsuch be inclined to overturn the decades-old decision fostering abortion on demand? His record suggests he is open to doing so.

As one pro-life legal scholar notes:

In the panel ruling in Games-Perez, Gorsuch did indeed regard himself as bound to abide by controlling circuit precedent, just as nearly every circuit judge not named Stephen Reinhardt also does. But Gorsuch didn’t stop there. In a 20-page opinion, he urged the en banc Tenth Circuit to reconsider and overrule the wrong precedent.

Gorsuch also has made pro-life comments about abortion and strongly opposes assisted suicide. He has written a book, The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia, which (as Princeton University Press puts it) “builds a nuanced, novel, and powerful moral and legal argument against legalization [of assisted suicide and euthanasia], one based on a principle that, surprisingly, has largely been overlooked in the debate—the idea that human life is intrinsically valuable and that intentional killing is always wrong.”

Meanwhile, as National Review reports, “Gorsuch wrote a powerful dissent from the denial of rehearing en banc in a case involving funding of Planned Parenthood.” NR indicates Gorsuch has written “human life is fundamentally and inherently valuable, and that the intentional taking of human life by private persons is always wrong.”

Democrats have already promised to filibuster any Supreme Court nominee.

Sen. Jeff Merkle, a pro-abortion Oregon Democrat, said in an interview on Monday morning that he will filibuster any pick other than pro-abortion Judge Merrick garland — who pro-abortion president Barack Obama named to replace pro-life Justice Antonin Scalia.

“This is a stolen seat. This is the first time a Senate majority has stolen a seat,” Merkley said in an interview. “We will use every lever in our power to stop this.”

Gorsuch is 49 years old. He and his wife, Louise, have two daughters and live in Boulder, Colorado.

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[rolandfontana]

Jim Crow Still Lives in America’s Prisons

Most African-American professionals in the 21st century lack the ability to grasp how miserable it was living in a Separate-But-Equal world where the color of their skin connoted incompetence.

In the era of de jure segregation, members of W.E.B. Du Bois’ vaunted “Talented Tenth” were believed to be not as smart as they perceived themselves to be, and not to be taken seriously by white folks with good sense.  Generations of intellectuals never overcame the weight of racial prejudice that stood against them.

Against this backdrop from the days of de jure segregation, allow me to present a cohort of convicts who are the penitentiary version of De Bois’ Talented Tenth.

While “convict” as a label is the product of imprisonment rather than an immutable characteristic, this status produces effects similar to having black skin, circa 1930, when combined with education and intellect. Intellectual convicts—many of whom (like me) were ignoramuses when they entered the prison system—are not lauded for overcoming their circumstances and deficiencies.

Nor are they touted as being worthy of emulation.

Instead, they are typically maligned by their keepers, and frequently rejected by those who are confined amongst them.  At the same time, they are given short shrift by many community activists.

This isn’t a recent phenomenon.

The Keepers

 “Look at the prison officials, especially the guards,” former prisoner Victor F. Nelson recalls a fellow prisoner saying in his 1936 book Prison Days and Nights.

Most of them never had an education or anything…But he gets a job here, and a little authority, and first thing you know, he’s running around with a chip on his shoulder, as if he could lick [heavyweight prizefighter Jack] Dempsey.

Had Nelson been African American, rather than a Swedish immigrant, and if he had been aware of Du Bois’ Talented Tenth concept, he would have also considered guards to be amongst those who had the greatest disdain and antipathy for the education, intellect, and success of the Talented Tenth.

I can attest that Jim Crow sentiments have not disappeared from the American penal system.

I have been described in the media as “the picture of reform,” but let me assure you, correctional officers and prison administrators see nothing of the sort.

Earning a college degree through my own means and developing the acumen to publish legal commentaries is instead perceived as evidence of my arrogance, not of my reform. In fact, the box for “arrogant” has been checked by correctional counselors who have input my personal characteristics into Washington State’s Department of Corrections (DOC) computerized risk assessment instrument.

That, to me, underlines prison officials’ sense of insecurity. To them, it appears, “arrogance” is applicable to individuals in the system whose accomplishments or intellect engenders feelings of inferiority in the correctional psyche.

It strikes me as the same dynamic which makes white people living below the Mason-Dixon Line want to lynch “uppity Negros” for supposedly putting on airs.

Through this funhouse mirror everything that a convict does to hone his intellect and abilities in order to increase his likelihood of successfully transitioning into society is distorted—and can even be provocative—given the response it can produce from guards and administrators.

