Editorial Comment:
News stories, and facebook chatter was all about the senseless murder of Muslims worshiping in the two Mosques in New Zealand last Friday. Since then I saw on facebook was messages of hate from by both Muslims, and non-Muslims. The hate speech mostly comes from news stories from two Muslim Congress Members directing hate not only towards Trump, but all "white" people, in essence playing the race card, and playing the victim.
And from politicians saying inappropriate statements during a time of criminal hateful act by four racist thugs killing for the sake of their hate.
News Article spotlight: Christchurch Shooting Live Updates: 49 Are Dead After 2 Mosques Are Hit.
Forty-nine people were killed in shootings at two mosques in central Christchurch, New Zealand, on Friday, in a terrorist attack that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern described as “an extraordinary and unprecedented act of violence.”---New York Times posted on March 15th.
Other related stories:
Fraser Anning, egged after mosque attacks, may be Australia’s most reviled politician
Australian Sen. Fraser Anning, a far-right figure known for his extreme views on immigration, stood behind a bank of microphones at a Saturday news conference in Melbourne, Australia, the day after he issued a statement suggesting New Zealand’s decision to admit Muslim migrants was to blame for the devastating attack on two mosques that left at least 50 dead. ---Washington Post
As World Mourns Mosque Killings, Christian Genocide Continues
Hundreds of Christians have been murdered for their faith just in the last few weeks.---Patriot Post
In Nigeria, from February to mid-March, 280 Christians were murdered in violent attacks by Fulani militants. The Fulani are nomadic Muslim herdsmen, herding cattle across vast swaths of central Africa. As they drive their cattle, they have driven out the Christian minority, setting their homes on fire and leaving large groups of women, children, and the elderly to suffer.
New Zealanders turning over firearms after mass shooting
Authorities in New Zealand said citizens have been turning their firearms over to police in the days after a terror attack that targeted two mosques in Christchurch left at least 50 people dead, The Guardian reports.---THE HILL
Media Mum as Christians Die: Genocide in Nigeria
Over the past week, Senior Colson Fellow Glenn Sunshine has taken to Facebook to do something that much of the mainstream media—to its discredit—has neglected to do: alerting people to what is happening to Christians in places like Nigeria.---CNSNEWS
Christchurch attack: Turkey's Erdogan sparks diplomatic row by invoking Gallipoli
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has sparked a diplomatic row by linking the Australian gunman in the Christchurch mosque massacres to a battle involving Australian and New Zealand troops in his own country more than a century ago.---CNN
Editor's note: Those were just a few of the headlines covering not only the tragic events in New Zealand, but also the less news coverage story about the murders of Christians in Nigeria that should have gotten equal coverage from the media.
With that I want to share this following story called: The Works of the Flesh: Murder - Real and Imagined.
Quote: " Murder is suggested in the actions of the works of the flesh as "enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying" (Galatians 5:20,21) drive men to kill one another. Jesus said, "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders" (Matthew 15:19). The challenge of the deeds listed in Galatians 5 is not only the sin itself but what the sin leads to. The taking of human life has always been condemned by Jehovah when the actions are unrighteous. David murdered Uriah for his lust of Bathsheba (II Samuel 11); Naboth was falsely accused and murdered by Jezebel for a vineyard (I Kings 21; II Kings 9:26); Jesus accused the Jews of murdering the prophets (Matthew 23:31,35); and even Jesus was killed by unrighteous men (I Thessalonians 2:15).
When God spoke to Noah in Genesis 9, He established forever the condemnation of those who take the lives of other men. The Ten Commandments clearly forbade the killing of men for unjust cause (Exodus 20:13). Penalties were swift and severe for murder in the Law of Moses (Exodus 21:14; Leviticus 24:21). The Lord will punish the murderer (I Timothy 1:9; Revelation 21:8). It would seem obvious that murder (the taking of life) is repulsive and forbidden - yet while we would never suggest our part in such deeds, we find another aspect of this hatred.
"Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him" (I John 3:15). Jesus taught the same principle in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:21-26). We cannot worship God with this kind of heart. When hatred and malice dwell in the heart of a person there can be no hope of eternal life."
