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Throughout our history, racial division has pervaded society, and the notion of equality is one that Americans have claimed to value but failed to embody. Clashes between those who seek to remove statues honoring figures who represent an unjust past, and those who wish to maintain them as a matter of tradition or historical record, have played out across the country this week. These divisions simmering at the surface, erupting into full view, reveal a level of entrenched racism that make clear the challenges ahead in realizing true racial equity. While the natural reaction is to avoid or turn away from conflict, don’t look away. This is a difficult time for all of us, as confronting the truth often is. But it is a necessary first step toward building a more perfect union. —Mindy Finn
Top Ten

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1. Bringing down the louts The ongoing social justice protests across the U.S. have led to the removal of statues of historical figures with pasts complicated by racist views and actions. In some cases, municipalities have covered or taken down statues proactively. In others, protesters who have forcefully defaced or removed them have met with resistance. In one such incident, police in Albuquerque, N.M., arrested a former city council candidate who shot and wounded a man at a protest that grew contentious on Monday night. An altercation erupted between a crowd trying to tear down a monument to a Spanish conquistador and an armed group calling itself the New Mexico Civil Guard. The counterprotesters, toting "All lives matter" signs, said they were worried that tearing down the statue would trigger widespread destruction of property. —The Washington Post ([link removed])
* — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam has declared Juneteenth an official holiday in the state that was once home to the capital of the Confederacy. Also called Emancipation Day and Freedom Day, Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when the news that President Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation two years earlier finally reached African Americans in Texas. Texas first made Juneteenth a state holiday in 1980. —Associated Press ([link removed])
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* — Black police officers across the country say they commonly face harassment, discrimination, and even abuse from their own departments, according to interviews and court filings. Not only does law enforcement need to change how they police minority communities, these officers said, but departments also need to change how they treat their own minority officers. —The Wall Street Journal ([link removed])
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* — Google has banned ZeroHedge, a far-right website that often traffics in conspiracy theories, from its advertising platform, and has issued a warning to The Federalist over comments left on articles related to recent Black Lives Matter protests. Google took the punitive actions after it determined that the sites violated its policies on content related to race. The Federalist later came into compliance with the policies. —NBC News ([link removed])

More: Johnson: America begins to see more clearly now what its black citizens always knew (National Review) ([link removed])

2. Landrieu: Policing reform is possible "We can no longer ask police to handle the failures of our social and educational systems. We must reconstruct the laws and policies in our criminal justice system that unfortunately were designed in large part to oppress rather than assist and support the communities they serve. We must hold local prosecutors more accountable. In order for there to be safety, we need to invest way more on front-end services and less on back-end law enforcement and prisons." —CNN ([link removed])

Ed. Note: Mitch Landrieu was mayor of New Orleans from 2010 to 2018.

More: Senate GOP unveils policing bill at odds with Democrats' plan (The Washington Post) ([link removed])

3. 'Secondary Infektion' election meddling A Russian disinformation operation, dubbed "Secondary Infektion" by researchers, has flooded the internet with false stories in seven languages and across 300 social media platforms for the past six years, according to a report published by research firm Graphika yesterday. ([link removed]-)
* — "Secondary Infektion" has virtually been undetected and has sought to spread pro-Russian propaganda by sharing fake tweets from U.S. elected officials and conspiracy theories about the coronavirus pandemic. ([link removed]-)
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— Researchers say the operation attempted to interfere in the 2016 presidential election, and will likely try to spread falsehoods linked to the upcoming election as well. ([link removed]-)
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* — "As we look ahead to the election, our report shows there are all sorts of malicious activity we need to look out for, including burner accounts and forged documents that try to interfere with peoples' thinking," Ben Nimmo, director of investigations at Graphika, said. Be careful out there. —NPR ([link removed]-)

4. Cohen: Is 'Boogaloo' Civil War 2.0? "The provocative emergence of Boogaloo believers...comes at a time when America is already on the edge of rising economic and social conflict. In fact, it is exactly those fractures that the Boogaloo movement sees as the catalyst for potential civil war. Yet by stepping into the protests and taking extremist actions, like those Steven Carrillo is accused of doing, they are actually adding fuel to an already combustible situation. In some ways, by stepping out of the shadows, they are creating a situation where their beliefs in a potential open American conflict could become a reality." —Forbes ([link removed])

Ed. Note: Seth Cohen is the founder of Applied Optimism, a business and community design lab.

