The media have blood on their hands in Dallas

Ordinarily, I’m not the type who screams at his television. To be honest, I don’t watch a lot of television “news” shows because they mostly degenerate into people shouting over one another. One thing I rarely do is watch any news on the weekends. After wallowing in the issues Monday through Friday, I find it best for my sanity if I take a break for a couple of days.

It was the Saturday after the Dallas police shootings and my wife wanted to catch up on the news so I reluctantly switched from a documentary about the greedy rich to CBS. It was a special edition of 48 Hours. I watched as they trotted out the ‘white guilt’ professors and the Black Lives Matter activists until I found myself literally screaming at the television. Yep. I had become ‘that guy.’

What so infuriated me was knowing that they know. What I mean by that is I know the statistics on police shootings. I know white folks are far more likely to be shot by the police than black folks. I know that study after study has revealed there’s no evidence of racial bias in police shootings and that there is no war on black people. And I know that the people at CBS know this. The question is why do they continue to lie?

I’ve often said media bias isn’t what they tell you, it’s what they don’t. If all they show you are the cases where white police officers shoot unarmed black people then eventually you’ll believe that’s all there is. Names like Michael Brown, Freddie Gray, and Eric Garner have become household names. You can’t name a white victim.

The truth started to raise its head so the Washington Post had to do their best to tamp it back down. They said it was true that more whites are killed by police than blacks, but you have to look at that in relation to their percentage of the population. Sounds fair but it’s not the whole story.

You not only have to look at the percentage of shootings in relation to the makeup of that particular group in the general population, you have to look at the propensity of that group to commit crimes. In other words, how likely are police to come into contact with a certain group?

For example, I don’t know the percentage of American nuns, but let’s just say it’s 1 percent. I can almost assure you that the percentage of nuns that have contact with the police as criminals is near zero.

So, understanding that contact with the police surely has to factor into who gets shot, black folks make up 13 percent of the population and make up 24 percent of the police shootings. However, they commit 52 percent of the murders. They commit almost 40 percent of all violent crimes. If you just compare their percentage in the population to their percentage of shootings you might come to the conclusion that the system is somehow racist. 

It’s not.

The government makes it almost impossible to get a true picture of crime by race because they categorize all Hispanics as white, which, of course, skews the white stats. To give you an example, out of the current FBI Top Ten Most Wanted list, five are Hispanic. But here’s a startling statistic: 40 percent of cop killers are black. 

No matter how you slice it, black criminals grossly overrepresent their numbers in the general population and white criminals underrepresent theirs. If you really look for a war on blacks, you won’t find one.

Phil Valentine is the host of the award-winning, nationally syndicated talk radio show, The Phil Valentine Show.

The sprezzatura of socialism

I just got back from Europe. I love the history and the scenery and the change of culture and all that, but I’m always reminded of just how bad socialism can be. 

We flew into Paris and took a train to Avignon. That’s in the south of France in Provence. We followed the signs in the train station to the taxis, but when we got there we found no cabs. About 30 of us stood in the hot sun for about 20 minutes before I walked back into the train station and up to the information counter. The nice lady behind the counter called two taxi companies in town. Closed.

We arrived in Avignon on Sunday about 6:15pm. Most taxi drivers in Avignon don’t work on Sunday, and those who do don’t work after 6pm. One taxi showed up to deposit someone at the train station and quickly sped off without picking up a new fare.

In a microcosm, this is what’s wrong with socialism. As it turns out, French taxi drivers are not only paid strictly on salary, they’re union. In America, there would be taxi drivers jockeying for position to pick up these people at the train station. Why? Because their pay is determined by how many people they service in a day. Some days are better than others in America. The more you hustle, the more you make. In France, every day is the same. You’re paid whether you’re driving or sitting. There’s no incentive to hustle. There’s no incentive to help the customer.

Same goes for restaurant servers. Although Americans typically tip, tipping in France is not the norm, and French servers act accordingly. What’s the motivation to take your order in a timely manner or get your food out quickly? You have to be aggressive to get good service. You have to constantly flag your server down and stay on them.