Murder is imagined in this sense that while no physical life is taken, the feelings of hate reign in the heart. This will defile a man (Matthew 15:19,20). We like to say that we are to "love one another but not like one another." This represents an attitude of disrespect for others and for God. Prejudice, jealousy and envy will lead to murderous thoughts in the heart. "For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things" (I John 3:20). Albert Barnes wrote, "The private malice, the secret grudge, the envy which is cherished in the heart, is murderous in its tendency."
Those who allow the spirit of Satan to fill their hearts will not inherit the kingdom of God! That is not a maybe; that is a reality! We should heed the warning of the Lord through the prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 7.---by Kent Heaton
Editorial Note: Those who hate because of race, religion or creed are not true followers of Christ.
Inslee and Ferguson statement on possible diversion of state military projects to pay for border wall.
Press release issued on 3. 19. 19
Gov. Jay Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson statement on the possible diversion of state military projects to pay for the president's proposed border wall.
“We remain adamant that Washington state will not help subsidize President Trump’s unlawful and unconstitutional ‘emergency’ declaration to build his wall. We are closely monitoring developments. If a final decision is made to redirect funds from Washington projects to fund the president’s border wall, we will file a lawsuit. Our complaint is drafted and ready to file.”
AG FERGUSON COMMITS $750,000 TO TEST SEXUAL ASSAULT KITS.
Press release issued 3. 19. 19OLYMPIA — Attorney General Bob Ferguson today committed $750,000 in grant funds to test unsubmitted sexual assault kits as part of his Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI).
“Every sexual assault kit is a story that needs to be told,” Ferguson said. “Testing the kits not only honors to the courage of survivors, but also identifies serial offenders who might otherwise go free.”
Because the Washington State Patrol is responsible for all law enforcement DNA testing in Washington State, the State Patrol will send kits to an outside lab for testing, then seek reimbursement from the Attorney General’s Office grant funds The Attorney General’s Office estimates that approximately 1,150 kits will be tested with this $750,000.
Testing has already started using legislative funding. Once that funding is exhausted, the State Patrol can begin seeking reimbursement from the federal grant funds. Federal law prohibits replacing state funds with federal funds.
If the testing results in DNA matches, the Attorney General’s Office will track those cases.
The Attorney General’s Office does not have a direct role in collecting or testing sexual assault kits. Recognizing the need to end the backlog, Ferguson applied for a Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Grant from the Department of Justice in April 2017.
The Department of Justice awarded the Attorney General’s Office $750,000 in October 2017, and the office received the funds in April 2018. The first round of funding has been partially used to create the Attorney General’s Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Team, which consists of an Assistant Attorney General and two investigators, and to conduct a statewide inventory of unsubmitted sexual assault kits.
To date, Ferguson’s Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Team has:
Completed a comprehensive statewide inventory of unsubmitted sexual assault kits in Washington, finding 6,725 kits that, at that time, had not yet been submitted for lab testing by local law enforcement agencies;
Completed a comprehensive statewide inventory of unreported sexual assault kits, finding 632 kits where survivors have not made a report to law enforcement;
Created a Sexual Assault Kit Initiative Multidisciplinary Team involving Attorney General’s Office staff and agencies throughout the state to consult on best practices and enhance communication between agencies involved in investigations; and
Conducted a two-day sexual assault investigations workshop for professionals working in the field of sexual assault response, including law enforcement, prosecutors, advocates and sexual assault nurse examiners, in order to improve law enforcement’s response to survivors of sexual assault. The Attorney General’s Office will offer the training again in April.
This brings the total funds received by the office to $1.5 million. The Attorney General’s Office obtained this second round of funding after Department of Justice certified that Ferguson’s Sexual Assault Kit team successfully completed inventories of the state’s unsubmitted and unreported kits.
The office will seek another $1.5 million after the completion of the final inventory phase, which will log partially tested kits. These are kits that have been tested under an outdated methodology that cannot be submitted to the federal database, or have only undergone an initial screening, rather than full DNA testing.
Project overview
A sexual assault kit is a collection of evidence gathered from a survivor by a medical professional, usually a specially trained sexual assault nurse examiner. A crime lab then tests the evidence for DNA that could help law enforcement find a perpetrator.
There are two types of sexual assault kit backlogs in Washington state and across the country. The first is the “unsubmitted” sexual assault kit backlog, which consists of kits that sit in a law enforcement evidence storage facility because a DNA analysis was never requested. The funds announced today will be devoted to Washington’s unsubmitted kit backlog.
