It’s Monday, July 1st, 2019…but before we begin, we wonder, is anywhere in Central America safe?

Virginia doctor shot to death while vacationing with family in Belize

“Dr. Gary Swank, a cardiologist from Roanoke, Va., and his tour guide were shot and killed while fly-fishing in a lagoon west of San Pedro Town, according to local media reports. Both men were reportedly shot multiple times in the body and head…“

But if guns are, for all intents and purposes, illegal in Belize, how could two men have been “shot and killed”; in fact, “shot multiple times in the body and head” in a country which severely restricts the possession of firearms?!?

We’ll get back to you after we’ve consulted with authorities in Chicago, Baltimore, Detroit, Washington, D.C., New York and every other urban enclave in America where criminals inexplicably fail to obey gun control laws.

Since we’re on the subject of Central America, in yet another startling display of dissimulation and deception, as Dimocrats deliberately attempt to misrepresent… 

Oh, the humanity!!!

Consider, if you will, the conditions in the countries these political pawns fled, let alone those they willingly endured on their months-long journey to the Promised Land.  And, dare we mention, Dimocrats’…

…active encouragement of conditions they heretofore have refused to admit constituted a crisis?!?

Then consider the testimony Brian Hastings, head of Border Patrol law enforcement provided under oath to Congress:

“…the actual situation is the complete opposite. Hastings said border patrol has increased food funding for migrants and that the facilities have storerooms with supplies that “frankly look like Costco.”

“We provide three hot meals a day and snacks are unlimited,” said Hastings. “I have seen agents on their own go out and purchase toys and bring in for the children to play with.”…“

Cold-hearted bastages!!!  But seriously, one of two things must be true: either Brian Hastings purposefully committed perjury, or Progressives are…yet again…playing loose with the facts.

More importantly, at least to us, is whether anyone out there is really under the false impression these folks were getting three hots and a cot in the sh*tholes from whence they came, let alone exercising daily dental hygiene?!?  And if not, how on earth could conditions better than what they’ve ever known in their lives in any way constitute a hardship?!?

Then again, who’d have ever thought John Roberts would join the Liberal wing of the SCOTUS in divining the intentions of federal officials rather than…

…simply ruling on the constitutionality of a given issue?!?

Just another example why the Bush family was, is and always will be the gift…

…provided you’re a Progressive.

Now, here’s The Gouge!

First up, two additional pictures worth far more than a mere thousand words:

Indeed, in terms of Progressive politics and policies, they say it all!

Next up, writing at NRO, David French suggests…

“If you had to list the top five reasons for political polarization and the collapse of American confidence in American government, where would you start? Would you focus on discrete events such as the Iraq War or the Great Recession, or discrete policies such as trade or health care? Would you focus on larger cultural forces, such as the fact that we’re sorting into geographically distinct political and religious enclaves?

All of these factors matter, some a great deal, but let me suggest an underappreciated factor that belongs in that top five. For several generations, Congress — the branch of government closest to the people — has slowly but surely abdicated its role in American constitutional government even as the power of the federal government grew. The American people are increasingly divorced from an increasingly powerful national government.

Here’s the plain truth — if you live in a safe red or blue state, you may never in your entire life cast a single meaningful vote to influence the two most powerful instruments of modern governance, the presidency and the judiciary. You’re left with casting votes for the (unintentionally) weakest branch, a legislature that seems to want to do anything but the job the Founders gave it.

Enter Justice Neil Gorsuch, one-man warrior for the constitutional order…”

Here’s the juice: we get Gorsuch’s point.  Laws so vague they leave their interpretation open to the vagaries of Progressive bureaucratic opinion aren’t worth the paper on which they’re printed.  You know, sorta like…

…executive orders!

In another SCOTUS-related item, writing at the Daily Beast, Jay Michaelson states a fact as obvious as the ears on Barry’s head:

John Roberts Isn’t the Conservative You Thought He Was

The chief justice joins with liberal justices out of respect for precedent. Does this tell us how he might vote on abortion?