I had to laugh when I was researching this piece. Survey after survey ranked France near the top in productivity and I was left scratching my head until I realized the stipulation. These surveys were based on “productivity per hours worked.” In other words, the French work far fewer hours than we do, which means their overall productivity is much lower.

One opinion writer, James Sproule at the London Times, figured this out. He acknowledged that most surveys compared the UK to France based on hours worked. However, he pointed out that the employment rate in the UK is 72 percent compared to 64 percent in France. “If improving productivity is your sole aim,” he wrote, “British businesses simply need to reduce the number of people they employ, letting go the least productive workers. The results would be bad for society and terrible for the workers concerned, but such a move could boost productivity figures by 8 per cent.”

In other words, the motto of France could be ‘We don’t get a lot done, but at least we don’t work a lot.’

I think a much better way of looking at productivity is by taking the gross domestic product of a nation and dividing it by its population. When you look at it that way, the United States is almost 50 percent more productive than France. And what’s the difference? One country is driven primarily by capitalism while the other is driven by socialism. 

Socialism makes people lazy. It destroys their incentive to produce. It also makes life miserable, especially for people who expect decent service. We in America should take heed. We’re inching ever closer to European socialism. And it doesn't end well.

Phil Valentine is the host of the award-winning, nationally syndicated talk radio show, The Phil Valentine Show.

Ignoring the reality of terrorism doesn't make it go away

Attorney General Loretta Lynch and the Justice Department have become so politically correct that it’s nearly impossible for them to recognize the true enemy of America, much less protect us from it.

Let’s start with Exhibit A: The doctored transcripts of the Orlando terrorist’s 911 conversations with police. At first they redacted any reference to ISIS or its leader. Their excuse was they didn’t want to encourage others of like mind. Everybody knows the attack was on behalf of ISIS, but Obama and the left are trying to recast it as a gun problem.

When the full transcript was finally released there was one glaring error. The terrorist was quoted as saying “Praise be to God” and “In the name of God the merciful.” It is impossible to believe that he used the word “God.” All of his Facebook posts used the word “Allah,” but printing “Allah” would inextricably link his terrorist act to his Muslim faith. That’s something the Obama administration has avoided at all costs.

In the wake of Orlando, the FBI claims threats have been made against Muslims. I certainly don’t doubt that nor do I condone it, but it was the FBI’s response that was so troubling. An FBI spokesman and assistant special agent told reporters, “Civil rights violations are a priority for the FBI.” Really? Civil rights violations are a priority? How about stopping terrorists?

Of course, Obama himself refuses to use the term “radical Islamic terrorists.” He acts as though it’s merely a matter of semantics. It’s not. If you cannot clearly define the enemy you cannot effectively defeat it. This PC president is so opposed to profiling that he goes out of his way to ignore the obvious. Trying to act as though the Orlando terrorist had nothing to do with Islam removes one of the most powerful tools in police work. Profiling is a weapon in the defensive arsenal of law enforcement that’s been repeatedly proven useful. Countries around the world — notably Israel — have employed it with great success and it’s kept them relatively safe.

Obama says people who kill in the name of Islam are not Muslims. If he really believes that, why does he accommodate the terrorists at Gitmo with prayer rugs, Korans, and sharia-compliant diets? 

Understand, not all Muslims are bad people, but most of the terrorists these days are Muslim. To ignore that salient fact places us all in peril.

Former Obama advisor Van Jones said on CNN that if we’re going to profile we need to be looking for young white males because they’re the ones who shoot up schools. As far as schools go, he’s exactly right, but the Orlando killing was not a school shooting. It was a terrorist act. The terrorist made it perfectly clear that he acted in the name of Islam, clear for everyone except the liberal left.

If the consequences weren’t so grave this avoidance of Islam would seem silly. Political correctness has been getting us killed since at least 9/11 when then-Transportation Secretary Norm Mineta forbade profiling at airports. It’s exactly how Mohamed Atta got on the plane. Had the ticket agent been allowed to act on his instincts he would’ve flagged Atta before he boarded. In one phone call he would’ve learned that Atta’s visa had expired and he wouldn’t have been allowed on the plane. Without the ring leader, it’s doubtful the attack would’ve gone forward.

