So to open us up this afternoon, I just want to express a quick note of gratitude from ACS to the NYPD and to the Harlem Hospital who's been caring for our staff who was shot this morning on the way to work. The mayor and his graciousness met with him this afternoon. We're happy to report that he's in good spirits, surrounded by family and friends. Please keep him in your prayers for us. Thank you all for being here today. This is an exciting moment. First I want to thank Mayor Adams for his steadfast commitment to supporting youth. When I was at Grand Wyndham, a non-profit provider like the New York Family who's with us today, the mayor helped really galvanize Fair Futures. And then when he was elected, he put the nail right where he needed to be by putting another $10 million so that young people could have a coach until they're 26 and not no longer, for the first city in the country, no longer to have a cliff coming out of foster care. Can't thank you enough, sir. I want to thank City College and City College President Dr. Vincent Pedro for hosting us today. Vince has been a friend as well. In addition, and with Congressman Espaillat who has graciously joined us as well, City College has been hosting ACS young people here all summer in their infrastructure program. And Vince understood that young people at ACS are some of the most capable, and so they started this program working with young people at ACS through the support of Ray Singleton and many others at ACS. Most importantly, the most important guests are our young people today. So I'm introducing Asanatu Afriju who attends the College of Staten Island. Joani Sing who intends Hunter College, Maroah who attends Brooklyn College, Christina Fabre who's complaining about the weather because she's in Miami at St. Thomas University, and City College's very own Sanjita Afruz. She's not only getting her bachelor's but she's going for her master's as well right here. So I'm so proud of these young people. Oftentimes society unfairly stigmatizes youth in foster care. They're seen as vulnerable. We know they are extraordinarily capable. They are a future city and we believe in them. They just need access to the types of supports and support systems that their peers have access to. I'm proud that New York has been investing in innovative initiatives and building out a stronger support system to help make sure more and more doors of opportunity are open for young people. And today's announcement builds on that work. I'm thrilled to announce a new program, a rebooted program called College Choice. Essentially, this new program means that a young person in foster care can attend the College of their choice without having to worry about the financial nightmare. That's right. No matter the school, east coast, west coast, public, private, two years, four years, ACS will cover the expenses. In addition, as part of the College Choice program, young people will be provided a $60 stipend and access to tutoring via our provider partner in New York Family. These resources are critical. We know that young people have dropped out because they didn't have money in their pocket to do the basics. So it is not just the room and board, not just the tuition. That $60 and extra support of tutoring makes it all come together. This program builds upon the Fostering College Success Initiative, our former program that provide a year-round housing, tuition assistance, smaller stipends, and academic support. Many of the young people standing with us have been able to attend college because of that program, and you'll hear from one of them at the moment. Simply put, today's announcement takes that program one big step further. Beginning this year, for the 2022-2023 school year, students in foster care now have the choice to get these support no matter what college they choose to attend, hence the name, College Choice. This year, already 230 students are benefiting from College Choice. Here are the highlights. For full-time college students in foster care, ACS will cover up to $15,000 towards tuition and mandatory fees that are not covered by a student's financial aid award. None of our students are going out of pocket this year. ACS will cover year-round housing costs, sometimes in dorms, sometimes apartments, or off-campus housing. ACS will offer $60 per day stipend to cover food and other expenses. The stipend will also continue six months after graduation, and if young people leave foster care, we're no longer abandoning them. They will continue in the program. In addition to the current Fair Futures program, which provides dedicated coaches to youth in foster care, students in College Choice can receive tutoring, career counseling, and other support for the New York family. I'm confident in the New York City is making the right choice with College Choice, and I look forward to hearing about the successes of our students in this program. Now, it is my pleasure to introduce the man who made it happen, Mayor Eric Adams. Thank you. Good job. Good job. And this was just really one of the areas where I was focused on throughout not only the campaign, but throughout the years in public safety work, I realized that how we have abandoned young people that are in foster care. And I was focused, and my North Star was to see a program like this challenging enough to age out at 21. I still call my mother until I was 51 and ask for advice. But to have this support system, I was happy to learn about Fair Futures when I was Borough President and stated that when I become Mayor, we were going to fortify Fair Futures. The thought that these young people are able to have support until they're 26 and to continue to receive that support in College of this program is an amazing program that is coming out of ACS. The mindset of not waiting until a tragedy happens, but the concept of ACS under this commissioner is to prevent tragedies from taking place in the first place. And education is the way. If you don't educate, you will incarcerate and you will devastate the lives of people who are abandoned along the way. These scholars behind us are going to go with the vision of not only becoming productive citizens, but they're going to take their life experiences to help others who are on the wayside and have been forgotten about. In order to help those who are going through a lot, we must have leaders who have gone through a lot. And they personified that in a very real way. The dollars that we are allocating to pay tuition, to give money in their pockets to pay for the necessary necessities they need while going to college, and then not just having a cliff once they've reached the end of their college life. We have a bridge to allow them to transition and to make it some of the important decisions that are needed. This is how we are approaching everything that we do under this administration. We cannot just drop you off and say you are no longer our responsibility. You are our responsibility. And to you are at the place where you are comfortable enough to not only help yourself, but help those who also are in need. And so I'm really pleased with this program. I'm pleased that we put the dollars in it to make sure that we can fund it properly. And this is what I promised when I was on the campaign trail. And this is what we deliver it. This is a major milestone for our administration. And we're going to continue to do those things that are going to lean into creating an environment where we can raise healthy children and families in this city. We got their backs because we're going to need them to have our backs. And all young people are not the leaders of tomorrow. They're the leaders of today. We just have to give them the opportunity to lead. And today is a starting point with our foster care scholars as they get in the support that they deserve. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you so much, Mr. Mayor. It's now my honor to also introduce Chancellor Felix Matos Rodriguez. Chancellor has been an enormous supporter of our young people. We cannot say enough how important CUNY is to young people in foster care as an opportunity for economic mobility. Over half of the young people in this program are CUNY students. We are so fortunate to have such an institution in our city led by such a great leader. Chancellor. Thank you so much. Yes, thank you. Thank you. Good afternoon and so delighted to be here. Mr. Mayor, thank you so much again for supporting our youth and our students. Our CUNY mayor, right? Two CUNY degrees to back up two times to back up his work. Commissioners, they like to be here. So have a great partner. Congressman Espaillat, another CUNY graduate from Queens College, right? And thank you President Boudreau for hosting us here today. This is so exciting. This is the second time in the administration of Mayor Adams that I have the pressure of making an announcement with him that it's associated with foster care.  But this is a mayor, this is a commissioner who are really committed to this population. We stood at Kingsborough Community College with VREP, a program that was about giving career educational choices and tools to students in foster care, right? And now we're doubling down, right? Because this is a mayor who believes in second chances. He understands the value of second chances. And we want to provide that for all our students in foster care. This program is the best. It's a Cadillac with all the bells and whistles that any program can have. And I mean that. Look around. Look around the country. Look around the country. At Tesla. Okay. At Tesla. It's like the self-driving thing, but and it's also a sign. I'm so proud that CUNY is part of this program and this conversation because it is also a sign about how this team here learns from programs that happened in the past. We were fortunate, the mayor and the commissioner mentioned the program that we had before that was housing foster care students in our dorms. We learn from that experience. We learn from what work. We listen. And these two gentlemen here listen to the feedback of the kids in foster care about how the program could be different and better. And what you're seeing today is the result of that work. Knowing that we want to give them choice, I'm obviously a little biased about where they can go, right? You know, choices, choices good and the majority do come to CUNY and actually more than half of the students in foster care throughout the city come to CUNY, right? So they vote with their feet, but choice is good. But they also have all the additional support that we know they need to succeed in terms of additional dollars, additional counseling, all the things that they need to be able to succeed. Because the students in foster care, and this is