Inquirer:
"Identified"..."from photographs" sounds like we are dealing with some seriously-notorious, professional criminals here. So who are these guys exactly, to cause such a reaction?
ISIS?
MS-13?
The ever-dangerous, but presumably-defunct Foot Clan?
No, it was:
Inquirer:
The story continues..
Inquirer:
The question is will the mainstream let them claim Franklin. Because showing the public that Franklin or the Founders would take your side is part of claiming rightful control of the meaning of America, which can win support. That is why even a quiet action to take ownership, like placing a wreath with a relatively non-abrasive message, generates a smash-bang response where the mainstream tries to portray the contributors as a no-good-very-bad gang of shameful snake-oil salesmen criminals with questionable beliefs and motives. The objective is to discredit the New Jersey European Heritage Association as a messenger, and thus discredit their message, all the while intimidating others from becoming messengers and getting the same treatment.
Inquirer:
The problem with the mainstream's strategy is, the less the group's actions and statements match this portrayal, the harder the sell. For example, we read:
In this battle to take ownership of Franklin/the Founders, note how the organization mentions the interests of "children and grandchildren". Historically, 'think of the children' is a suggestion that has carried weight because of its emotional appeal. And so it is today.
Not surprisingly, the mainstream employs a similar tactic to take advantage of this soft spot. Thus, images of those children growing up to be vandals and troublesome delinquents who take down the American flag are often swept from view while wreathe-layers, made into headline news, are portrayed as sadistic troublemakers who threaten children and patriotic immigrants. The suggestion doubles up nicely with "[i]t's our responsibility to stop them" - i.e. the call to shut it down - which is another way to secure control over the Franklin narrative. All that said, watch each of these forces at work:
Inquirer:
But it is doubtful that Franklin would approve of the call to silence the opposition and 'shut it down':
And, knowing Franklin's history, 'think of the children therefore open borders' and 'the meaning of America is globalism' would probably not impress him much, either - Franklin was an opponent of mass immigration.
In any case, the mainstream's reluctance to let go of Franklin, and the evidence of the public's learned understanding of Franklin, is revealing. It all shows that there is still far too much to gain from using the Founding Fathers to promote a malleable "patriotism" where, conveniently, national symbols like the Founders, the Flag, etc. are interpreted to be why the country should accept its transformation into an open-border internationalist dumping ground for multinational corporations insourcing cheap labor.
Note, however, that the younger generation is being slowly weened off of the education, praise and lore concerning the Founding Fathers. The obvious reason for this is that the Founders are considered problematic - if not for their 'big think' quotes that go against sheep-mob emotionalism, then for their Black slave ownership and visualization as a white patriarchs. Obviously, the article does not show this - doing so would undermine the message that Franklin is being falsely attributed as a figure with the ideals of the New Jersey European Heritage Association, which is the angle the article is going for.
Part of the issue is the abandonment of the Founders by the mainstream would shock those who, for the purpose of unity through identity and acceptance of the state (especially to promote community-benefiting ideas and an acceptance of the legal foundation and structure of that community and state), have learned from a young age to pedestalize "everything Enlightenment", especially the Founding Fathers. That public was raised to cheer and celebrate the rise of the Thirteen Colonies and the triumph of the "American story" in that war, and especially World War II; if you want to keep the older generation and millennials "on the plantation" so to speak, you cannot, without consequences, suddenly trash a legacy that is a key piece of identity and makes people feel connected to the state. Similarly, you cannot remove what is popular among the people and expect to be popular. In doing so, you also leave ownership of the "American story" and identity to be picked up by those who can only profit from rallying in its defense - especially as you spit on and dismiss all the imagery so many have been raised to cherish, celebrate and embrace. In layman's terms: allowing the Founding Fathers and the meaning of America to be reclaimed is a gamble at a time when the public is still inclined to feel partial towards both.
Under the circumstances, there is a case to be made that claiming Franklin and the Founders is less important for groups like the New Jersey European Heritage Association than trolling the SJW mob into a campaign to protest those very figures, and with that, all the monuments, memorials and commemorations so the mainstream abandons support for them, one by one. That would anger those who have not been raised on such a view and free up everything - all the statutes, icons, imagery and patriotism - to create a huge rallying point for what people feel attached to. This is already starting to happen:
But it is premature - the Robert E. Lee statue takedowns have not yet accelerated to calls to dismantle "Thirteen Colony slavery stuff", such as Mount Vernon, the Washington Monument, Jefferson Hall, the statues and Franklin Institute, not to mention renaming of all the universities and streets. If the New Jersey European Heritage Association was really up on its stuff, it would understand this dynamic, that the dismantling and defense have to occur in close connection with one another - and, for maximum effect, as soon as possible. The reason being: a new generation is rising up that has no attachment to the Founders, which will slowly close that window of opportunity. But, while it is there, John and Jane Lunchbox, raised to appreciate America's legacy via the Founders (unlike the legacy of Robert E. Lee which has been demonized in the North for at least half a century), are not currently ready for what is on the horizon, even if the SJW mob is. And that is a perfect storm - and opportunity for anyone who understands it. Who said 4-D chess was not real?
