SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:54 P.M. ET:

YOU CANNOT MAKE THIS UP – FROM CAMPUS REFORM:    A Minnesota professor suggested in a series of tweets that the Virgin Mary did not consent to the conception of Jesus Christ and suggested that God may have acted in a “predatory" manner.  Minnesota State University, Mankato psychology professor and sex therapist Dr. Eric Sprankle critiqued the story of the Virgin Mary in a tweet Monday, suggesting that the Virgin Mary did not consent to being impregnated by God.  “The virgin birth story is about an all-knowing, all-powerful deity impregnating a human teen. There is no definition of consent that would include that scenario. Happy Holidays,” Sprankle said.  Another Twitter user called the professor’s claim into question, noting that the Bible states that the Virgin Mary did, indeed, agree to God’s plan for her.  “The biblical god regularly punished disobedience,” Sprankle rebutted. “The power difference (deity vs mortal) and the potential for violence for saying ‘no’ negates her ‘yes.’ To put someone in this position is an unethical abuse of power at best and grossly predatory at worst.”  That is absolutely sick, and a stunning abuse of the role of professor.  Resign now.

HOW DECENT PEOPLE ACT – FROM DAILYWIRE.COM:  Dr. Bernice King, the daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., wrote a letter this week in support of a criminal justice reform bill that has bipartisan support and has been endorsed by President Donald Trump.  In a letter obtained by The Daily Wire from the National Diversity Coalition For Trump, King wrote in a "plea to Congress" that the "First Step Act" is an opportunity to take a "monumental" step "towards assisting and empowering the least of these in America."  "The bill would reduce mandatory minimum sentences for some crimes and grant judges greater discretion in sentencing nonviolent drug offenders," A Bloomberg editorial said about the bill. "It would also fund recidivism-reduction programs for low-risk inmates and allow some 2,600 drug offenders to petition for reduced sentences. Perhaps most important, the bill would require more research on criminal justice — a predicate to reducing guesswork in setting future policy on sentencing."   Whether one agrees with the legislation or not, the fact that Dr. King felt free to endorse something championed by President Trump indicates that there are still people who put country before partisan politics.

ICE IN ACTION – FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER:   Foreign nationals from 24 countries — including four people with Interpol warrants for their arrests — were among the 105 arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement during a five-day sweep.  The agency announced the arrests Friday in a news release.  “Our focus has been and will continue to be on arrests of illegal aliens who have been convicted of serious crimes or those who pose a threat to public safety,” said John Tsoukaris, director of the Newark field office.  The people arrested ranged in age from 18 to 65 years old. The agency said more than 80 percent had either prior convictions or pending charges for a variety of crimes, including sexual assault on a minor, child abuse, possession of narcotics, distribution of narcotics, extortion, DUI, fraud, domestic violence, theft, possession of a weapon, robbery, promoting prostitution, aggravated assault, resisting arrest, endangering the welfare of a child, credit card fraud, insurance fraud, shoplifting, and illegal re-entry.  The agency said the pre-planned sweep targeted criminal aliens, illegal re-entrants, and other immigration violators.  And there are leftists who want to abolish this agency.  Shame.

December 8,  2018