a very special population to me, and I had the honor of serving as commissioner of social services for the Congress of Puerto Rico. So I know, I know the potential, I know the assets, I know the greed, I know the aspirations they have, all they need is an additional level of support so we can continue to be proud of them. And this is stories, right, of second chances. Stories that there was not safety in that home. We took them on, we embraced them, and now we want to see them succeed. So I'm so delighted to be part of this initiative. I hope it continues to grow, and I want to thank the mayor for continuing to invest in our youth in our city and in CUNY. Thank you so much. So I have to take a moment. The Chancellor mentioned listening to young people. There's a young woman over here, Shaniqua Roberts, who's a dear friend who pushed us hard around this program. And it wouldn't be what it is without you today. So thank you. Next we'll hear from City College President Dr. Vincent Boudreau. As I mentioned earlier, City College has been an absolute stalwart in support of young people in foster care, not only on the college path, but as a Chancellor talked about on the career and vocational path, which so many of them looking to pursue jobs in new infrastructure, not the jobs of yesterday, but the jobs of tomorrow. So please introduce you Dr. Vincent Boudreau. Thank you, Commissioner, Mr. Mayor, Chancellor, Congressman Espiot. This is when you heard from the Chancellor that we have learned over the years about how the work we had done originally to house students from ACS in our dormitories could be improved. And the thing we learned time and again is the more deeply, the more thoroughly they could be embedded in the campus, in the culture of the campus, given opportunities in the campus, the better they would do. And I will say to you, we have not reached the point. We may, via this program, we have not reached the point where investment in these students has failed to return a greater and greater yield. So this is as good a destination for city and state and federal support. These young people, this program, as any you can think of. We talked at CUNY all the time. We talked at City College. We talked across the system about our nation-leading achievements in social mobility. And I want to say about that is you don't get that. You don't get the social mobility that we achieve without paying attention to people who are underserved, overlooked in other corners of our society. And so bringing young people from ACS onto this campus, onto other CUNY campuses, onto other campuses around the world is how we institutionalize a methodology for getting that talent developed and for making sure that social mobility is not, as some economists have said in American society, a statistical anomaly. This is the place where social mobility leaves at City College and CUNY campuses and other campuses like that around the world. And finally, this is not just about propelling program participants to the middle class and beyond. We are super proud of that. But the other thing that's important is if young people who have been subject to unfair immigration rules and unjust housing practices and all the obstacles that bedevil the path to prosperity and security in their lives, if they take those experiences into jobs as social and political leaders, we will have a different conversation. We'll have a different conversation about justice, about equity, and about opportunity. We have here elected officials who have made the hallmark of their administration providing services to the underserved, putting them at the top of the list. And this program is as important an endeavor in that agenda as any that they've done. And so we are thrilled to be part of it and just watch what happens to these students. You won't have to wait long. Thank you. Speaking of great congressional leadership, we're thrilled to be joined today by Congressman Adriana Espiont. Washington as I can, whether it's the Rangel Institute or the Mexican Institute or the Dominican Studies Institute at the Central, bring back Dallas. And Mayor, yesterday I was at Harvard. I came back from Boston yesterday. I was invited by the law school because today they published an essay on their law journal for one of my pieces of legislation. Imagine that. When I came to CUNY as Celia Cruz, the great salsa singer used to say, my English was not very good looking. And there I am in Harvard. And there I am in Harvard speaking my Shakespearean English. And none of that could have happened without CUNY. CUNY. City College of the ruling class. And City College and Queen's College. Don't forget Queen's. And of course, Mayor, this investment that you're making is consistent with the Mayor's philosophy when he ran for office to lift up the least among us. Those that people forgot about and maybe felt they didn't have a shot, they didn't have a voice. This particular program is helping those young people. I know one of them because I met her the other day when we had the Secretary of Labor here for the Rangel Institute on Transportation and Infrastructure. And so I know that they will be successful. But it takes that commitment, Mayor, and your commitment to that New York, which often is forgotten in the boardrooms, in the ivory towers or even places like Harvard. It's important that we invest in those young people, from those communities. This city cannot move forward, cannot progress unless they do. It's impossible. It's impossible. So thank you, Mayor, for your leadership, Chancellor. You're doing a tremendous job. I look forward to continue to work with you. And of course, City College continues to be the harbor of working class in New York. Thank you. Thank you, Congressman. I wanted to introduce Sanjita, but she said no. So we're getting close. We're getting close. So we have two special guests. First, I want to introduce Dr. Robert Malera. He's the Chair of the Psychology Department here at CCNY's Cullen Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership. Dr. Malera will introduce our next and most important speaker. Good afternoon. It's my absolute pleasure to welcome Sanjita Fruz to the podium. Sanjita has been a solid, steady, relentless advocate for foster youth. But I'm her professor, so I know her for her success as a college student. And she is remarkable as a college student. Do you know at the end of the semester, she will have a bachelor's degree in psychology. She will have a master's degree in psychology. She will have a K-SAC-T certification in substance abuse counseling. I can think of no better representative for the potential of foster youth than Sanjita Fruz. Sanjita, give her a warm welcome, everyone. Thank you so much, Dr. Malera. Thank you, everyone, for coming here. So my name is Sanjita Fruz, a proud city college student pursuing a dual bachelor's and master's degree in psychology with a K-SAC track, like Dr. Malera said. I'm honored to be here with you today to share my story. I'm standing here because of possibility, not luck. And because I was fortunate to have a support system that initially started from a program called the Dorm Project. I want to talk to you about what happens when you put your hope, time, and resources behind someone like me. When I say like me, I mean a young person of color with big dreams and very limited opportunities. As a young adult, it's difficult to really know who to trust and exactly how to age out of the system successfully. But I knew that I could rely on higher education to get me closer to that success. Youth and care naturally prioritize developing independent life skills and becoming financially stable. It's heartbreaking because in foster care, you alone don't really have the space to imagine all the possibilities of what you can be. And stability seems like a hardship that we can't always reach, especially when we are always in survival mode. As a result, feeling like we're unable to pursue college, for those in foster care who seek both stability and higher education, it seems like an impossible task. But with the Dorm Project, I was able to do both. I was able to pursue my bachelor's degree and even my master's degree without having to worry about my financial situation. I was really able to just focus on my goals and my studies. The College Choice Program, which we launched today, is a resource available to all youth in care if they choose to pursue higher education. This program essentially says that young people in foster care can and should dream big. In fact, the program is even the result of a big dream. The pandemic highlighted the need for stronger support and resources for youth in foster care. And so during that time, my peers and I advocated for what we felt was needed for young people in foster care. I'm thrilled that Mayor Adams and ACS Commissioner Dan Hauser listened with time and evident passion from these leaders and countless others. We now are seeing changes that we have prayed for for years. It makes me happier than ever. The bottom line is that when you put a force behind a youth in care, the possibilities for them to succeed will expand. I'm here today standing before you as proof that it is possible with the launch of this reform program, the multiple supports, including tuition, housing, academic support, stipend, socio-emotional support, it will ensure the promise of a swift education for youth in foster care so that all youth in care seeking a college education will know that they can dream big and ACS will be right behind them to support their journey. I want to thank everybody who spent so much time and effort in advocating an encouraging change to build a better program. In return, I reassure with my success and encourage other foster youths to continue to work hard so we can change the statistics together and finish strong. This is to Jess. Thank you so much for coming here and just know that I'm here and it took a lot of people, a lot of people's support for me to be here and one day I would like to give back into child welfare and see what the future holds, you know? Let's continue to work together. Thank you. Two questions on this. How much does the program cost total? How's it, well, I guess three questions. How is it getting paid for?  