Around 11:30 a.m. Thursday, about four men carrying banners gathered around [Benjamin] Franklin’s grave at the Christ Church Burial Ground at Fifth and Arch Streets. John Hopkins, director of operations for Christ Church and one of the staffers who stopped them, identified two of the men who visited from photographs [...]
"Identified"..."from photographs" sounds like we are dealing with some seriously-notorious, professional criminals here. So who are these guys exactly, to cause such a reaction?
ISIS?
MS-13?
The ever-dangerous, but presumably-defunct Foot Clan?
No, it was:
The New Jersey European Heritage AssociationIn other words, one of the most heinous, criminals in history. So what did they do this time, rape and murder? Or just the regular, where they sacrifice first-born virgins and paint the town in their blood?
Inquirer:
The men were taking pictures at the burial site with the wreath, which had a white bow that read “Reclaim America,” as well as “Reclaim Your Nation. Reclaim Your Heritage," language that has appeared in the group’s recruitment fliers.
The story continues..
Hopkins informed the group that it did not have permission for a wreath-laying ceremony. One of the men lingered, but ultimately left with the wreath “without incident.”I sure do hope somebody is keeping track of this terrifying criminality...
Inquirer:
In 2018, the ADL Center for Extremism counted eight incidents from the group. There have already been seven times as many incidents recorded so far in 2019 — 56 total as of early July.Thank heavens for the ADL. By the way, the New Jersey European Heritage Association certainly picked the right guy to rally around:
The group was launched in 2018 and “has significantly increased its propaganda efforts,” according to Nancy Baron-Baer, a regional director at the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). The association is growing, she continued. Previously, the ADL had observed the group only appearing in Central New Jersey, but more recently has seen its “propaganda” in Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia, West Virginia. Arkansas, Missouri, South Carolina and Florida, she said. In 2018, the ADL Center for Extremism counted eight incidents from the group. There have already been seven times as many incidents recorded so far in 2019 — 56 total as of early July.
“They hold a view that unless they take immediate action, the white race is going toward extinction,” Baron-Baer said.
The question is will the mainstream let them claim Franklin. Because showing the public that Franklin or the Founders would take your side is part of claiming rightful control of the meaning of America, which can win support. That is why even a quiet action to take ownership, like placing a wreath with a relatively non-abrasive message, generates a smash-bang response where the mainstream tries to portray the contributors as a no-good-very-bad gang of shameful snake-oil salesmen criminals with questionable beliefs and motives. The objective is to discredit the New Jersey European Heritage Association as a messenger, and thus discredit their message, all the while intimidating others from becoming messengers and getting the same treatment.
Inquirer:
The Rev. Tim Safford, rector at Christ Church, expressed disappointment Monday. “It’s just terrible," he said. "Clearly this white supremacist hate group [is] trying to connect their vile view to the founders, in this case Benjamin Franklin, for nefarious purposes. It’s our responsibility to stop them as best we can.”
The problem with the mainstream's strategy is, the less the group's actions and statements match this portrayal, the harder the sell. For example, we read:
New Jersey European Heritage Association’s website states that “the members of NJEHA do not see the current society as a healthy and cohesive environment suited for their children and grandchildren,” and aim to “wrest political, economic and social control away from the hostile elite who have usurped power in America.”Note the discrepancy in the protagonist and antagonist roles between the two viewpoints above. Also, note that the group's goals are very much in line with Franklin's own ideas. Consider:
In this battle to take ownership of Franklin/the Founders, note how the organization mentions the interests of "children and grandchildren". Historically, 'think of the children' is a suggestion that has carried weight because of its emotional appeal. And so it is today.
Not surprisingly, the mainstream employs a similar tactic to take advantage of this soft spot. Thus, images of those children growing up to be vandals and troublesome delinquents who take down the American flag are often swept from view while wreathe-layers, made into headline news, are portrayed as sadistic troublemakers who threaten children and patriotic immigrants. The suggestion doubles up nicely with "[i]t's our responsibility to stop them" - i.e. the call to shut it down - which is another way to secure control over the Franklin narrative. All that said, watch each of these forces at work:
Inquirer:
"I don’t know if they were going to do anything further, but nothing happened after that point,” Hopkins said, adding, "Anyone who comes here shouldn’t be uncomfortable. This should be a safe space for everyone."Heather Boston, a Tennessee tourist visiting the tomb Monday, found the incident troubling. “Things like that are really tragic and sad, that it still goes on in our nation,” Boston said.Translation: if it makes a foreign eight-year old cry, you have to be silent about the transformation of your country into an economic opportunity zone where cheap-wage serfs are imported and jobs are exported out to even cheaper sources. We have to accept that all people - except the elite - are equal pawns of labor, and culture is whatever the elite decide to sell to us, either to distract us or to get us to vote in ways that support their interests.