More: A man charged with killing a federal officer during George Floyd protests is tied to the far-right 'Boogaloo' movement (Business Insider) ([link removed])

5. Bolton gets sued over book Yesterday, the Justice Department and U.S. attorney's office in Washington filed a breach-of-contract lawsuit against ex-National Security Adviser John Bolton amid the release of his new book. The suit alleges the book contains classified information that could jeopardize national security. ([link removed])
* — The suit also claims that Bolton violated the contract he signed as a condition of his employment and to access classified information. — "The Room Where It Happened," slated for release on June 23, is expected to be harshly critical of President Trump, and the suit is "nothing more than the latest in a long-running series of efforts by the administration to quash publication of a book it deems unflattering to the president," according to the book's publisher, Simon & Schuster. ([link removed])
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* — The lawsuit is unlikely to succeed in stopping the publication of the book, says Mark Zaid, an attorney who specializes in national-security law. It could ultimately cost Bolton millions if he has to forfeit his advance and royalties from the book. —The Wall Street Journal ([link removed])

More: Trump is reportedly looking into suing his niece to stop her from publishing a tell-all book about him (Business Insider) ([link removed])
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6. Tulsa is getting concerned While Oklahoma officials are urging the president to rethink his rally in Tulsa, scheduled for Saturday, a judge yesterday declined to issue a court order to stop it. Due to rising cases of COVID-19 in the city, officials had hoped to halt the event until the Trump campaign agrees to impose social-distancing guidelines to combat the spread of the coronavirus. There are currently no required rules in place, such as mask-wearing, for rally attendees. —Politico ([link removed])
* — The U.S. and Mexico have extended travel restrictions on the border until late July, as both countries contend with the coronavirus pandemic. The mutual decision was announced yesterday, ahead of a Monday deadline to extend, end, or modify the restrictions, which have been in place since March. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed yesterday that restrictions at the U.S.-Canada border will be extended until July 21. —Politico ([link removed])
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* — ([link removed]) Social media platforms have exploited the health of their users by profiting from COVID-19 misinformation, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said yesterday, hinting that there may be bipartisan action to "get tough on platforms." —ABC News ([link removed])
* — The Pentagon has warned that China is also exploiting the pandemic to gain stakes in key business sectors—in particular, medical supplies, which now fall under the larger defense umbrella. Chinese-owned firms dominate the market for protective gear and many drug components, and they are already part of the Pentagon's medical supply chain. —CNN ([link removed])

More: AP Fact Check: Trump on an AIDS vaccine that doesn't exist (Associated Press) ([link removed])

7. Corn: Corruption, coronavirus style "During the pandemic, [White House adviser Jared] Kushner's practice of blurring the line between business and government has been thrown into grotesque relief. As Trump bumbled, Kushner assembled a shadow task force—separate from Vice President Mike Pence's entity—with members drawn from private industries that had keen interests (and perhaps conflicts of interest) related to the policies being considered. This group of investors and entrepreneurs—including a former roommate of Kushner—made supply-chain decisions that could lead to windfalls for certain corporations. The White House refused to reveal all the members of Kushner's task force, which operated in secrecy, using private phones and personal email accounts in possible violation of federal transparency laws, and without any oversight." —Mother Jones ([link removed])

More: The rise of strategic corruption (Foreign Affairs) ([link removed])