Can you elaborate on that? Give us a little more detail on that, please. So the total cost of the program is $10 million, which is the same as the dorm project, but we're able to even have more students and more flexibility. One of the reasons for that is the coaches and the ACS staff, including Sonya's here, are really helping young people maximize what they're eligible for. So the city dollar only starts on the tuition when young people have maximized and there's so much available for youth and foster care. The $60 a day is city money. And the other question about the bridge, we will continue that $60 for the six months, but the coaches will be constantly working with young people around their career plans. Sonya's gonna work for ACS, I already signed her up. I hope, I hope. And was there one other piece of the question? Where was the money coming from at the $10 million? Your tax dollars, you need to pay more. You need to pay more. Yes, yes. Okay, we're gonna spare y'all the off-topping, you know. Thank you, thank you so much, good luck to you. Thank you, thank you. Thank you. Yes, Mayor, with regard to the decision to move the temporary migrant facility from Portrait Beach to Randall's Island. Number one, if you could explain what was behind the decision, but also the New York Immigration Coalition today called it, quote, a poorly conceived plan to hide asylum seekers into relief camps in remote areas of New York that are prone to flood. What is your response? The pooling of water, we could have mitigated the pooling of water, but the constant pivot and shift to find the right solution to this humanitarian crisis that was created by human hands, we made the decision to move to Randall's Island, and that's what we did. And so those who felt as though we didn't do it with the good hearts that we do, there's nothing I could do about that. Some people look at things and always find the negative. I look towards the positive. We're gonna get through this crisis. We're in New York, this is what we do, and we made the decision. We're gonna continue to pivot and shift. There's a lot of pivoting and shifting that's going to take place. This is a humanitarian crisis. A lot of people have never dealt with humanitarian crises before, realized that you have to make the right decision. We're gonna ensure safety, we're gonna ensure that we give the support that no one else in the country is doing for the migrant and asylum seekers, and that's what we're going to continue to do. Mr. Mayor, good afternoon. How are you? Could you tell us some of the money that's possibly lost during this process? I imagine, you know, having to start some scratch, that's what's impossible. Listen, it's not about money lost, it's using our dollars smartly. We made the decision to shift to Randall's Island, and it's because it's more cost-effective to do so. Mr. Mayor, two questions for you. Yes. Thank you.  Yes, we have been in communications with our colleagues in the state, and I also communicated with the mayors in Washington and in Chicago, I just find it ironic that these buses are coming to three cities with three black mayors, that's not lost on me, that are experiencing crises already, and I think that the actions that's taking place is really undermining our ability to deal with the crisis we're already facing, so we have been communicated. Where abouts upstate, and have you talked to the governor? Got to move on. Hi, Mr. Mayor. Hey, Kelly. You're reporting that the National Guard is being activated, you communicated that to the governor. I'm wondering, how many National Guards will be posted at this new location? What exactly will be their role, and what type of message is that sending to migrants who have come past this, have had this traumatic experience, and now we're gonna be around this National Guard kind of crisis? Well, the National Guard plays a role anytime we need assistance. We reached out to the governor, and asked the governor for help, and this was one of the areas she decided to help us with, and it says the right message, that we're gonna use everything that we have possible to deal with this humanitarian crisis that we're facing. This is unprecedented. 15,000 people are seeking assistance, and unlike other municipalities, we are doing our role as New Yorkers, and so we're gonna use the National Guard, we're gonna use our medical facilities, we're gonna use everything that's possible so that we can navigate our way out of this crisis that we're facing, and we'll navigate our way out of it. Let's be clear, I know sometimes it's better just to show doom and gloom, doom and gloom, doom and gloom, but that's not who we are. This city is more than the front page doom and gloom that we are seeing.  They say, Eric, we got this, this is New York. I don't know why people wanna think we can't navigate this stuff. May I'm wondering, cost, do you tell us anything about the cost, and then secondly, have you offered to send a migrant elsewhere? Are you having conversations with some of the migrants who may wanna leave New York and go to other cities or states? Once we get to the exact cost, we will give it to you. We don't wanna do anything prematurely, so you could say Eric lied on the cost. So we're gonna give you, once we get it. We're not, those who want to be reticketed because they never wanted to come to New York in the first place, we are assistant to find out ways for them to be reticketed. Some people wanted to go to other destinations and they were not allowed to do so. It was incentivized to come to New York, Washington and Chicago. And once people come here, we're doing the evaluation, that's what the HIRCs are for, to do an evaluation and make the determination, where would you like to go? Do you have family here? Do you have to go on the shelf to system? So this is a real smart way that our team is addressing this humanitarian crisis. When usually you get the stuff done, what happens with them? What happens with them? We saw a pooling of water. I don't know why people keep using the term flooded. No, we saw a pooling of water and the commissioner in Skoll made the decision to, we looked at several other sites already. We could have mitigated the pooling of water, but the commissioner made the decision, he called me, said, Eric, it's better if we use Randall Island, it's a higher peak. The parking lot is better used for it. And so we pivot and shift. Listen, we're not afraid to pivot and shift. People stay down roads even though it's bad because they're afraid what the media's going to write about them. No, we pivot and shift based on the needs. That's how we got through all these other crises. Diana Allen, the councilwoman who covers that district is that she has some concerns about it, that the speed at which this moving might be a little too fast. It's also in a flood plan.   I mean, are there other alternatives you're exploring, and can you kind of address Ayala's concern about the pace here? Respect her opinion. And once we determine that we have another place we want to go to, we'll do that. We're going to continue to pivot and shift to deal with this humanitarian crisis. And we respect her opinion. I love Diana. Michelle, sorry. Well, Randall Island's really being ready. Every time we have a crew there, now observing pools of water and some basic site serving work going on. We are going to ensure that we manage this crisis and based on what's ready, we will move into, we will continue to pivot and shift. I can't, we don't even know how many buses we're gonna get from the southern part of the state. It went from two buses to eight buses to four buses. So we have to be willing to address and adjust based on the challenges that are in front of us. And we got the team to do so. Mr. Mayor, what has allowed you to reduce the capacity by half? Orchard Beach was 1,000, Randall's Island will be 500. What has allowed that change to happen? We have some other things that we're looking at. And once we formalize those things, we're going to announce them. So we're looking at other methods to really address the influx. And really we're trying to judge based on how many buses come to New York. And so we adjusted based on that and we have some other things in the pipeline. How much will it cost the city to move the microchelter from Orchard Beach to Randall's Island? And why didn't you choose Randall's Island before? And where else are you looking? Do you say to move? The microchelter from Orchard Beach to Randall's Island? How much will that cost? Okay, no one was on Orchard yet. So we're not moving anyone. The structures are going to be built. And once we get to final numbers, we'll make sure we tell everyone. Oh, you can specify- You didn't think she was gonna call you? No, I question that, really. One of them is if you can specify that's the other site you're looking at. And for Commissioner, so can you please talk about why Randall's Island wasn't the choice from the beginning when you heard that that was the preference for some people, why it started Orchard when they went to Randall's Island? We're looking at a number of different sites and Commissioner, I answer that for you because he made the determination based on his professional ability. That's it? The, Germany Williams earlier had talked about the need for more federal assistance and more assistance from the governor. Just your thoughts on that and also the usage of Randall's Island. What does that look like with this center there through events get canceled? Does Randall's Island and Icon Stadium, does that continue as usual? The, and the commissioner can talk about that. Germany Williams is right that we need help from the federal and the state governments. I said this over and over again. This is an American crisis and all of us need to do it together. And I don't want to have to choose between making sure New Yorkers who are in need are not receiving what they deserve in this city. We're going to do our share, but we need a team effort to address this humanitarian crisis. And that is why we have been in communications with the president of the White House, I should say. In my conversation with the president last week, we have been in conversation with the governor. But we also need, as I said yesterday, the far right is doing the wrong thing and the far left is doing nothing. I mean, everyone needs to be in this game. You know, these people who are saying that don't put folks here, don't put folks there. I sat down with the mayor of Poland of one of the cities in Poland yesterday and he talked about how every day people from Poland was helping the migrants. Everyone should be on all hands on deck. Everyone, not sitting back and throwing rocks. Rock is not a plan. Everyone should be on deck helping this crisis right now. Thank you. You can see the question about events. Yeah, so one of the reasons that we did not originally place the camp at Randall's Island was because of seasonal use and that ends after Monday. So Randall's Island is now available in a way it wasn't when we started this process. It's also more cost effective. We're actually saving money by moving to Randall's Island at this stage. Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. The day we announce it.