When was the last time anyone considered John Roberts a Conservative?!?  Our thoughts on John Roberts recalls Marshal Thibido’s statement to John Bernard Books in The Shootist: “The day they lay you away, what I’ll do on your grave won’t pass for flowers!” 

You can include John McCain in that particular scenario.

Meanwhile, also courtesy of NRO, Kat Timpf records how a…

“A  fancy California high school is no longer going to publish a map showing the post-graduation plans of its students because editors of the school newspaper decided that it was too “toxic.”

Palo Alto High School — which, as Campus Reform notes, James Franco and Jeremy Lin both attended — will not feature the map in its newspaper (called the Campanile) because the five student editors decided that it “contributes to the toxic, comparison-driven culture,” according to the Washington Post.

“The Post-Paly Plans Map has historically been one of The Campanile’s most highly anticipated pieces,” stated a post in the student newspaper. “Though its intended purpose was to celebrate the post-graduation plans of every senior, the reality is the map contributes to the toxic, comparison-driven culture at Paly.”

“Our community fosters a college-centric mindset which erodes one’s sense of value and can lead to students with less traditional plans feeling judged, embarrassed or underrepresented,” the post continued. “This worldview sets the bar for achievement extremely high and punishes anyone who falls short.”

Instead of the map, the post announced, the editors “decided to publish a series of quotes portraying Paly community members’ perspectives on the culture at our school and alternative post-graduation paths.”

Editor’s Note: Only in the ever-just-out-of-reach Socialist utopia could thoughts such as these…

…be afforded the same weight and import as this:

But we digress as Kat continues:

Sorry, but I have to admit that this made me roll my eyes so hard that I almost fell out of my chair. Although I’m all for “alternative post-graduation paths” — after all, I don’t believe a four-year degree is always the best option for every young person, especially if he or she has to take out massive amounts of loans to get one — these students’ attempts at trying to protect students’ feelings is actually quite stupid.

The truth is, the editors’ attempt to shield students from tough feelings may actually wind up shielding them from something else: reality. See, whether it’s on a map in the school newspaper or not, it’s still true that Jenny is planning to go to Harvard while Johnny is planning to sit around his mom’s basement and smoke weed. (Although, the way Ivy League education seems to be going these days, some could argue that Johnny might learn more than Jenny, especially if he’s more of a “nature-documentary-type” stoner.) Refusing to publish Jenny’s vs. Johnny’s plans might make Johnny feel better for a little while, but is that really even helping him? After all, it’s still true that he has a sad life — and he’s not going to be able to hide from that forever. Maybe, just maybe, actually feeling some of the shame when he sees that map in the school newspaper could actually motivate him to want to do bigger and better things instead of ripping bigger and better bongs.

Yes, feeling negative feelings is unpleasant, but the truth is, there are reasons why we as humans have evolved to feel them…and one of those reasons is that they can inspire us to do better. Think about it: Just like the physical illness that you experience from eating too much candy can compel you to avoid eating so much unhealthy food in the future, the emotional discomfort you experience from underachieving can compel you to make healthier choices in that area of your life, too. Bad feelings aren’t fun, but they can serve a purpose — and it’s better for these kids (read: mostly young adults) to start learning this sooner rather than later…”

Frankly, leaving them young, dumb and impoverished suits Progressives’ plans…

Which brings us, appropriately enough, to The Lighter Side:

Then there’s this forward from TLJ:

Finally, we wrap up the first edition of July 2019 with yet another sordid story straight from the pages of The Crime Blotter, as Bill Meisen offers conclusive evidence this lawyer’s client truly wasn’t of sound mind:

Sheriff Urges People Not To Make Fun Of This Mugshot

Sorry, but we have to call res ipsa loquitur, as this thing truly speaks for itself.  At the very least, this photo settles the question why Dimocrats want to give felons the right to vote!

Magoo