I have felt such wrath when I was deemed to be “talking down” to a unit supervisor merely by being assertive, knowledgeable and articulate when stating my position in response to his questioning about why I chose to write an official complaint about his practices, as opposed to resolving the matter informally.

In other words, I failed to show proper deference in the face of authority. As is often the case, it did not end well.

In this instance, my superior used the tried and true method for regaining a sense of control that has been undermined by the unwelcome sense of inferiority: He shunted me into solitary confinement and I stayed there for the next several weeks.

Convicts who possess qualities and attain accomplishments that are valued in society learn that it is prudent to avoid such encounters.

The Kept

Victor Nelson observed the following:

The conversations of the average convict are full of destructive criticism, cheap cynicism, wishfulness and self-pity … Unless [something] threatens his comfort, safety or vanity, or promises to ameliorate or shorten his term in prison, he is distinctly uninterested. The discussion of ideas for the sake of arriving at truth, or acquiring knowledge, has no zest for him.

Little has changed since the 1930s.

Research tell us that the “School-to-Prison Pipeline” shunts people out of the educational system and disrupts individuals’ potential for intellectual progress.

But statistics fail to illuminate that a byproduct of this collective ignorance is the formation of legions of prisoners across the nation who harbor disdain for those in their midst whose intelligence shines within this darkness.

To such minds, black prisoners who use proper English in grammatically correct sentences and who love to read must think they are better than the rest of the brothas in captivity.

In prison, ignorance is the fuel for violence, not bliss.

Worse yet, in this world ignorance is the fuel for violence, not bliss.

Several years ago, my new cellmate became enraged one evening over my diction and bibliophilic propensities and then, for the next five hours, as I have written elsewhere, “went from laughing hysterically to pacing back and forth and sobbing to becoming irrationally angry, and then leaning in on [me] and getting into [my] personal space.”

His reaction seems crazy, I know.

Yet such men are often troubled by prisoners who have altered the trajectory of their lives by being tenacious and intellectually curious, and who have the forbearance, perseverance, and intelligence to succeed upon being freed in spite of countless barriers to successfully reintegrating into society.

Ridiculing, ostracizing, and even assaulting prisoners who exhibit qualities that augur well has psychological value, so it seems.

Namely, it enables the vacuous majority of prisoners to subsume the uncomfortable, unbidden sense of self-contempt that can rise when exemplars of intellect and grit cause them to reflect upon their character deficiencies and lack of agency.

Herein lies the soul of the bygone hater that used to cry out “Sellout!” and “House Nigga!” to young Negros who devoted themselves to scholarly pursuits and upward mobility as opposed to smoking reefer and harmonizing with their buddies on the street corner. It is the product of envy conjoined with ignorance, and it is so pernicious in many prisons that it makes intellectual pursuits—and those who pursue them—worthy of animus.

 The Allies

These underlying beliefs remain embedded deep within the subconscious of many black professionals.

I have seen the effects when social justice advocates and criminal justice reformers arrive to visit with groups of convicts with the aim of gaining insight from those who are most impacted by benighted policies and practices.

The Black Prisoners’ Caucus was often the setting. Time and again, when members of the Caucus met with policymakers, lawyers and professors to discuss subjects ranging from reducing recidivism to extending parole eligibility, the outsiders with black complexions stubbornly resisted heeding our advice in spite of our intellect, education, common sense, or experience.

Fighting for equality is one thing. Yet perceiving convicts as equals and considering our suggestions with an open mind seems to be a bridge too far—for the black folks especially.

I have felt the frustration of dealing with this prejudice when explaining my legal theories to attorneys with organizations such as the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. No matter the listener’s legal training and passion for undoing injustice—my words are suspect. The fact that law journals have published my legal commentaries and the Washington Court of Appeals has adopted my legal analysis lends me no credibility.

My status ultimately connotes incompetence, arrogance or some other nonsense.

These experiences have convinced me that my theory on the penitentiary’s Talented Tenth has validity.

Jeremiah Bourgeois

At the end of the day, I am little more than a convict. This status produces effects akin to black skin circa 1930. I truly appreciate that you took the time to read this column—since my life is defined by being maligned by my keepers, facing rejection from those confined, and getting short shrift from activists despite my education and intellect.

Jeremiah Bourgeois is a regular contributor to The Crime Report, and a recent graduate of Adams State University, where he earned an interdisciplinary degree in criminology and legal studies. Since 1992, he has been confined in Washington State for crimes that he committed at the age of 14. He is currently petitioning for release. Readers who wish to support him are invited to sign up here. He welcomes comments.

Jim Crow Still Lives in America’s Prisons syndicated from https://immigrationattorneyto.wordpress.com/