Welcome to George H. Smith's Excursions into Libertarian Thon, a production of Libertarianism.org and the Cato Institute. Shaftesbury on the Value of Ridicule In English prosecutions for blasphemy, which extended well into the 19th century, prosecutors typically applauded England for its freedom of speech and press. But this freedom, they went on to say, had its limits. It did not include the right to treat the Christian religion with contempt and ridicule. Criticisms of Christianity were legal, but only if done in a serious, respectful manner. Ridicule, however, was a common tactic of free thinkers, so their convictions were virtually guaranteed. For example, George W. Foot, liberal editor of The Free Thinker, delighted in publishing satirical essays and cartoons that lampooned Christianity, and these efforts earned him a year in prison in 1883. The salesman and the printer of The Free Thinker were also prosecuted. For Foot's account of his trial, see his prisoner for blasphemy, 1886. Foot's comic Bible sketches, which were published regularly in The Free Thinker, played a major role in his prosecution. Foot was straightforward about his reason for publishing the sketches, which were quickly reprinted by French free thinkers. We honestly admit that our purpose is to discredit the Bible as the infallible word of God. Believing as we do with Bolter, that despotism can never be abolished without destroying the dogmas on which it rests, and that the Bible is the ground source and sanction of them all. We are profoundly anxious to expose its pretension. Foot's offensive cartoons and the controversy they provoked bring to mind the recent massacre of the 12 cartoonists and staff members of the French satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo. Both cases provoke debates about whether freedom of speech and press may be carried too far, as when satirists deliberately offend Muslims by making fun of their sincere religious beliefs. As with most other controversies, however, this one is nothing new, except that in earlier centuries it was Christians who argued that their religion should be exempt from public ridicule and that offenders should be silenced by legal means. Early free thinkers constituted the shock troops in the campaign to remove all legal liability for freedom of speech and press, including the ridicule of Christianity and other religions, however offensive their buffoonery may be. Some free thinkers paid a heavy personal price in this campaign. In the early 19th century, for example, the English free-thought publisher, Richard Carlisle, served more than nine years in prison, and his wife, sister, and many dozens of his workers were imprisoned as well for an early display of mass civil disobedience. See Chapter 7 for the details of the Carlisle prosecutions. The foremost defender of ridicule in every area, especially religion, was the free thinker and deist, Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1671-1713, better known as Lord Shausbury. In the first two parts of characteristics of men, manners, opinions, and times, a collection of previously published essays first published in 1711 and subsequently expanded, Shausbury, a classical liberal, presented a fascinating defense of the personal and social benefits of ridicule and satire, and his remarks profoundly influenced later free thinkers. I discussed Shausbury and his influence in this chapter and the next. Shausbury repudiated the notion that some doctrines are so important or sacred as to render them exempt from any and all ridicule. Any such claim is bound to foster pretentiousness. There can be no impartial and free censure of manners where any particular custom or national opinion is set apart and not only exempted from criticism, but even flattered with the highest art. It is only in a free nation such as ours that imposter has no privilege and that neither the credit of a court, the power of a nobility, or the awfulness of a church can give her protection or hinder her from being arraigned in every shape and appearance. But what if ridicule is pushed too far? Is it wrong to ridicule beliefs that many people hold as sacred? Shausbury pointed out that we are apt to become offended when our own beliefs are ridiculed, even though we may not hesitate to ridicule the beliefs of others. But who shall be judge of what may be freely examined and what may not? Where liberty may be used and where it may not? What remedy shall we prescribe to this in general? Freedom itself, according to Shausbury, is its own remedy. Trial and experience will eventually reveal when ridicule is appropriate and when it is not. Many religious believers will claim that their beliefs are so sacred and beyond reproach that anyone who ridicules them should be punished.  Perhaps so, but let us see first whether they really are grave or no, for in the manner we may conceive them they may per adventure be very grave and weighty in our imagination but very ridiculous and impertinent in their own nature. Gravity is of the very essence of imposture. Now what rule or measure is there in the world except in the considering of the real temper of things to find which are truly serious and which ridiculous? And how can this be done unless by applying the ridicule to see whether it will bear? Myrth, for the most part, cuts through weighty matters with greater firmness and ease than seriousness. Like other classical liberals of his time, Shausbury compared freedom of discussion to free trade. Just as free trade will bring about an equilibrium between supply and demand, free discussion will eventually discredit, at least among serious thinkers, scurrilous buffoonery that is inappropriately crude. By freedom of conversation, this illiberal kind of wit will lose its credit, for wit is its own remedy. Liberty and commerce bring it to its true standard. The only danger is the laying in embargo. The same thing happens here as in the case of trade. Impositions and restrictions reduce it to a low ebb. Nothing is so advantageous to it as a free port. Freedom of discussion is the foundation of civil discourse. All politeness is owing to liberty.  To restrain this is inevitably to bring a rust upon men's understandings. It is a destroying of civility, good breeding, and even charity itself under pretense of maintaining it. Shausbury called attention to the hypocrisy of many religious zealots who engaged in debates with our modern free writers, i.e. deus and other critics of Christianity. While appearing to engage in open discussions with religious skeptics, these jainist-faced champions of Christianity were quick to call on government to enforce blasphemy laws and other oppressive measures to silence their adversaries. Having entered the lists and agreed to the fair laws of combat by wit and argument, they have no sooner proved their weapon than you hear them crying aloud for help and delivering over to the secular arm. Shausbury's mention of the secular arm was probably a tacit reference to Catholicism. Since the Catholic Church was technically forbidden to shed blood, it turned heretics and blasphemers over to the secular arm for punishment, with the clear understanding that they would be put to death. John Milton and other liberal Protestants had condemned persecution as a uniquely Catholic policy, one that Protestants should not emulate. Thus, in referring specifically to the secular arm, Shausbury was following suit. To link a policy directly to Catholicism was to discredit that policy among many Protestants. Shausbury had many other interesting things to say about the benefits of free and open public discussions. Consider his reply to the objection that unrestrained debates about religion will often generate an uncertainty that may lead to disbelief or skepticism. Reasoning is mental labor, and, as with other kinds of labor, people will not engage in serious reasoning unless they find it agreeable in some way. The unrestrained freedom to use wit and railery provides this kind of incentive. It is the habit of reasoning alone which can make a reasoner, and men can never be better invited to the habit than when they find pleasure in it. A freedom of railery, a liberty and decent language to question everything, and an allowance of unraveling or refuting any argument without offense to the arguer are the only terms which can render such speculative conversations any way agreeable. For, to say truth, they have been rendered burdensome to mankind by the strictness of the laws prescribed to them and by the prevailing pedantry and bigotry of those who reign in them and assume to themselves to be dictators in these provinces. Chasbury's defense of wit and ridicule bore fruit among free thinkers. Although Voltaire is the best known example of a free thinker who used ridicule and humor in his criticism of Christianity, he was far from the only free thinker who used this tactic. Consider the case of Thomas Wollstone, 1669-1733, a Cambridge graduate admired by Voltaire, who is the most vilified of the deistic critics of Orthodox Christianity. Wollstone's sarcastic criticisms of a literal belief in the Bible brought accusations of insanity. Poor, mad Wollstone, most scandalous of the deists, as the 19th century historian Leslie Stephen put it in history of English thought in the 18th century, 1876. According to Stephen, who was himself an agnostic, Wollstone attacked the gospel narratives of Wollstone as preposterous, and this would have been sufficient of itself to raise doubts of its author's sanity. Stephen considered Wollstone a mere buffoon jingling his cap and bells in a sacred shrine. Even Stephen admitted, however, that there are queer gleams of distorted sense and even a literary power in the midst of his buffoonery. A good deal of abusive sarcasm may be found in the writings of 18th century critics of deism, but none of those respectable Christian writers, so far as I know, was ever accused of being insane. Wollstone believed that hireling preachers were conspiring against him, another indication of his paranoid insanity according to Stephen. Yet Wollstone's fear of persecution proved well founded. In 1729 he was convicted of blasphemy, find 100 pounds and sentenced to a year in prison. Then, unable to pay a security of 2,000 pounds to ensure his future good conduct, Wollstone is reported to have spent the remaining three years of his life in prison. Voltaire, who was in England at the time, disputed the claim that Wollstone died in prison. Several of my friends have seen him in his house. He died there, at liberty. The great historian of free thought, J. M. Robertson, attempted to reconcile these conflicting accounts by suggesting that Wollstone may have been under some kind of house arrest during his last three years. A contemporary critic charged Wollstone with infunery and gross railery, a charge that has been echoed by modern historians. For example, in Reason and Authority in the 18th century 1964, G. R. Craig called Wollstone's criticism of the Bible hysterically abusive. But few, if any, historians mentioned the reason for Wollstone's abusive tactics. In a passage that reads like a less sophisticated version of Shasbury's arguments in favor of ridicule, Wollstone wrote the following, and how then is such a work to be performed to best advantage? Is it to be done in a grave sedate and serious manner? No, I think ridicule should here take the place of sober reasoning, as the more proper and effectual means to cure men of their foolish faith and absurd notions. As no wise man hardly ever represents a blunderbus for his bull any other way, than by laughing at him. So the assertors of Wollstone were laughing at him. So the assertors of nonsensical notions and theology should, if possible, be satirized and gested upon, or they will never desert their absurd doctrines. This has been Excursions into Libertarian Thought, a production of Libertarianism.org and the Cato Institute. To learn more about Libertarian philosophy and history, visit www.libertarianism.org.