The same mistake was repeated at Ft. Hood, the Boston Marathon bombing, San Bernardino, and several others. Those who will not learn from history are bound to repeat it.

Phil Valentine is the host of the award-winning, nationally syndicated talk radio show, The Phil Valentine Show.

The outrageous reality of the Orlando terrorist attack

I’m at a loss as to why everyone isn’t focusing on the facts of the Orlando terrorist case. I keep hearing liberals and conservatives argue back and forth over whether or not someone on a terror watch list should be allowed to buy a weapon. We already have a solution, and FBI Director James Comey laid it all out to reporters the day after the attack.

Here’s the deal. Omar Mateen was investigated by the FBI back in 2013 for 10 months. He had told co-workers he had family connections to al Qaeda. He said that he was a member of a terrorist organization. He also said that he hoped police would raid his home and assault his wife so he could retaliate and become a martyr.

During that time, he was on a watch list, and Comey says if he’d tried to buy a firearm the FBI would’ve been alerted. But at the end of 10 months the investigation was closed, and he was taken off the watch list. In other words, had he remained on the watch list — as well he should have — the FBI would’ve known immediately when he bought a gun and could’ve acted appropriately. That doesn’t mean they could’ve prevented him from buying the guns, but they could have done a number of things.

They could have interviewed him again and let him know they knew about the guns and were watching him, or they could’ve simply placed him under constant surveillance. Either way, they would probably have prevented the terrorist attack in Orlando.

So, why did they end the 10-month investigation and take him off the watch list? Because Mateen told them he was being marginalized because of his Muslim faith and he made those statements about being affiliated with terrorists to try and taunt his coworkers. And they believed him!

In other words, political correctness got us killed yet again.

On top of all that, several coworkers at the security firm G4S said he constantly talked about killing people and was openly hostile to gays, blacks, and women. One coworker finally reported him and asked for a transfer but nothing happened. This guy ended up quitting.

You want to hear the really scary part? G4S has multiple security contracts with the U.S. government, including the CIA, and helps secure 40 U.S. embassies around the world. My presumption is they didn’t act on these outrageous reports of bizarre behavior for the same reason the doctors working with the Ft. Hood shooter said nothing. They didn’t want to be labeled Islamophobic.

What puzzles me is why more isn’t being made about the facts I just laid out for you. First, the question regarding what to do about people on the terror watch list has already been answered. If you’re on the watch list and you buy a gun, the FBI is alerted. Then one has to hope they’ll actually do something with the information. 

Before we all go piling on the Bureau, let’s understand that there are literally tens of thousands of people like Mateen that the FBI is trying to keep track of. Yes, he was born in the U.S., but there are so many suspicious people that have been allowed into this country that Director Comey once said there’s no way they can keep track of them all.

That is the central problem. Again, political correctness has caused this country to turn a blind eye to common sense. There’s only one way to reduce the risk and that’s by denying access to people most likely to be terrorists.

Phil Valentine is the host of the award-winning, nationally syndicated talk radio show, The Phil Valentine Show.

Trump is right on Judge Curiel

I guess there are just some things I don’t understand. The furor over Donald Trump’s comments about this judge in his Trump University case is one of them. The judge in question is U.S. District Court Judge Gonzalo Curiel. He is a member of La Raza Lawyers of San Diego. The claim that this organization is not affiliated with the National Council of La Raza is implausible. How many organizations sport the name La Raza? It’s not like it’s some common name like the Chamber of Commerce.

It’s also important to understand what La Raza means. Literally translated, it means The Race. Anyone who joins an organization called The Race could logically be seen as a racist, yet Donald Trump is the one being portrayed as the racist. Why? Because he dared say, “The judge, who happens to be, we believe, Mexican, which is great. I think that’s fine.” I instantly got it. I’m Donald Trump and I’m going to build a wall on the Mexican border. Every Mexican leader has condemned me, and now I have a guy of Mexican decent who’s a liberal and a Hillary supporter presiding over my trial. I don’t think I can get a fair trial.