8. Nebraska Democrats move to take out the trash Chris Janicek, a Democratic U.S. Senate nominee challenging Sen. Ben Sasse, was urged to drop out of the race by the Nebraska Democratic Party yesterday. Janicek made sexually explicit comments about a campaign staffer in a group text with her and other staffers. ([link removed])
* — "Our Democratic Party has no tolerance for sexual harassment," state Democratic Party Chair Jane Kleeb said. "Our party will not extend resources or any type of support to any candidate that violates our code of conduct and doesn't treat men and women with the dignity and respect they deserve." ([link removed])
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* — While Janicek hasn't denied he made the offensive comments, and has issued an apology for them, he said he doesn't plan to drop out of the race. ([link removed])
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* — Party officials can only replace Janicek on the ballot if he files a request with the Nebraska secretary of state's office to have his name removed. This must be done by Sept. 1. —Associated Press ([link removed])

More: House Republican leaders condemn GOP candidate who made racist videos (Politico) ([link removed])

9. Schuman: Is China really the next superpower? "Well, maybe not: With China, things aren't always what they seem. Many apparent Chinese strengths—including education, manufacturing, and technology—aren't quite as strong as many Americans believe. And neither are China's chances of surpassing the U.S., something policymakers and pundits in Washington should keep in mind as they fret over Beijing's ostensibly growing might." —The Atlantic ([link removed])

Ed. Note: Michael Schuman is the author of "Superpower Interrupted: The Chinese History of the World" and "The Miracle: The Epic Story of Asia’s Quest for Wealth."

More: India-China border dispute turns deadly, with 20 Indian soldiers killed (The Wall Street Journal) ([link removed])

10. An American Story: Never too young to fight for change Though just 10 years old, Amiyah Rose Jones-Settle from Rayne, La., has committed herself to increasing youth involvement in the community and believes the events that define this moment will influence her future. So she has organized a youth rally for equality and justice on Saturday. ([link removed])
* — Amiyah is focused on increasing youth involvement and unity within communities, believing that young people must be involved in the processes that will bring about positive change. — "We welcome people of all races, creeds, political parties, genders, identities, and ages to join us! We will unite to peacefully demonstrate, play, sing, dance, and pray for progress and peace in our community," Amiyah said. ([link removed])
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* — Amiyah asked those attending the rally to bring a positive attitude, a sign with an uplifting message, chairs, water—and, of course, masks. Great job, Amiyah! —KLFY ([link removed])

Ed. Note: We are spotlighting ways that Americans are helping each other through the coronavirus crisis and recent unrest, and promoting American values. Would you like to suggest an "American Story" from your local news? If so, please forward a link to the story to [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) . Thank you!
What's Your Take?

One has to be discerning to be sure—not all slave-owners were completely beyond redemption, such as George Washington, James Madison, and some of the other Founders. While they were living contradictions to the very prose and words they used to break free of British tyranny, their words at least were guideposts to equal protection for all of God's human creatures.

All people are created equal, as the founders wrote. However, all ideas are not. The idea to preserve slavery by seceding from the Union was not only a bad idea, it was an evil one in direct contradiction to the Founders' declaration a century earlier. And while Washington did indeed own slaves, he began to waver post-Revolution and granted emancipation to slaves under his control upon his death. He seemed to understand the contradiction and hypocrisy of slave-ownership post-Revolution, and his private notes allegedly show a dispensation to free slaves but a concern over the Union's fragility even back then. No excuse for slavery for sure, but there is some reason to believe Washington knew slavery was wrong and set up the Union to eventually abolish it. Let's remember that slavery was an institution started by the Barbary pirates and other groups in Northern Africa and was therefore a worldwide economic institution preserved by racist nonsense.

That is where the split starts for not preserving Confederate monuments. Most Confederates were not only pro-slavery because of the economics, they were downright racists and eugenicists. The really believed Americans of African ancestry were inferior humans. To preserve the "stainless banner" or Confederate flag and other monuments of the Confederacy is akin to preserving monuments of Nazi Germany. Therefore, it can't stop there, unlike what some write. We must eliminate the "mother's milk" of racist teachings and replace it with the notion set forth in the Declaration of Independence.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Every behavior, teaching, and utterance of our leaders, officials, teachers, and editorials should be measured against that standard and principle. —Ken G., Colorado

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The views expressed in "What's Your Take?" are submitted by readers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editorial staff or the Stand Up Republic Foundation.

Got feedback about THE TOPLINE? Send it to Melissa Amour, Managing Editor, at [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) .
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