The second type of backlog occurs in crime lab facilities, and consists of “backlogged” sexual assault kits that have been submitted, but have not yet been tested.
The State of Washington has made progress on processing its backlog of sexual assault kits over the past several years, but additional work remains. In 2015, led by Representative Tina Orwall (D-Burien), the Legislature gave funds to the Crime Lab to reduce the backlog.
According to the Washington State Patrol, since 2015, more than 4,300 backlogged kits have been submitted to the Crime Lab using this legislative funding. Of those kits, about 2,300 have been tested and about 2,000 are currently in the testing process.
Testing backlogged kits has already provided new information for cold cases. In one case, a suspect was charged with child rape more than 10 years after the crime, thanks to the results of a backlogged rape kit.
In Washington state, the State Patrol Crime Lab oversees the testing of all of the state’s DNA evidence. The Crime Lab is outsourcing the sexual assault kits to a private lab to complete the DNA testing. The Crime Lab must conduct a peer review of all evidence tested by outside labs and is the only agency permitted to upload DNA profiles into the national forensic DNA database, known as CODIS.
Once the kits are tested, local law enforcement can use DNA to reopen cold cases. The AGO will offer investigative assistance to local law enforcement agencies, that, under state law, have the authority to investigate and charge criminal cases. In Washington state, the Attorney General only has authority to initiate criminal investigations after receiving a referral from a county prosecuting attorney or the Governor. Consequently, the AGO has no jurisdiction over potential cold cases unless assistance is requested by a local law enforcement agency.
Testing these kits will identify serial rapists, link cases across the country, provide critical links that could solve homicide cases and provide answers to victims and their families. Throughout the project, the AGO will host victim-centered trauma training around the state for law enforcement agencies, prosecutors and victim advocates.
In January, the AGO conducted a two-day sexual assault investigations workshop for professionals working in the field of sexual assault response, including law enforcement, prosecutors, advocates and sexual assault nurse examiners. The office will offer the training again in April.
More information on the ongoing project is available on the Attorney General's Sexual Assault Kit Initiative webpage.
WORLD NEWS HEADLINES
From the UN News Center & other sourcesGlobal South cooperation ‘vital’ to climate change fight and sustainable development UN chief tells historic summit in Buenos Aires.
South-South cooperation is key to the world’s sustainable development and the fight against global warming said the United Nations Secretary-General on Wednesday, as the opening session of the Second UN Conference on South-South Cooperation got underway in the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/03/1035011
Cyclone Idai: UN allocates $20 million in emergency funding, as full extent of disaster continues to emerge.
As the full scale of the devastation caused by Cyclone Idai in South-West Africa continues to be assessed, the UN and humanitarian partners are ramping up the provision of emergency food, shelter, water and health care supplies to hundreds-of-thousands who have been affected across Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/03/1035021
UN launches ‘South-South Galaxy’ knowledge-sharing platform in Buenos Aires
When countries of the Global South forged an historic technical cooperation deal among themselves 40 years ago, digital technology was a thing of the future, but developing nations have come a long way since then.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/03/1035001
Safe drinking water, sanitation, are ‘basic human rights’: new UN Water Development report
Safe water and access to proper sanitation are essential to eradicate poverty, build peaceful societies and ensure that no one is left behind on the path towards sustainable development, according to the 2019 UN World Water Development Report, launched on Tuesday in Geneva.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/03/1034981
Encouraging progress made in 2018, in ‘zero tolerance’ effort to end sexual exploitation and abuse across UN.
The United Nations recorded a total of 259 allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) during 2018, according to the latest report by Secretary-General António Guterres presented to the General Assembly. Although the figures rose compared with the previous two years, the report shows increased awareness among UN and UN-related staff, and improved and harmonized reporting tools across the Organization.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/03/1034901
📃IN THIS WEEK'S EDITION
PAGE 2
Reflections on public lands investment
PAGE 3
Foley Institute panel to discuss boosting voter turnout Friday
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Justice Department Reaches Agreement With Hawaii Department of Public Safety to Ensure Equal Access to Its Programs for Inmates With Disabilities.
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Treasury Sanctions Venezuela’s State Gold Mining Company and its President for Propping Up Illegitimate Maduro Regime.
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Rep. Kilmer Statement on Potential Diversion of Funds from Local Military Construction Programs to Build a Wall at the Southern Border.
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State headlines & local meeting agendas
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