Sen. Ben Sasse went so far as to tweet, “Saying someone can’t do a specific job because of his or her race is the literal definition of ‘racism.’” You see, the insinuation is that Trump wants Curiel thrown off his case because he’s Mexican. He wants Curiel thrown off his case because he believes he’s biased against him.

Former attorney general and now law professor, Alberto Gonzales, wrote in the Washington Post, “The test is whether there is an ‘appearance of impropriety’ under the facts as they reasonably appear to a litigant in Trump’s position.” In other words, does Trump really believe he can’t get a fair shake with a man who puts his race above all else and is a known Hillary supporter?

What’s most maddening is to see all of these Republican line up to condemn Trump’s comments. They feign righteous indignation over Trump having gone after a federal judge as if they’re beyond reproach. These are some of the same people who have decried activist judges on the left for decades. All of a sudden, Judge Curiel is as pure as the wind-driven snow.

Of course, the news media piled on. Trump was asked on CBS News’ Face the Nation if he believed a Muslim judge would treat him unfairly because of his proposal to temporarily ban Muslims from entering the country. “It’s possible, yes,” Trump replied. OMG! The news folks went nuts. Well, of course it’s possible a Muslim judge would treat him unfairly over that issue. I’d say it’s not only possible, it’s probable.

The CBS host asked, “Isn’t there sort of a tradition though in America that we don’t judge people by who their parents were and where they came from?” Trump responded, “I’m not talking about tradition. I’m talking about common sense.”

That seems to be sorely lacking. If the centerpiece of your campaign is building a wall on the Mexican border then the heritage of a judge adjudicating your case is an issue, as is his affiliation with the party that opposes you. Not to mention, he’s a member of a racist organization.

If Trump’s central issue were keeping the Irish Republican Army out of the U.S. wouldn’t it stand to reason that a Judge named Gerry O’Brien who’s a member of Sinn Fein might be biased against him?

Let’s use our brains, folks, not our emotions.

Phil Valentine is the host of the award-winning, nationally syndicated talk radio show, The Phil Valentine Show.

Hillary indictment? Be careful what you wish for

Everyone’s buzzing about Hillary. No, not about her campaign. People are wondering — many hoping — she’ll be indicted for something, anything. As much as Republicans are salivating over the prospect of Hillary in leg irons, they better pray it doesn’t happen.

Have you noticed? Nobody’s excited about the idea of Hillary becoming the first female president, not even the Democrats. Especially the Democrats. In a year that would be historic, there’s just not the fervor to make history happen this year. With Obama it was palpable. Black folks, understandably, thought a black president was long overdue. Guilt-ridden white folks thought it would put racial tension behind us. Of course, it didn’t. In fact, race relations are as bad as they were in the ‘70s, all because President Obama didn’t come to heal us, he came to divide us.

So, why would a Hillary indictment be bad news for Republicans? Because Democrats love a victim. Remember how the Democrat members of Congress marched down Pennsylvania Avenue when Bill Clinton was impeached? They rallied behind Al Gore who pronounced Clinton one of the greatest presidents of all time. Forget the fact that his presidency had been unremarkable, save the scandals, all of a sudden the base was energized. The man who had victimized so many women was now playing the part of the victim.

Hillary’s people have fretted aloud that she lacks excitement. They’ve been searching for that issue that she can latch onto that will connect with the voters. Trump, on the other hand, has done just that. Illegal immigration, the issue most Republicans were afraid to tackle head-on for fear of alienating Hispanic voters, became the centerpiece of Trump’s campaign. Not only was he not afraid to tap into it, he dove in head-first from the moment he announced his candidacy, and that bold move captured the imagination of millions of disenfranchised voters the two parties had forgotten — or ignored.

Now Hillary flails about in search of something that will make people like her, something that will connect with her base like Trump has. And the FBI might just give it to her. You want to give her something to talk about on the stump? Indict her. She’ll break out the old “right wing conspiracy” mumbo jumbo. News outlets will juxtapose all these men trying to put her in jail with Hillary the “aw-shucks” female victim who didn’t know how to run a computer and now may be sent up the river for it.