Welcome into the fan duel hurry up. I'm Maria Marino for fantasy sports network joined by Jim Sonnis of Number Fire our analysts today We're talking about some matchups that you'll want to exploit moving into week two of fantasy football Jim Let's start with the Steelers passing offense. They had a brutal week one But why do you like them this time around? Yeah, they were terrible Ben Ralfus burger through three picks and he did not look good He's got an elbow injury now, but you have to consider to that game was on the road and they were in high winds It was raining as well Now they go home and they're facing the Kansas City Chiefs and last week the Chiefs allowed 424 yards and three touchdowns to the Phillip Rivers and that was even with the Chargers dropping five passes This defense when we talked about last week is when we can target pretty regularly and I didn't see anything last week to really change my mind on that and we know that the Steelers are a better team at Home then they tend to be on the road. So I love Antonio Brown I love Ben Ralfus burger leaking throughout some juju Smith Schuster, and this is a game that you can really stack There's a high total in this game can run it back with the Chiefs with their B Tyreek Hill Patrick Mahomes or someone like that. So I think it's a good rebound spot for Pittsburgh. They've got a great matchup I love targeting them at home whoever they're facing and I think that honestly this week I just want to go hard at that Steelers offense and see how many shares I can get of each piece And as good as Kansas City looked in week one, they're currently ranked 31st against the past So Jim likes that Steelers passing offense this week, but let's move over to another matchup We can exploit for week two. It's the Panthers rushing offense going up against Atlanta What caught your eye about this one? Yeah, I think it's injuries for Atlanta because they've lost a couple of really big players in Keanu Neal and Dion Jones And they're guys who have kind of been the glue for this defense for a while now and Specifically what they do is they tend to cover running backs out of the backfield quite a bit Atlanta is a team that has allowed the most receptions to running backs each of the past three years You've put them up against Christian McCaffrey now who had nine targets last week on top of ten carries And he's a guy who could go bananas out of the backfield for this week Also, Atlanta was ranked 22nd against the rush last year didn't do so hot in week one against Philadelphia And then you take both Jones and Neal out of the equation now like McCaffrey a lot this week He was on the field for eighty five point one percent of the snaps last week Which is the second highest mark of his entire career. He's just seventy four hundred dollars on Fandle I love McCaffrey for this week I'm hoping people will be let down based on what he did last week where he was decently popular against Dallas But the usage was there. He's got a great matchup this week. He's playing indoors I also love so it's a good week to get back in on Christian McCaffrey against Atlanta McCaffrey netting just over ten fantasy points on fan duel last week But Jim thinks he could get even more this week Let's talk about the Chargers rushing offense now and Melvin Gordon He's going up against Buffalo and they had some trouble week one to say the least Jim Just a little bit of trouble. Yeah, absolutely is they they lost that one pretty big and now they go back home They're starting Josh Allen and they are underdogs here and the Chargers Disappointing last week, but it was not disappointing the users that Melvin Gordon got he had 15 carries in a career high 13 targets And my process in DFS even on a half PPR side like Fandle is I want as many Targets from my running backs as possible because a target in half PPR scoring is worth twice as much as a carry And if I'm gonna get 13 targets out of Melvin Gordon, I'm pretty excited about that they're also again a favorite in this game, which should lead to additional rushing volume and They're facing a Buffalo defense that was last in the league against against the rush last year based on number fires metrics Now I don't expect them to rank last against the rush this year But it makes some good changes in the draft defensively, but at the same time I'm more focusing on the volume here for Melvin Gordon Which should be just massive as a favorite and Toss in that passing volume and I just I love everything about Melvin Gordon this week for $8,200 on Fandle Chargers may not have gotten a win week one But fantasy-wise they cleaned up and Melvin Gordon in particular netted over 23 fantasy points on Fandle Let's now turn our attention to the Broncos passing offense in week two going up Against Oakland they are home the Broncos are and Oakland definitely had their troubles in week one as well Yeah, it's weird weird that a team that traded Khalil Mack would have trouble rushing the passer I'm not sure how that exactly happened They should trade for Khalil Mack now to rectify that just one sack last week against Jared golf Even though the Rams had one of their guards suspended for the game It's not a full at full health on the offensive line there But they just generated no pass rush and Jared golf was able to pick them apart now They go on the road facing a Denver Broncos offense It looked pretty good last week in the first game with case Keenum The thing that I love about this Denver Broncos passing offense is that you know where the ball is going a manual Sanders 11 targets last week Demarius Thomas had 10 and both those guys had two targets at least 16 yards downfield If you give me a passing offense that should be decently efficient in a good matchup against Oakland And I know where the ball is going to go. It's gonna make me pretty excited about them So I think both the manual Sanders and Demarius Thomas worthy of investment for this week In case Keenum could be too if you want to stack them up a good spot against Oakland The one concern would be if they get up early, but if they get up early that means the score points already So I'm not super worried about that personally I think the Keenum Sanders and Thomas all totally in play for this week, too While the Raiders are currently ranked 28th against the pass So let's also talk about 49ers against Detroit this week and that passing offense in San Fran you like tell us why Yeah, they didn't look good last week But it's kind of like the Steelers situation where the circumstances dictated that they were on the road facing Minnesota Minnesota has the best defensive line in all of football and Not many teams will look good when you're facing that team on the road now They go back home and they're facing the Detroit Lions and we saw Sam Darnold shred them on Monday night now The Lions instead of facing a rookie quarterback at home go on the road on short rest to face Jimmy Garoppolo And the Lions do have talent their secondary a serious sleigh. He did get banged up on Monday night should be good to go But I think the thing here is that the linebacker play for Detroit figures to so be suspect We saw Quincy and Newnwood tear them apart on Monday night as well Which bodes well for George Kittle you guys talked about him on Monday as having really good usage in week one So I think you can pair Garoppolo with George Kittle or just use George Kittle by himself They should be in a good spot here against Detroit and I think it's a good bounce back spot for the 49ers as a whole I think Jimmy G watching Sam Darnold's performance against Detroit will be nice Inspiration and we talked about George Kittle. His stock is trending up He had over 11 fantasy points on Fandall week one. So Jim likes him for week two Let's also talk about the Vikings rushing offense going up against Green Bay They're at Green Bay. How come you like this matchup Jim? I like it because I think Dalvin Cook's gonna wind up going overlooked for this week And I don't really think he should because he's $6,500 on Fandall Which is an awesome price to pay for a guy who played 80% of the snatch last week The usage wasn't necessarily great for Dalvin Cook because Latavius Murray did get 11 carries But even with that we saw Dalvin Cook get 16 carries. He also had seven targets again I love getting targets and for just $6,500 he is kind of a workhorse back And that's far too cheap for a guy is going to get the usage that he will get on top of that The Packers defense is much better than it was last year But they weren't able to stop the rush back on Sunday night against the Bears Jordan Howard had a 60% success rate against them on 15 carries Same thing for Tariq Cohen on his five carries. I don't know if this is necessarily a defense I will target often this year because I do respect a lot of the the investments that they made in the draft Especially a cornerback But when you give me Dalvin Cook in a situation where I think he'll go overlooked for $6,500 on Fandall The usage is too good for me to say no So it's partially because I like the matchup, but it's also because I think Dalvin Cook is just very much under price at $6,500 And one great thing to note about Cook in addition to his running game threat He had six receptions in week one So this was just one matchup that jim likes for week two If you want to see all the matchups to exploit make sure you check out fan duel.com slash the duel and click on videos Maria marino for fantasy sports network back with you on the fan duel hurry up and jim sonnis is with us as well from number fire We're talking about a couple of stacks Actually, a few a