Lyka and Yash Reyes, a mother and son visiting the burial ground, were also saddened by the news. The duo call the Bataan province of the Philippines home, but have been exploring American cities together over the last couple of years since the family relocated to Jacksonville, Fla.
“I think that’s the meanest thing you could do to one of the most important of people," said Yash, 8. "He’s one of the people who signed the Declaration of Independence. It’s rude to the other people who love him.: Lyka said the group’s actions ran contrary to early American values that championed equality for all.
"Even despite our differences, we bleed the same. I think that’s what they believed in,” she said, pointing to graves around her. "It’s still an ongoing fight.
“Hopefully, Yash added, "it’ll end."
But it is doubtful that Franklin would approve of the call to silence the opposition and 'shut it down':
And, knowing Franklin's history, 'think of the children therefore open borders' and 'the meaning of America is globalism' would probably not impress him much, either - Franklin was an opponent of mass immigration.
In any case, the mainstream's reluctance to let go of Franklin, and the evidence of the public's learned understanding of Franklin, is revealing. It all shows that there is still far too much to gain from using the Founding Fathers to promote a malleable "patriotism" where, conveniently, national symbols like the Founders, the Flag, etc. are interpreted to be why the country should accept its transformation into an open-border internationalist dumping ground for multinational corporations insourcing cheap labor.
Note, however, that the younger generation is being slowly weened off of the education, praise and lore concerning the Founding Fathers. The obvious reason for this is that the Founders are considered problematic - if not for their 'big think' quotes that go against sheep-mob emotionalism, then for their Black slave ownership and visualization as a white patriarchs. Obviously, the article does not show this - doing so would undermine the message that Franklin is being falsely attributed as a figure with the ideals of the New Jersey European Heritage Association, which is the angle the article is going for.
Part of the issue is the abandonment of the Founders by the mainstream would shock those who, for the purpose of unity through identity and acceptance of the state (especially to promote community-benefiting ideas and an acceptance of the legal foundation and structure of that community and state), have learned from a young age to pedestalize "everything Enlightenment", especially the Founding Fathers. That public was raised to cheer and celebrate the rise of the Thirteen Colonies and the triumph of the "American story" in that war, and especially World War II; if you want to keep the older generation and millennials "on the plantation" so to speak, you cannot, without consequences, suddenly trash a legacy that is a key piece of identity and makes people feel connected to the state. Similarly, you cannot remove what is popular among the people and expect to be popular. In doing so, you also leave ownership of the "American story" and identity to be picked up by those who can only profit from rallying in its defense - especially as you spit on and dismiss all the imagery so many have been raised to cherish, celebrate and embrace. In layman's terms: allowing the Founding Fathers and the meaning of America to be reclaimed is a gamble at a time when the public is still inclined to feel partial towards both.
Under the circumstances, there is a case to be made that claiming Franklin and the Founders is less important for groups like the New Jersey European Heritage Association than trolling the SJW mob into a campaign to protest those very figures, and with that, all the monuments, memorials and commemorations so the mainstream abandons support for them, one by one. That would anger those who have not been raised on such a view and free up everything - all the statutes, icons, imagery and patriotism - to create a huge rallying point for what people feel attached to. This is already starting to happen:
But it is premature - the Robert E. Lee statue takedowns have not yet accelerated to calls to dismantle "Thirteen Colony slavery stuff", such as Mount Vernon, the Washington Monument, Jefferson Hall, the statues and Franklin Institute, not to mention renaming of all the universities and streets. If the New Jersey European Heritage Association was really up on its stuff, it would understand this dynamic, that the dismantling and defense have to occur in close connection with one another - and, for maximum effect, as soon as possible. The reason being: a new generation is rising up that has no attachment to the Founders, which will slowly close that window of opportunity. But, while it is there, John and Jane Lunchbox, raised to appreciate America's legacy via the Founders (unlike the legacy of Robert E. Lee which has been demonized in the North for at least half a century), are not currently ready for what is on the horizon, even if the SJW mob is. And that is a perfect storm - and opportunity for anyone who understands it. Who said 4-D chess was not real?