Imagine for a moment Gloria Allred paraded out in front of the cameras to declare Hillary the latest victim in the Republican war on women. Although Trump will have had nothing to do with the indictment, everything he’s ever said negative about women — especially Hillary — will take on a different tone now that the loyal wife of a beloved former president is being publicly lynched right before our eyes.

Bill Kristol and others desperately search for a savior of the establishment class. They don’t really expect a third party candidate to win. They just hope he or she keeps Trump from the White House. In other words, they want Hillary. She has one thing going for her. She’s not Donald Trump. She also gives them the advantage of sitting on the sidelines for another four years while they raise money for the next RINO in what has now become a long line of mushy middle losers. 

No doubt, Kristol et al. are hoping for an indictment because they surely know what I know. And after her election, a full and unconditional presidential pardon.

Phil Valentine is the host of the award-winning, nationally syndicated talk radio show, The Phil Valentine Show.

The 'culture appropriation' crowd is appropriating America

One of the annoying buzz phrases from the left these days is “culture appropriation.” If you wear a sombrero on Cinco de Mayo and you’re not Hispanic that’s culture appropriation. However, if you dress like a leprechaun on St. Patrick’s Day you’re good. Funny how it doesn’t work for white folks.

Anyway, some idiot set up a petition at Change.org to demand that singer/actor Justin Timberlake be arrested for culture appropriation. Seems he’s just a little too soulful. The guy who set up the petition wants President Obama to do something about it. “Justin Timberlake has made a career out of culturally appropriating his music, looks, and just about everything else from the black community,” the petition reads. “This should be a crime and it needs to stop. It’s okay for white artists to appreciate black music, but they shouldn’t do black music. This is racism and white privilege out of control.”

One signatory said, “I like Justin’s music, but he owes black people money.” Another said, “Obama needs to stop this,” while another said Timberlake needed to be deported. Uh, he’s from Memphis. Which probably explains his soulful style. 

We are a product of our upbringing and our surroundings. Some people mistake me for a black man on the radio. That’s certainly not on purpose. (God forbid I would appropriate someone’s culture) It’s just the way I am. To condemn or, in Justin Timberlake’s case, arrest someone for being who they are is absurd. But the left in general is absurd these days.

Two can play this culture appropriation game, though. Black folks are going to have to stop playing basketball because they stole that from a white man. Same goes for cars and airplanes. Wouldn’t want to be so insensitive as to steal a man’s culture by flying in his invention.

And while we’re at it, let me hold that light bulb. You won’t be needing it in your new world order of political correctness. In fact, cut off your electricity because a honkey came up with that, too.

Look, what makes America great is the famous melting pot. We appropriate cultures from all over the world, mix them together, and make them uniquely American. It’s how french fries, pizza, and hamburgers can be as American as apple pie.

These leftists have pushed multiculturalism for decades yet when we embrace another culture we’re somehow stealing it.

By the way, you did see the latest poll on the Redskins issue, didn’t you? Over 90 percent of American Indians have no problem with a football team using that nickname. This has never been an issue with Indians, only with the hyper-sensitive looney left.

But what about that 10 percent who are upset with the name. They’ll have to get over it. This is the way America works. Majority rules. We’re not ruled by the tyranny of the minority, nor should we allow ourselves to be bullied by them.

The majority these days seems to cower in the corner and allow an incredibly small number of people to push them around. They’re bullies. They’ve learned that all they have to do is accuse someone of racism and they’re putty in their hands. People are terrified of being labeled a racist. Companies pay big money to make such accusations go away, whether they’re true or not.

Will Justin Timberlake succumb and either stop stealing black culture or turn himself over to authorities? I trust he’s not that stupid. The petition as of this writing has a whopping 51 signatures. Fifty more and Obama will probably sign an executive order.

Phil Valentine is the host of the award-winning, nationally syndicated talk radio show, The Phil Valentine Show.