handful of stacks that jim likes for week two And let's start it off with the guys in cleveland Tarad Taylor and Jarvis Landry boy. Did they do some damage in week one jim? What are you thinking about them for week two? Yeah, they're going on the road to face new orleans And I don't expect new orleans defense to be as bad as it was in week one But I think it's kind of the same thing we talked about earlier with the denver broncos offense Where you kind of know where the ball is going to go and based on week one It seems like that's going to be to jarvis landry for cleveland He had 214 air yards according to fantasy insiders air yards app in week one If we look back to last year when he was with miami He never had more than 143 air yards in a single game He topped 100 air yards just three times the entire year So the usage here for jarvis landry 15 total targets and a lot of those being downfield He had five targets at least 16 yards downfield that to me is super intriguing and with tarad taylor It's partially because he will get some points as a rusher. It's partially because he is very cheap Which I like, uh, so I think that there are a couple of things lining up there I'm not saying that I'm going to not use the saints defense because I will also use the saints defense at times But given that taylor can get points with his with his legs given that jarvis landry should likely avoid marshawn latimore by playing in the slot I think that we can pair these two guys together and neither guy is super expensive Landry's 6700 dollars on fandal. So I like them a lot again I I'm okay with going with the saints defense at times too, but I'm not doing that I think that it does make sense to get exposure to tarad taylor and jarvis landry Landry led the league in receptions last year and he's proving to be a target magnet once again for tarad taylor And by the way new warlands defense against the past currently ranked last in the league Let's talk about another team where we could take advantage of a stack It's alex smith and jordan reid the tight end in washington washington at a nice showing in week one jim Yeah, they really did dominate out in arizona That's you know, that's not a tough not an easy place to go as you're going out It's a long trip and uh facing a defense and then the pass has been very good But I think we saw in week one that you know, maybe not the same thing But we saw the exact same thing from indianapolis where the bangles even though they got off to a slow start We're able to put together a pretty good performance against indy now Indy goes on the road to face washington And I am worried a bit about the ceiling here with washington because alex smith Did not attempt a pass longer than 16 yards downfield But they should be able to move the ball and they should be able to score points And I think both those bowed well for a guy like jordan reid He was able to play 51 of the snaps last week meaning he is healthy And I think that's kind of always the big question with jordan reid He had two targets inside the 20 yard line. He had one target inside the 10 So if washington is able to move the ball this weekend, it will likely be at least partially through jordan reid So I like jordan reid a lot. I think that alex smith is more of a salary saver We know he can do some stuff with his legs too So I do worry a tad bit about the ceiling for alex smith given that he's not throwing it very deep But at the end of the day, I'm still on board with using him here against the colds defense It could be just really bad this year alex smith just a poise veteran and jordan reid as you mentioned you got to take advantage and use him while he's healthy Well, let's talk about another stack for week two and jim likes drew breeze and of course alvin kamara This probably speaks for itself, but tell me why jim Yeah, it's not exactly the boldest stack to go with drew breeze and alvin kamara But I think that I just love having these two together because if you pair drew breeze with alvin kamara You're probably getting exposure to every touchdown that the saints score And we saw what they can do in week one They may have lost but they still put up 40 points against the bucks Now they're facing the browns and I like the browns defense to be better this year than they were last year But at the end of the day, it's still the saints at home and I love stacking where I can get a double dip, you know That's why I don't often stack a quarterback with a running back because you know if a running back runs the ball You're not getting double points between the quarterback and the running back But with kamara he had 12 targets last week from drew breeze.  He had five targets in the red zone last week He had two deep targets as well And I'm not opposed to putting drew breeze with michael thomas But at the end of the day if I can get exposure to most likely every touchdown that new orland scores on sunday I really do want to take advantage of that. So I will go drew breeze michael thomas But I think that drew breeze alvin kamara may wind up being the more common stack for me in week two I just wonder if cleveland will finally get a win and I don't know how good it's looking going up Against new orlands, but kamara so far has been the workhorse and the dual threat in the run game and the receiving game that we expected Let's talk about another stack for week two jim you like cam newton And christian mccaffrey. What about that pairing has you excited? Yeah, we talked about christian mccaffrey before and how appealing this matchup is for him being paired with an atlanta pass defense That does tend to funnel targets towards the running back So the volume from mccaffrey should be there But it should be for cam too and the thing that I love about cam newton We talked about this briefly with tarot taylor But I like getting that rushing volume from a quarterback and cam has had a ton of it recently Over the past five regular season games He has had at least 11 carries and at least 50 yards as a rusher each of those five games He has averaged eight point three Fantasy points as a rusher in this five game sample His offensive coordinator north turner said this week that he wants to let cam be cam And that means running the football quite a bit that gives cam a really good floor Now you put him in a dome against an atlanta defense that is super banged up. I think that gives him a good ceiling I am worried with no greg olson with no darrell williams for this carolina offense But when you add in the losses that atlanta's defense has had I think it's a really good spot for cam if you pair him with mccaffrey It's not as likely as it is with new orleans that you'll pin down every touchdown that carolina scores But you should still be close unless cj anderson gets a touchdown or the fullback The panthers actually had a fullback touchdown on sunday as well I think he should be set up pretty well for a big rivalry here between carolina and atlanta cam newton looked very comfortable week one and we talked about christian mccaffrey who had a pretty good day But he had the volume even though it maybe didn't even equate to as many fantasy points as he could have had But I think it'll be improved this week as jim mentioned So he likes that stack with cam newton and christian mccaffrey in week two Let's talk about another stack for week two that jim likes. It's matt ryan and julio jones Where is julio? I I never know like I feel like atlanta doesn't even know where he is half the time You think he's gonna get some more action in week two Yeah, I hope so. I mean i'm always in favor of julio. I love julio and I think that this is appealing It's in the exact same game as the stack that we just talked about with christian mccaffrey and cam newton But I love tarding games are in domes and I think a lot of the ownership for this week Will gravitate towards a super dome based on what we saw there last week But this is always a situation where they could go off between atlanta and carolina and we again We know where the ball is going going julio 19 targets last weekend He had seven deep targets at least 16 yards downfield three targets in the red zone Those don't tend to turn out very well for julio, but hey at least he is getting looks in the red zone So I love that and honestly matt ryan looked terrible and that is concerning But it also means no one's going to use him for this week and for 7100 dollars putting him in a dome I like that we've seen julio go bananas against carolina before even when they had josh norman back in the day now That secondary not quite as good as it used to be If I can get matt ryan and julio jones in a dome in what could be a plus matchup I will do it and yes It does require a bit of a leap of faith to go with matt ryan given that he did not top 20 points on fandall in any single game last year But I still like him paired with julio here.  I should say, you know, they went into new england and struggled a bit What do you think about them for this time around? I think it's exactly what you said maria They are coming off of a disappointing game against new england and that's going to you know Turn a lot of people off and I think that it should but we should be concerned about regression with this houston offense But I think pricing accounts for that too dishawn watson bumped down to 7400 dollars on fandwall While deandre hopkins 82 or is down to 8400 dollars and I don't think people if they pay up a wide receiver will gravitate towards deandre hopkins Antonio brown is at home in a great matchup julio jones coming off a big week last week with 19 targets I could see people gravitating towards them instead of going towards deandre hopkins And that means we could get dishawn watson and deandre hopkins at lower ownership at reduced pricing In a pretty good matchup with tennessee. I think that tennessee's secondary is much improved with melvin butler being there But they still got torched by kenny stills last week in that weird weather game in miami I think that sets up well for dishawn watson and deandre hopkins We know that dishawn watson is willing to chuck it deep We know that can benefit uh deandre hopkins and we know that dishawn watson can get a lot of points with his legs So with the reduced pricing with sentiment being skewed against houston based on that poor showing last week I think now's a good time to buy back in on houston in case they do go berserk Against a tennessee defense that again did get torched by kenny stills last week What I like about this stack is just the sheer talent right deandre hopkins has got to be one of the best receivers in the nfl at this point and we've seen dishawn watson's ability to put up monster numbers So that's a stack that we both like and if you missed any of the other stacks We like for week two make sure you check out fan duel dot com slash the duel and click on videos


