Jun 08, 2020

All of us are still reeling from a heart-wrenching week. Heritage President Kay C. James spoke with Politico to draw a clear distinction between protesting police brutality and causing violence and destruction. We hope you will read her reflections. At the executive level, President Donald Trump has designated Antifa a domestic terrorist organization. Our experts explain why this is a good start but not enough to restore order in America. Meanwhile, the left is pushing for all-mail voting this November. Heritage’s Hans von Spakovsky explains why this would be a colossal mistake. Lastly, Heritage headquarters is still closed, but social distancing isn’t stopping us from hosting great events that you can “attend” online. Check out our list of upcoming webinars to find an event that interests you.

We Must Reject Violence as a Tool for Change
America was jolted out of its pandemic stupor by a dramatic cycle of violence, protests, looting, and retaliation—quickly jumping from city to city and crashing, literally, against the gates of the White House. To help make sense of all this, Politico Magazine asked a range of thinkers, including Heritage President Kay C. James, to give their perspective and insight on the protests and the violence. James, who participated in the civil rights protests of the 1960s, denounced the violence while urging Americans to be proactive in peacefully resolving the racial issues that still plague us today. “While we can and should sympathize with the deep pain that those in the black community are feeling, we must never be complacent in the face of violence,” James writes. “That’s why it is my most fervent prayer that George Floyd’s tragic death leads us to a better, safer and more unified country.” Read Kay C. James’ thoughts here.

Designating Antifa as a Domestic Terror Organization Is a Step Toward Restoring Order
The killing of George Floyd was horrific and criminal, and speaking out against it in peaceful protest is completely justified. Unfortunately, many of the protests metastasized into violence in several large cities, due in part to the efforts of Antifa. The Trump administration’s designation of Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization can help restore law and order. According to Heritage’s Lora Ries, senior research fellow, and Cully Stimson, senior legal fellow and manager of the National Security Law Program, “it will certainly help prioritize attention and federal resources on Antifa and encourage better coordination among law enforcement authorities. This is a good start, but there is more that can and should be done at the state and local level,” Ries and Stimson write. Read Ries and Stimson’s full article to find out how the designation can help and what more should be done.

Why the Push for an All Mail-In Election Is Unwise—and Unnecessary
The push in Congress and in many states to force an all mail-in national election in November and in the remaining state primaries is both unwise and unnecessary, according to Heritage senior legal fellow Hans von Spakovsky. It is unwise because it destroys the secret ballot and is vulnerable to voter fraud and tampering. It is unnecessary because successful elections have been held under worse circumstances, including an Ebola epidemic. “We need absentee ballots for those who can't make it to their polling places because they are sick or physically disabled or serving our country abroad, but they should not be the only way to vote. Even in the midst of this pandemic, we can run our elections both safely and securely,” von Spakovsky writes. Read von Spakovsky’s article to learn more about the potential folly of an all mail-in election.

Vice President Mike Pence met with Heritage Foundation President Kay C. James and Feulner Institute Vice President Angela Sailor along with other black leaders at the White House on Thursday. “Be assured America, justice will be served, law and order will be restored, and our Nation will move forward with liberty and justice for all,” Pence said after the meeting.

As part of Heritage’s Virtual Leadership Conference, Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., spoke to Rob Bluey, vice president of communications at Heritage and executive editor of The Daily Signal. They discussed U.S.-China relations, the threat of Huawei, attacks on Hong Kong's freedom, and how to reopen America safely in the midst of COVID-19. Watch the interview.

Bluey also spoke with Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., about SpaceX and NASA's launch from Cape Canaveral, state bailouts, getting federal spending under control, and how to combat communist China. Watch the interview.

Allen Guelzo, a visiting fellow in Heritage’s Feulner Institute, was a featured speaker on the new Bradley Foundation’s Conceived in Liberty video series. Guelzo discusses how to make sense of current events during this extraordinary time. Watch the video.

Tuesday at 3:30 p.m., Heritage will host a virtual conversation with U.S. Special Representative for Iran and Senior Adviser to the Secretary of State Brian Hook. Hook will discuss U.S. efforts to maintain the U.N. Security Council-imposed arms embargo on Iran, which is set to expire in October. Register for the webinar.

Tuesday at 2 p.m., Heritage and the Network of Enlightened Women will host a Facebook Live event to discuss the female vote and conservatives’ role in this year’s centennial celebration. Becky Norton Dunlop, Heritage’s Ronald Reagan Distinguished Fellow is a featured speaker. Sign up for the event.

Wednesday at 10:30 a.m., Heritage will host a webinar on the future of the Army’s aviation capabilities. Featured speakers include Brig. Gen. Walter T. Rugen, director of Future Vertical Lift Cross Functional Team at Army Futures Command, and Patrick H. Mason, program executive officer for Aviation in the U.S. Army. Register for the webinar.

Thursday at 11 a.m., Heritage will host a virtual conversation on Libya's civil war with Mohammed Ali Abdallah, political advisor for U.S. affairs to the prime minister of Libya. Register for the webinar.

Friday at noon, Heritage will host a webinar on how colleges and universities can survive in the post-COVID-19 era. Featured speakers include Heidi Ganahl, regent at the University of Colorado; Andrew Gillen, a senior policy analyst at the Texas Public Policy Foundation; Michael Poliakoff, president of the American Council of Trustees and Alumni; and Matthew Spalding, vice president of Washington operations and dean of the Van Andel Graduate School of Government at Hillsdale College. Register for the webinar.

Here are highlights from Heritage experts on TV. This week they talked about charging Derek Chauvin, labeling ANTIFA a terror group, holding China accountable, Hong Kong, and more. Watch the clips.