Indian companion tunnel the daring and resourceful mass writer of the planes led the fight for law and order in the early Western United States nowhere in the pages of history can one find a greater champion of justice return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear from out of the past come the thundering hoof beats of the great horse silver the moon ranger rides again the guns of the cactus city business district smiley Phillips a reporter for the Daily Star turned into the door bearing a sign which read cash is called attorney at law the fixed smile which had given the newspaper man his name widened as hold a small dollar face man waved him into a chair beside the rule top desk smiling I was about to send for you I suppose you want a story kept out of the paper I have some surprising news for you of course I shouldn't tell it to do so makes me guilty of a breach of professional ethics you've been guilty of a lot of things you weren't disbarred from the practice of law in the east for nothing and you weren't fired from a New York paper for nothing except blackmail we've been over that before now spill your secret last night I drew a will for your boss Colonel Mitchell he has no relatives so where will his property go to you me oh cash this is great the star alone is worth a lot of money but wait Colonel has to live for another 20 or 30 years in spite of the fact he was shot through the chest during the Civil War hasn't it occurred to you that his life could be shortened yes but as his heir I'd be suspected of murdering him chef Hubbard would jail me quicker than you could say any as corpus smiley I've done a lot of thinking about that will it presents opportunities for both of us how do you figure out my safe is filled with blackmailing material nearly every rich rancher and mining man around here has a skeleton in this closet the cattle kings got their starters rustlers the mine operators were claim jumpers and some were killers this is still white once the daily star is yours we can use it to blackmail them out of hundreds of thousands of dollars we couldn't get away with that or anything else as long as newt Hubbard is sure I thought of a steam that will eliminate him and Colonel Mitchell at the same time by working things right we can put the sheriff in a position where he'll have to shoot some weeks later the lone ranger and taught who were camped in the mountains a day's ride from Cactus City looking up from a copy of the daily star which taught oh had obtained at a nearby stage station the masked man remarked hello our old friend Sheriff Hubbard is in trouble oh what happened there's newspapers viciously attacking him yet of their Colonel Mitchell accuses him of being cowardly incompetent and crooked oh and it's a wrong that's taken my life on that personal journalism in the West has reached a point where even the best men are slanted the minister good government all right let's break camp and where we go to Cactus City we help Sheriff Hubbard welts perhaps we can help you again as the long-range you're on top of prepared for the trip smiling Philip squeezed into Sheriff Hubbard's office my share the lawman greeted him affably happy smiley take your weight off your feet oh thanks sir you know I can't understand why you will already poor for the star to come into your office yuck smiley I'm an understanding sword I don't blame you for what Colonel Mitchell writes about me I know your job is just getting news about shootings in search I hate to tell you this today's paper the Colonel will have an editorial claiming that you stuffed the ballot boxes in order to get elected who went for name calling Sheriff has to expect abuse I don't say the weather Colonel is black guarding me well just between us I wouldn't stand for the kind of slander the colonels printing about you I'd shoot him on sight so what every other man in the territory may be sure but I don't break any laws and spread what he says I do my dirties to enforce him you must be thick skinned Sheriff smiley was in conference with Colonel Mitchell an ex army officer of reckless courage but poor judgment who had put aside the sword for the pen yet not however discarded his six shooter it was a cap and ball colt a dragoon model of 1861 and it lay on his desk with an easy reach as he asked smiley did you see that power through nowhere is a sheriff's band I just came from him Colonel course you realize that I have to keep on friendly terms with them in order to get more evidence of his unfitness for office yes you've convinced me of that remains for me to convince the public the lily livered scoundrel must be driven out of cacti city he feels same way about you I gathered him he claimed that you've been sneaking down alleys to avoid meeting what no man can speak like a million live I'll publicly challenge him to a duel in tomorrow's paper I shall print a statement saying that 12 noon that day need stay following I propose to walk down the middle of mainstream in the hope of meeting and shooting that while Colonel Mitchell raked the English language for the high-flung freezes popular in that day smiley hurried the caches hold small bursting in upon his fellow plotter he exclaimed it worked out just as you play I told you it would the colonel is going to force the sheriff's hand by challenging him to a duel on Main Street excellent will the colonel be armed with his cap and ball revolvers I anticipated naturally have a look here that gun is reliable and accurate I've seen him use it to shoot the flame from a candle at 50 feet you know there's a good chance that he'll kill the sheriff instead of getting killed I thought of that I want you to spike his gun spike it so he doesn't carry it in the whole soon so you ought to be able to get hold of it before he leaves the star office I can do that then what drive cactus spines into the six nipples on which the percussion caps fit that will keep the caps from touching off the powder charges in the cylinder chambers and make him a perfect setup for the sheriff cash you think of everything indeed I do smiley right now I'm thinking of a way to keep you from double-crossing me way I wouldn't do that I don't trust you you smile too much on the following morning the star carried the colonel's challenge under a banner headline sheriff Hubbard and his chief deputy Bill Lyons brought it together at the jail the deputy was saying sir if you have to meet him or quit your job well meet the killer I won't try to do I have a rishney it's like for a few minutes of being new when the lone ranger and ruffle rode up to the crest of a high hill overlooking cacti city there they drew rain unaware the colonel Mitchell's editorial attacks on the sheriff and reached a climax that's what he's done play the geese down on the town top of pointed place look plenty quiet yes too quiet there isn't a man on the sidewalks or a horse at the Hitcher acts you must have a me see people but them all look out of doors windows round corners of buildings they seem to be expecting trouble and what we do I want to keep my presence a secret at least until I've talked to the sheriff so we'll go on to the edge of town I'll wait there while you find out what's going on at that moment colonel Mitchell entered his office and found smiley waiting beside the editorial desk picking up his gun he looked at the shiny new priming caps the smiling reporters expression did not change as he asked colonel are you sure your guns in order yes it couldn't be otherwise just before I went to the cafe I oiled it recharged it and put on new priming caps well it's almost 12 give me your hand I have a secret no I won't tell it now but if it should happen that I don't return I want you to remain true to the tradition of fearless journalism be a scourge of evil doors goodbye goodbye Colonel believe me my heart and soul are in your gun today and six cactus me the sheriff had stationed himself in the center of the street a block away he stood with his legs wide apart his hands hanging loosely at his sides his one gun was holstered seeing the colonel emerge from the star building he called to his chief deputy who had posted himself on the walk nearby it's my job right but don't give more than an even break from places of safety hundreds of towns people watched with bated breaths the deathly silence was broken only by the sound of the colonel's footsteps he advanced on the sheriff with a measured tread of a soldier holding himself proudly erect his gun hung barrel down from his right hand as the distance between the two men shrank to 20 faces the colonel paused and called your under arrest disturbing the peace you can't hide behind your bad you cream and reprobate as the colonel continued his faithful March the sheriff slipped his gun from its holster but did not raise it again the challenger stopped as he spoke the colonel aimed and triggered his long barreled army calls the hammer fell only the percussion cap exploded the colonel's face was read with fury as he growls don't try that again now give me your gun now I'm sorry colonel you had two chances you're not badly hurt but the sheriff kept the crowd back Doc Harlow knelt beside the fallen man taking off his tall hat he uncoiled the stethoscope which he always carried in it after applying the instrument to the colonel's breast for a short time he pronounced this man is dead with doctor can't be I aimed at the current soldier you made a mistake he's alive well if he's alive so is Julius Caesar there's some of you fellas put him on a shutter and carry him to my office I don't take the colonel's gun I want yours too chef Megan what for I'm the corner remember all right being cornered my legal right and duty to hold you for the inquest the curtain falls on the first act of our lone Ranger adventure before the next exciting scenes please permit us to pause for just a few moments witness the death of Colonel Mitchell and the rest of the sheriff we joined the lone ranger and told what has happened meanwhile the ever-smiling reporter had gone to Cashhold's law office to discuss the next steps in their plot he was saying the corner as the colonel's gun even if he finds it was like the sheriff will get the blame I agree and I'll let's get that will prove it no you don't want to draw public attention to yourself yet I've got to keep the paper going the most capable man on the staff you'll be expected to do that pending administration of the estate then I'll take charge and get out of special edition by the way smarty you're in a position now where you need a gun handy you know I've always thought it's smarter to pack a grin than a gun it's more disarming you can't work a black male scheme in the West without more protection than that I always keep a forty five on my desk here's a forty one caliber double barrel danger pistol that you can carry in your pocket at all times I'm making you a present of it thanks first gun I've ever had be careful it's loaded never look down the barrel of a gun you may shoot yourself aren't you afraid I'll use it on you you said you didn't trust me I still don't but I advise you not to try any gunplay I'm a man who knows how to protect himself that night the sheriff and his chief deputy in whose custody he had been placed at the table in the jail office the coroner had just arrived as he took off his tall half and mocked his poor and he said if I thought I could clear you at the inquest tomorrow and now I don't know I found that your bullet only hit the colonel's shoulder so they wouldn't blaze this kill me an old civil war wound that weakened his heart well that makes me feel some better don't help you in any other way people are saying you took advantage of a civil war hero who had only a bow and cap guns they call it murder I say look there mask man and a little off your gut bill they're friends of mine I'm sure glad to see you on tattoo I never needed you more but it don't look like there's a thing you can do for me others saw the shooting he says you let Carl Mitchell slap his gun at you before you fired I did but I couldn't take another chance on his gun not fine hey Rick and he had some old priming isn't like an ex-officer to put old caps on the gun he expected to use in a duel oh where's the gun right here on the table we're holding it for the inquest may I see it go ahead this gun's an excellent condition the copper caps are as bright as they had just came out of a box what are you what are you doing cutting the cylinder and taking off the caps every nipple has been plugged apparently with cactus spine hey no wonder it wouldn't shoot sure of both you and the curl have been victims of a cunning clock somebody wanted him killed and arranged it so that you had to do the shooting the mask man is right but it won't help your case chef in fact it'll make it worse if I'm at the inquest jury see that done they'll figure you manage somehow despite it says the colonel have any enemies they knew about I didn't even hate him who stands to gain by death nobody he didn't have any years we'll step into the back room keep them locked up or I'll use my paper to run you out of town your paper did you say yes I said it you might as well know now is later that the colonel will be all his property I don't believe it Adam say once that he figured to me very danger old soldier home well that was before I went to work for where is that when you're talking about cash hold has it in his law office by that chapter the property for it for you the argument continues the whole range your touch tunnels are when the two men silently through a door to an alley where they had left their horses and I heard the masked man said talk won't solve the sheriff's problem he can't work on it the corner isn't a real almond we'll have to act and what we do that report I had a chance to spike the gun the world gave him a reason to do it we're going after the will maybe that get us in plenty trouble you take that chance for the sheriff's sake you know where lawyer hold his office tunnel a few minutes later the greedy little lawyer was roused from a dream of power and plunder by a knock on his door expecting a visit from smiley he unlocked and opened it when he backed over to his desk with a gas mask not you and then you were trying to kill me and I know who hired you I feel hate for it I fix it so he will they won't harm you all we want you to do is show us Colonel Mitchell's well of course you want the will for that double cross what double cross as he spoke the lawyer slid one of his hands into the litter of papers on his desk then it's made up with a gun that had lain concealed master shower down on the struggling men hold we're shrinking hold the way came here we would have been satisfied with learning who witnessed that well but you're fair being murdered by an accomplice to expose you as being a crook yourself are you and smiley Phillips behind the gun plot that costs the current life I'm through talking out of those yells and that shot must have been heard left to work fast searching for the key to his safe whole town will be here after you are close in a minute yes I'm gonna give safe unlock as the low ranger searched the strongbox a citizen who had heard the shot and peered through a window spread words through the town that a hold up was in progress in cash holes office armed men began to gather outside hearing the hubbub the mask man abandoned his examination of the lawyer's files and got to his feet hello we're trapped in a sound memory but seniors have been newly witnessed and motorized actually bequeased a property to show a lot of stuff which could be used for blackmail and that's not how far sir Sheriff's paper hold tried to swallow the car to into this mess by trying to help me now we're all shut down most confessions you have a right to know what's a channel into a field with a sheriff but tell him I told him point he spiked to be afraid of swally he thought tonight the smiley had hired not to know your hands lead to block his escape one of the mask man's hands dropped to a gunbush the reporter world just as the lone ranger's gun cleared leather the twin barrels of smiley's pistol were within inches of the mask man's heart when the hammer fell a body hit the floor but it was not the lone ranger who fell smiley was on the floor feebly repeating dude surely that I hear the barrel that just fell on the floor they're both plugged with oversize bullets wonder the gun blew apart oh listen to what smiley's saying another body for the inquest thought that pool kid will have to be carried to the gallows in a chair he's from yellow but he knew all the gun tricks why do you suppose he gave smiley a plug gone he probably expected the reporters to turn the gun on him sooner or later the inquest won't be anything but a formality right ma'am I owe you another big debt now I wish there was something I could do to repeat there is sure just keep on being the kind of lawman who is making the worst of other places which is a man they asked that same question once in another lawman he told me like I'm telling you he is the lord used by Trandall Campbell enterprises directed by Charles D. Livingston and edited by Fran Stryker


Every day, sailors and Marines answer the call of service to our country. Answering that call means stepping up no matter the danger and running toward the sound of guns. We know what it means to face adversity, to risk it all for our fellow Americans. Through all of our trials, you have honored our sacrifices and thanked us for our service. But during this crisis, we're not the ones who deserve thanks. During the World Battles COVID-19, many of you have taken a great risk and sacrificed your own safety to help others. While we maintain security and prosperity from the Indo-Pacific region, you keep our loved ones safe at home. On behalf of the sailors of USS America and from the Marines and the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, it's our turn to say thank you. Simperfied Alice.